The coaching staff member explains the win over CD Santa Clara

At the end of the game against CD Santa Clara, in which Sporting CP earned a place in the quarter finals of the Taça de Portugal, coaching staff member Tiago Teixeira talked about the contest in his post-match press conference.

“The main objective was to go through, and we achieved that. We came into the game well, albeit more cautiously because it was a knockout game, but we controlled and understood the spaces that were there to be explored. We created some chances, but without converting the first ones we had against a team that were playing with a low block. We also deserve credit for not allowing transitions”, he explained.

“The players provided an excellent response and didn't deserve to concede the equaliser, but they responded again despite being tired”,  he highlighted.

“We fully deserved the victory and to go through to the next round”.

Asked about the final moments of regulation time, where the opposition managed to draw level, Teixeira considered that it was a “merely physical issue”.

“We have had a lot of games, playing with the same players. We are also playing with two 17-year-olds and we gave another debut, for Mauro [Couto]. We have total trust in all the players”.

“Those who we thought were most prepared, played. For us, there is no rotation, there is a game to win and that is what happened. CD Santa Clara gave up on playing, just defended and wasted time from the start. The players really wanted to win and felt harmed by the timewasting”.

Afterwards, asked about the 2-1 scoreline that was much celebrated on the bench by the players, the coach pinpointed this as “a sign that everyone wants to win”.

“Since the first day, we have felt great dedication from the players. Today, once again, they had an incredible attitude and commitment.

“It is victories that fuel us and we seek to win and dominate every game, that is what gives us confidence and that is what we will also try to do with Gil Vicente FC”.