The Sounders winger expressed pride in his team's ability to challenge South American champions Botafogo
Sounders mounted second-half comeback after trailing 2-0Team created chances against continental championsSeattle outshot Botafogo 19-5 in second halfGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Even though the Seattle Sounders fell 2-1 to Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo in their Club World Cup opener, Pedro de la Vega praised his team's competitive spirit in the game.
The Argentine winger, who had two late chances including a saved shot in stoppage time, emphasized that the Sounders went "toe-to-toe" with one of South America's elite clubs, particularly during a dominant second-half performance where they outshot their opponents 19-5.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” De la Vega told FIFA's website. “There was a lot of uncertainty about how the game was going to go, but I think we played brilliantly and rose to the challenge. We have to continue playing this way, we have to put up a fight.
“We played well and we had a lot of chances. It’s disappointing because we had two clear chances, and in games like this, you have to put them away. If you only have a couple of chances, you have to score… But we have to look on the positive side: we played a great game against a difficult opponent.”
De la Vega also admitted to being surprised by the level of the Sounders.
“I was surprised by our level. Thinking back, coming here last year wasn’t an easy step for me because it’s a very physical league," he said. "You could see it in the match: the tempo never stopped and we even overpowered them at times. I was uncertain of where we stood, what level we are at, and we went toe to toe with them and could even have come away with a better result.”
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT BRIAN SCHMETZER SAID
The Sounders head coach, Brian Schmetzer, also praised his side’s second-half performance.
"If we can play like that, we can compete,” Schmetzer said. “We want to be competitive, to showcase our players, our team, our city. I think we represented ourselves well tonight. I’m very proud; we competed against a very strong team and created many chances.
“We can’t blame the players for their mistakes or fault them for their initiative or ideas. Igor Jesus is worth what they paid for him because if he has a chance, he takes it. We need enough chances to score and we were able to create some today.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Sounders showed they could control large portions of the match against the Brazilian giants, creating numerous scoring opportunities that, with better finishing, might have produced a different result against the Copa Libertadores champions.
AFPWHAT’S NEXT?
The Sounders face an uphill battle in their remaining Club World Cup group matches against European powerhouses Atletico Madrid on June 19 and Paris Saint-Germain on June 23.
