Ramón Díaz, the head coach of Corinthians, admitted that Barcelona SC was superior in their most recent game, which saw the Ecuadorian team win 3-0 at home.  Barcelona has a big lead going into the second leg at the Neo Química Arena thanks to this outcome.  Díaz is optimistic about his team’s prospects of making it to the tournament’s group stage, though.

Following the loss, Díaz had no qualms about his strategy in Guayaquil.  “I never look back on my actions.  It is entirely different from what we play in Brazil here, particularly in the Libertadores.  They were not just tactically superior, but in every way as well.  The only reason is the strategy, which we can change. They played a fantastic game and beat us.  Other than the penalty, they had no serious chances in the first half.  The group was performing nicely.  We came from three days of hard work, but that’s not an excuse.  They were superior to us in every way.  When the opponent completely outplays us, we have to accept this,” Díaz said.

He stressed that his team shouldn’t give up hope in spite of the setback.  “The team truly exceeded us in every way, and they qualified after all these years.  They deserve congratulations for their outstanding performance.  We have to accept it.  We weren’t as dynamic in attack as we usually are, but tactically, I thought we were good in the first half,” he continued.

 It was noteworthy that Díaz chose to use three defenders in a 3-5-2 configuration prior to the Guayaquil encounter.  After a lackluster showing, he switched to a 4-4-2 formation at halftime and substituted Romero for Garro, choosing to use three strikers in the second half for a more offensive strategy.

“We played with three defenders for the first time this season.  This was our first loss after 27 victories.  In terms of dynamism and speed, the other team may outperform you.  We attempted to exert pressure because we knew about the two wingers.  It occurs when they surpass you.  We have a Paulistão semifinal coming up, so we need to concentrate on our upcoming games. Although I’m quite proud of my team, the opposition also plays.  We’ll try to improve the team’s morale and physical condition, but that’s football.  When we are outplayed, we have to concede.  Memphis, Yuri, and Garro were all important players who scored in every game, but they were more defensively oriented tonight, so we were unable to generate any momentum.  The squad just didn’t play well, and we accept responsibility for what transpired,” Díaz said.