Williams: You Can’t Make Such A Mistake
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has reflected on his mistake in their FIFA Club World Cup loss against Borussia Dortmund at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, on Saturday evening.
The Brazilians took the lead in the 11th minute through Lucas Ribeiro Costa’s impressive goal, assisted by Tashreeq Matthews, but Williams’ error five minutes later allowed Dortmund to equalize through Felix Nmecha, ending up winning the game 4-3.
“Obviously, we are a team that starts from the back and we take risks,” Williams said after the game.
“When I got the ball, I saw that Grant Mokoena was free, but he got a call from Lucas Ribeiro to move.”
On Williams’ attempt to pass the ball to Teboho Mokoena backfired, Nmecha capitalized on the mistake to score Dortmund’s first goal.
Despite the setback, Williams emphasized that the team doesn’t blame each other for mistakes.
“It’s one of those unfortunate situations, and at this level, you can’t make those mistakes,” he said.
“We don’t blame each other, we take it as a team, and we grow from that as a team.”
Williams expressed pride in his team’s performance, highlighting their commitment to playing their style of football.
“I’m super proud of the boys for sticking to our identity, for playing our football, and staying true to ourselves,” he said.
“We had so many chances in the first half of which we should have scored to maybe open a gap of 2-0 or 3-0.”
The Sundowns vice captain acknowledged that the team wasn’t happy with the result, but they were pleased with the performance and effort.
“We are not happy with the results, but happy for the performance and effort, and we need to stick to our strengths,” he added.
Despite the loss, Sundowns still have a chance to progress to the knockout stage, with a match against Fluminense at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday.
The Brazilians are currently in second place with three points in Group F, while Dortmund leads the group with four points. Williams and his team will look to bounce back and make a statement in their next match, knowing that they need to capitalize on their chances to advance in the tournament.
With Fluminense also having a chance to progress, the upcoming match is expected to be intense and crucial for both teams.
