Guillermo Almada tears into América after León defeat: “We lacked identity and the hunger to win”

Guillermo Almada did not try to soften América's defeat by León. After losing the Leagues Cup third-place match at Houston's Shell Energy Stadium, the Uruguayan coach openly criticized his team's performance and said he would “assume responsibility.”

“Beyond who deserved it and how it ended, I didn't like the team,” Almada said. “I think we played the worst match since we have been at the club. We should have had a greater hunger in pursuit of victory. I did not identify with what I was seeing.”

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Beyond who deserved it and how it ended, I didn't like the team. I think we played the worst match since we have been at the club. We should have had a greater hunger in pursuit of victory. I did not identify with what I was seeing.

The result deepened what the article describes as América's first failure under Almada after the team did not win the Leagues Cup trophy. The coach said his players had failed to respect the identity they had shown in earlier matches and needed to reflect and be self-critical about their poor display.

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We lacked intensity, that desire to attack the opponent's goal, precision in the attacking phase and constant pressure. We made an enormous number of mistakes. The lapse that led to the goal was, logically, a consequence of our imprecision. I did not like anything we did.

He listed the shortcomings in blunt terms: “We lacked intensity, that desire to attack the opponent's goal, precision in the attacking phase and constant pressure. We made an enormous number of mistakes.” He said the lapse that led to the goal was a consequence of that imprecision and added, “I did not like anything we did.”

Almada said the defeat hurt, but he wants the team to turn the page and concentrate fully on the Mexican league's Apertura 2026. “No defeat comes at the right time, but there is a long way to go and we have to improve several things,” he said. “These circumstances will make us stronger. We must recover what we had been doing and focus on what is coming, the Mexican championship. That is the most important thing for us.”

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No defeat comes at the right time, but there is a long way to go and we have to improve several things. These circumstances will make us stronger. We must recover what we had been doing and focus on what is coming, the Mexican championship. That is the most important thing for us.