Eduardo Coudet self-critical but unable to explain River's draw against Vélez

River Plate squandered a commanding position, drawing 2-2 with Vélez Sarsfield at home in a match that felt more like a loss for the Buenos Aires club. The team started strongly, demonstrating effectiveness and creating opportunities to build a significant lead. However, a pivotal error in the second half, followed by Vélez's equalizer, shifted the momentum dramatically.

Coach Eduardo Coudet was visibly perplexed by the outcome, stating in his post-match press conference that his team had a strong first half and began the second well, with chances to seal the victory. "I don't know how to explain that we didn't finish it off," Coudet admitted, noting a lack of precision in crucial moments. He pointed out that Vélez only had two shots on goal, both of which resulted in goals, underscoring the costly nature of his team's errors.

Coudet acknowledged that mistakes were made, particularly in the second half, which led to the dropped points. He defended his decision not to make substitutions earlier, explaining that the team was playing well and not being significantly threatened defensively. He also addressed Thiago Almada's performance, noting that while the player was in his preferred position, a mistake on the first goal highlighted a tendency to play too deep, despite an otherwise strong game.

Looking ahead to their Copa Sudamericana match against Independiente Santa Fe, Coudet remained focused on offensive generation and efficiency. He conceded that while the team created many chances and could have scored more, they lacked the necessary precision to finish. "We will have to work on generating offensively and being more effective," he concluded, acknowledging the need for improvement in converting opportunities into goals.

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El equipo estaba jugando bien y el rival no lastimaba, a pesar de ser un gran equipo. Salíamos con espacios. Cuando jugás bien y no te lastiman, es difícil cambiar y por eso no lo hicimos.