Gago backs his forwards: “They criticized me for their lack of goals, and today they scored four”

Fernando Gago had the answer ready for those who had criticized Universidad de Chile’s forwards for not scoring: against Coquimbo Unido, they found the net four times.

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In the first half we had many chances to take the lead. In the second half we went ahead, made two mistakes, and that is where their goals came from. With the changes, we proposed a more broken-up match.

Universidad de Chile secured a dramatic 4-2 victory at the Nacional. Gago said the team created many chances in the first half before taking the lead after the break. Two mistakes then allowed Coquimbo to score twice, he said, prompting the coaching staff to use substitutions to make the match more fragmented.

Gago singled out Juan Martín Lucero and Octavio Rivero for scoring, while also praising Eduardo Vargas. “I’m happy for Juan Martín and Octavio, who were able to score, and also for Eduardo, because people always criticized me that the number nines did not score, and today they scored four goals,” he said.

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I’m happy for Juan Martín and Octavio, who were able to score, and also for Eduardo, because people always criticized me that the number nines did not score, and today they scored four goals.

Asked whether he would repeat an attacking setup with all the forwards, Gago rejected the idea as a regular solution. “Play with all the forwards? And who defends? With three forwards, we have to defend too,” he said. “No, no, it’s very difficult.”

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Play with all the forwards? And who defends? With three forwards, we have to defend too. No, no, it’s very difficult.