Barcelona traveled to La Plata full of illusions. The first game, won 2-1 in Guayaquil, hinted that with a well-designed strategy, they will seriously fight for a place in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana 2023. Idol Brodogradište reached that playoff as one of the best third participants in the Copa Libertadores, in its group.

The opponent was Estudiantes, a club that is a pleasant and lasting memory for Barcelona fans because in 1977 the Canaries beat them on the road at the Libertadores. Because of the importance of the triumph, the Argentine press called the event the feat of La Plata, a victory that foolish and reckless people today have tried to tarnish. Fortunately, the journalism of the so-called ‘old guard’ was in charge of burying them with their testimonies.

Barcelona SC and the feat of La Plata, tarnished by some journalists

The first match of this crucial playoff was exciting because of the intensity and emotional predispositions that Barcelona had. Inspired by Fidel Martínez and Janner Coroz, they allowed the yellow 2-1, but in the summary and analysis of the performance, the Toreadors left many doubts in their collective organization. Estudiantes highlighted Barcelona’s defensive vulnerability in Guayaquil on several occasions, so much so that the Argentinian press highlighted the player’s missed opportunity in Ecuador.

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Before the decisive second leg, president Carlos Alfaro Moreno made two announcements to Barcelona. At first, without much effort, and as if not saying much, he admitted that he was dizzy to continue four more years in front of the club. This attracted attention as he assured a few days ago that his decision was to retire in order to take a break from the oppressive and exhausting duties of Barcelona president.

Emelec and Barcelona SC lost their way

Another thing that Alfaro Moreno said is that it has been decided that the brand new Uruguayan coach Diego López will take over the team immediately and that he will lead La Plata, replacing Segunda Castillo and Pablo Trobbiani who were in charge of technical management. From my point of view, it was a wrong and unfair measure, considering that at that moment the said duo had, after much effort, blended in with the group and instilled the idea of ​​how to compete.

In the little time that López had to at least understand where he was stepping, leaving the responsibility to him was a risky adventure, which indeed proved to be a humiliating defeat that eliminated Barcelona from the Cup.

With this news, he traveled to the second section, always thinking that the light of hope was shining on the yellow barracks. But it happened that the darkness clouded the football criteria. In just 20 minutes, Estudiantes took a 2-0 lead and sealed the series. On the tactical side, Barcelona was poorly planned. A slow trident in the middle of the field, defensively he was allowed, but offensively ineffective. He failed in the medullary sector, without a well-positioned central quadrant and with exposed and misplaced line markers.

The students had a banquet. Evident failures of tactical concepts showed that coach López failed in his approach. He never saw, never found out and corrected it above. Suffice it to mention that, when the team was losing 4:0, it occurred to him to strengthen the defense by inserting a central defender and reshaping the box. That says it all. He did it because someone warned him that if Barcelona continued like this, the defeat would be bigger, more merciless. López saw that dark outcome.

The defeat was humiliating. Barcelona improvised by letting Uruguayan López take over and Castillo was delayed. It was a big mistake. Castillo’s consistency in the game with Estudiantes did not guarantee placement, but he was logically closer to the knowledge and behavior of the group. Castillo’s statements at the press conference were revealing. In a few words, he hinted that he would present a different approach. The rest falls under its own weight.

These were the words of Alfaro Moreno upon his return: “Nothing came of it, it was a disappointing game.” He was eloquent. What he never said was: “We apologize to the Barcelona fans for this shameful result.”

In another store, Emelec’s, the pale light at the end of the tunnel gives hope for recovery, at least on the football side. The placement in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana is exciting if you consider that the resounding failure in the Pro League, in the first phase, has names and surnames. Starting with the leadership who entrusted the management of the always demanding electrical equipment to DT without much experience: Miguel Rondelli. The Argentine’s lack of travel and experience was noticeable as the pressure wore on him. The team was a real paddle that turned aimlessly.

The frustrating performance forced the management to recognize their mistake and urgently hire Colombian Hernán Torres, who has several titles to his name. In several of Emelec’s presentations, his new coach understood that the defense sector must be reorganized, as a first measure to alleviate the main structural problem. So much so that in Lima they beat Sporting Cristal in a crucial match for the qualifiers and showed that the defensive argument can be sustained as a strategy when properly organized.

He revalidated that in the second half at Capwell, when Sporting Cristal defeated Emelec in several passages of the period in which the excellent play of goalkeeper Pedro Ortiz stood out. For Emelec, this classification serves to create a glimmer of hope for his fans, while also giving some peace to the criticized leadership. The new round will certainly strengthen the club’s finances.

What should not be lost sight of is that Emelec must strengthen itself according to its needs, which are notorious and diverse (both in midfield and in attack), in order to get out of the last positions in the Pro League table, to be a competitive team that aspires to star positions. The leadership and professional staff know them well enough, which they announced publicly a few days ago.

After the euphoria of the classification in Emelec, the criteria for strengthening the team was modified. Torres himself was in charge of announcing that it is very difficult to hire him at this time of the year, that for now players at the level he wants cost a lot and that he prefers a calm team, which is satisfied with what it has. I think the emotion caused by the classification made Torres change his speech.

I am sure that Emelec does not have the level to win the second stage of the Pro League, for now the temporary satisfaction in football leaves them alone. Time may make them realize that they are wrong again. Let José Pileggi, Torres and company remember that this cup glory will last if the flame of introspection and change is kept alive. Otherwise, the huge storm clouds will return to eclipse the hope you have today. (OR)