Cardoso Blames Fixture Congestion For Sundowns’ Title Collapse
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has conceded that a punishing calendar is the primary reason the Brazilians have effectively surrendered the Betway Premiership title to Orlando Pirates.
The Brazilians’ eight-year iron grip on South African football slipped away on Tuesday night in a frantic 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy at a raucous Mbombela Stadium.
The result leaves the door wide open for Orlando Pirates; a win for the Buccaneers against Durban City this Saturday would officially end the Sundowns era.
Cardoso admitted that the demanding schedule, which included participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in June and seven matches in the space of 21 days, had taken a heavy toll on his squad.
“It was very easy to score goals against us today [Tuesday],” Cardoso told SuperSport TV after the match.
“But I think the team reacted well. We finished the first half in a normal position at 2-2, with 45 minutes still to play and an opportunity to score again in the second half, but we didn’t.
“We made some corrections at halftime that I felt were necessary, but you cannot start the second half and concede a goal within 30 seconds.
“I think there are lessons to take from this match. As much as people may say otherwise, I don’t think anyone has tried to play seven matches in 21 days.
“We played our last four matches with only two days of recovery between them. I would like anyone to try doing that. It would be easy for me to criticise my players now because they were tired and the game was not as quick or fluid as usual.”
It was Sundowns’ second defeat in the league, with the first coming against Golden Arrows in October.
Both of Sundowns’ league defeats this season have come away from home, highlighting the struggles that have contributed to their late-season collapse.
Cardoso’s side must now quickly shift focus to the CAF Champions League, which remains their only opportunity to end the season with major silverware.
Sundowns will host Moroccan giants AS FAR in the first leg of the Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday before the return leg next weekend.
“I think the calendar has beaten us, and we now need to recover as much as possible because we are playing the CAF Champions League final in four days,” Cardoso added.
“As you know, our opponent is already resting and will have had three days of recovery. So, we need to be wise about what we say now and, most importantly, focus on what lies ahead.”
