Vasco players admit fatigue in sequence, but they are key to the duel against Boca

After the 1-0 defeat to São Paulo, this Saturday, in the Brazilian Championship, Vasco players admitted the physical and mental exhaustion caused by the sequence of matches and trips, but they have already planned the decisive clash against Boca Juniors, in the semi-final of the Copa Sudamericana.

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Thiago Mendes highlighted the marathon of games and the difficulty in recovering athletes between commitments. The midfielder, however, highlighted that the squad does not have time to regret the result and needs to focus its attention on the match against the Argentines.

— The marathon that our team has been playing, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, in sequence. We try to recover as much as we can. We know that we have players who are tired because we played in Argentina with one less. It's football. We don't have time to mourn. We have an important game and we have to qualify — he said.

Bruno Duarte also recognized the impact of the game load, but avoided using wear and tear as a justification for the result. The striker highlighted the quality of the squad and asked for focus on the season.

— I think it gets in the way, yes. It's an excessive load of games. But we can't hold on to that. We have to hold on to our technical, tactical ability and the desire to win every game. We have a qualified cast to obtain better results. We have to focus on the next games. Now against Boca. Forget what happened and look forward. One game and one final at a time — he said.

The striker also highlighted the importance of maintaining competitiveness in the Brasileirão without losing focus on the cups, in which Vasco has been achieving good results.

— We know the Brazilian Championship is not easy, it is very tough. Many qualified teams. You have to approach every game as if it were final. In the World Cups, thank God we are achieving great results and the group is to be congratulated. It’s about focusing, playing each game like a final and in the end we will be successful in all competitions — he added.

Upon leaving the field, Thiago Mendes also recognized the opponent's performance and stated that São Paulo managed to put pressure on Vasco during the match. Sparing the starters, he highlighted the importance of rest for the South American on Tuesday.

— I think the opposing team played well. It doesn't mean we can't give credit. They had the ball, they pressed all the time. Our team knew how to play with the ball, unfortunately we conceded a goal that we weren't expecting. Now it’s time to rest as we have the South American,” he said.

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Paulo Henrique also recognized the weight of the sequence of commitments at a decisive moment in the season, with simultaneous disputes in the Brazilian Championship, the Brazilian Cup and the South American Cup.

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