Because of the May Day holiday no new editions of the Latin American newspapers are online. So press reaction to Pachuca's victory had to wait for Friday. Next year's CONCACAF Champions League final will conclude on 30 April, so we'll have the same situation again. CONCACAF take note.
In Mexico you can find local press reaction in El Sol del Hidalgo, but the best post-match coverage is in the sports dailies like Medio Tiempo and ESTO. ESTO has an interview with Pachuca midfielder Gabriel Caballero, who now has won 10 titles in his career (9 with Pachuca), and some other short reports on the post-match atmosphere in the Pachuca camp. Any celebration of the Champions Cup was short and quickly replaced by preparations for their crunch match against UNAM on Sunday.
From the Saprissa perspective, recriminations are all around. Coach Jeaustin Campos defended his strategy in the second leg while club owner Jorge Vergara says that the finals defeat is a signal to clean house. It's a curious thing to say regarding a club that is poised to win both of the domestic tournaments this season, but Vergara wants Saprissa to be built for the Champions League as well.
That seems like a huge over reaction on the part of the owner. I guess I admire the commitment to winning, but he seems over the top. I know it sometimes works, but when an owner gets involved in on field decisions (like tactics/strategy) and even player acquisition, I think it's a mistake.
Posted by: phillypride | May 04, 2008 at 10:29 PM