Sunday 11 December 2016, 10:18

Quotes: Jeonbuk Hyundai-Club America

**Choi** Kanghee, Jeonbuk Hyundai coach

It’s a shame we lost, but the players stood up really well to the test and kept going for it right till the end. I’m very grateful. In the first half we managed to neutralise the threat the opposition posed, but in the second half we lost concentration and we didn’t play a smart game. We didn’t start with Leonardo because we wanted to counter Club America’s tactics. We brought him on in the second half to try and get another goal but it didn’t work.****

It’s been a very positive experience despite the defeat. The competition’s not over yet and we have to prepare ourselves for the next match, both physically and mentally. We have to show just how much we want to play.

Ricardo La Volpe, Club America coach The players showed character, attitude and heart in winning this game. They put what happened last year behind them, and they’ve come here again and showed that Mexican football is very competitive. There are different phases in every game. We started with a system that allowed us to take the initiative, though it was they who got the goal and not us. We had a chat at half-time about the risks we could take in trying to turn the game around. We made two changes, switched the system around a little, created chances and got the goals.

Facing up to such a big test as this shows that we’re developing, that we haven’t come here to make up the numbers. We’ve won today and we’ll go out to play Real Madrid without any kind of burden on our shoulders. It’s players and not shirts that win games. We have to work twice as hard to make sure we’ve got two men up against every one of theirs all across the pitch. The team will be more relaxed. They know everyone is expecting them to lose. And I’m sure we’ll have Sambueza back in the side, because he was keen to play this game. We lacked a playmaker today, and I think having someone like him around will allow us to have more control and give us that extra dimension.