Abel admits fatigue and praises Veiga’s ‘individual capacity’

The coach Abel Ferreira exalted the sock Raphael Veiga after the victory of palm trees over the Basque, by 1 to 0, at Allianz Parque. In a press conference this Sunday, the 28th, the coach spoke about the decisive power of the player, who scored a great goal from a free kick in the second half.

“When collectively we cannot solve problems, individual capacity comes into play. That’s what I expect from them. It’s good for us to have a player with that talent. After a period when he wasn’t in ideal physical shape, he’s in top shape. Let’s hope it stays that way.” said Abel.

The coach recognized that the team suffered physically due to the trip with unforeseen events on the way back from Colombia after the duel for the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. Palmeiras arrived in Brazil a day late due to a problem with the airline’s plane. Leila Pereirapresident of the club.

“It was difficult, it was a difficult journey. First, it was long. It forced us to focus and concentrate very hard, on a heavy pitch, which requires greater physical wear and tear. We had the mishap with the plane”continued the Portuguese coach.

“The mental recovery was great, the physical one, not so much. That’s why today would be difficult. The players had asked to spend the night at home last night, but he said no. Everyone, including me. Today we all slept in CT, it was important. Unfortunately, it was not a game of such collective inspiration. We had the inspiration of Veiga, who solved the game in set pieces”, completed.

Palmeiras returns to the field next Wednesday, the 30th, at 21:30 (Brasília time), when it receives the Deportivo Pereira, at Allianz Parque, for the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. Verdão arrives for the confrontation at home with a 4-0 advantage on the scoreboard; the team can lose by up to three goals difference that guarantees a place in the semifinals.