Atlas open to signing more reinforcements, says Mora

Atlas coach Benjamín Mora drew positive conclusions from what he saw of his team in the 0-0 draw against Santos Laguna in the opening game of the Sky Cup. But afterwards, he admitted that the possibility of incorporating new players is still open, as certain specific positions within his team can be improved.

“It’s something that continues to be discussed with the board, we are still looking into that possibility,” he explained. “We have been given permission to see where we are from pre-season to these games that started today, to see what we might need to move forward. There is nothing concrete - that I can tell you, but after this game we will analyze, we will continue in discussions to see what is best for the team”.

He added, “But to be honest, the conclusions so far seem to me to be positive. We are in a period of adaptation, it is still pre-season and these matches help us to see how the players are physically, what level of resistance they have when faced with demands. The will to do things and the intention to play how we want to play was reflected in various moments of the game. We tried to keep the ball as long as possible, and tried to generate chances. We value the effort of the guys, the number of times they made an effort to get a result. I think the conclusions are very positive from the individual to the collective,” he added after the 0-0 draw against Santos.

Mora was also appreciative that his team was able to play a friendly tournament - giving his players at least four demanding matches to build up rhythm. “It seems ideal to me; I am of the idea that the more pre-season games the better. It gives us the chance to practice our system, our style, playing at the rhythm of a real, competitive game, one-on-one, against rivals that we will face in the league - it is very positive. It gives seriousness to the pre-season and brings us closer to optimal performance from the tactical, physical and timing that the player will need to get to when official competition resumes,” he said.

As for the absence of Brian Lozano who, so far is Atlas’ only reinforcement, he said, “Yes, it is an issue that the board is watching closely. Apparently, it is a matter of registration, an administrative issue. I don’t know the exact reasons why he can’t play at the moment. We will review it tomorrow in detail. The window opens in January and surely things will speed up without a problem to have it very soon”.

Finally, he applauded Aldo Rocha’s return, who is back playing after injury. “Aldo we know that he is a very professional player, very serious, who already had a lot of rest time and also time in rehabilitation. He’s ready, very psyched up as always. As a good captain, he is back with the team and returned to the pitch for the first time today. I am happy for him, I am very pleased that he got out to play on the pitch at the Jalisco, together with his team mates. I have only positive words for our captain and hopefully it will be the start of many more games where he will take part in,” Mora concluded.

Santos did what they needed to do

Meanwhile, Santos Laguna coach Eduardo Fentanes said that his team did what they had to do in their first friendly of the pre-season and more or less expected what he saw. He added that he was happy that his side finished the game without any injury concerns following a demanding week of work on the training ground.

“It is difficult to draw detailed conclusions about how the is functioning, but our objective in this first pre-season game was to be looser withthe ball, to get back to our style of play, involve the younger players kids, and I think we managed to do that. The feeling is positive, there were no injuries. In general terms, everything was positive - we have to understand the moment we are in and our objectives, since we are preparing for the opening game, which is the most important,” he said.