Malagón muses on Pachuca defeat: “Better to lose now rather than later”

América’s outstanding unbeaten run dating back to the start of the last tournament finally came to an end. On Saturday, they were beaten 2-1 by Pachuca - a result which hampered their chances of occupying top spot in the table. Someone who has been a key figure in recent games is the goalkeeper Luis Malagón, who has the joint-best numbers in the Liga MX with just three goals conceded in seven games.

Turning point for the Águilas

In an interview for TUDN, the Mexico international pointed out that the defeat to the Tuzos was actually a help as it serves as a wake-up call ahead of tougher clashes that lie ahead in the coming weeks. “It hurts, it’s hard to lose. You know that in this team the expectations are to win all the time but I think that the defeat comes at a good time, it is a watershed for this series of important games that are coming up - the Clásicos on the horizon,” he explained.

The goalkeeper continued, “Life at América for me right now is... the pressure is so difficult. It’s part of soccer. This defeat made us settle down and the team knows exactly what they are looking for. A defeat does not make you worse, our objective is to win titles and we always work that way with humility, certainty and desire”.

Finally, Malagón clarified that he feels comfortable in the Coapa team despite having the pressure to always get results. “I would tell América fans to never stop encouraging us, supporting us. The DNA is very strong. I feel happy to be here. I always mention a phrase from Bruno Valdés: ‘You can never leave América for dead,’” he added.

On Wednesday, América’s Clausura 2004 campaign continues with a home game against Mazatlán. On Saturday, the Águilas will face Cruz Azul in a new edition of the Mexican Clásico Joven. Things start heating up starting from next month - in March, the André Jardine’s men will face the Guadalajara three times - twice in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and once in the Liga MX (in Week 12).