Cardoso: We Need To Play More Quicker, Play More Forward Against Dortmund
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is confident that his team can go toe-to-toe with Borussia Dortmund in the FIFA Club World Cup at TQL Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but warned that it won’t be an easy task.
The Brazilians are currently leading Group F with three points after beating Ulsan HD, and a win against the German giants, who drew with Fluminense, would secure their place in the knockout stage.
“Regarding the fact that playing with or without the ball, I think we really need to understand that it’s not that we’re going to play without the ball,” Cardoso said.
“But we need to understand how equal the teams are and how they split the moment the game starts.”
Cardoso acknowledged that Sundowns is one of the strongest teams in Africa, but he emphasized the need for his team to be resilient and organized.
“We’re South Africans and we know that we’re one of the strongest teams in Africa throughout the season; we don’t have a lot of games of inferiority,” he said.
“What obviously will require from us, I think it’s the capacity to be resilient and keep organized even if you’re waiting for the moment to get the ball again. In that moment, we also need to play the way we usually do.”
The former Esperance Sportive de Tunis coach is aware of Dortmund’s aggressive style, which sees them score 40% of their goals from counter-pressing.
“We’re going to play against a team that is very aggressive, a team that scores 40% of their counter presses, and they don’t mind losing the ball because they work hard to get it back immediately and then score,” he said.
Despite the challenge, Cardoso is confident that his team has what it takes to succeed.
“But we also know that we have many things to put on the pitch, so we need to have the right focus on that,” he said.
“I know that they’re going to give us a game that we don’t usually get in our league and also in the Champions League, but it doesn’t mean we’re not going to adapt in those moments, but it will be a challenge.”
To counter Dortmund’s counter-pressing, Cardoso plans to focus on quick passing and forward play.
“We need to play more quickly, play more forward, and have more time for passing so that the speed of the game will increase and we will escape from those counter-pressing moments they have,” the Portuguese mentor added.
“We did it in the last game, and now we need to show it at the highest level because we need to be recognized after the game.”
