Javi Rodríguez sees “acquired vices” in his team after cup elimination and Duda appreciates his team’s work to avoid “a debacle” in Elda
Cross and header for the two teams from the region on their debut in the Copa del Rey 22-23. While ElPozo Murcia went back to the first exchange against a Second Division rival, Sala 10 Zaragoza, Jimbee Cartagena did his duty by winning on the field of Nueva Elda, from Second B. The people from Cartagena are doing better in the league, where they are third and could finish second this weekend. They play in Tudela against subclub Ribera Navarra, while Mallorca visits the complicated field of Galician Noia Portus. ElPozo, who appeared to have recovered from his poor start to the competition, is once again in a sea of doubt after his defeat in Sevilla last Sunday and his unexpected elimination in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. This Sunday he will receive Xota, who is twelfth, at the Palacio.
Javi Rodríguez, coach of the Murcian team, was hard on his players after the crash in Aragonese lands, identical to the one a year ago on the Galician Noia field, also in the first round of the Copa del Rey. “There are many acquired vices in this squad that need to be put to an end,” the ElPozo coach acknowledged. After playing and working very well against Barça, in Jaén and against Palma, we verified that we are either fighting 200% or we are a fragile team,” he recalled after a draw in Zaragoza (3-3 ) and eventually eliminated in the penalty round.
“We didn’t go out on the pitch like we should go out, we gave away 20 minutes and that led to us having to row against the tide to finally reach penalties, which is a lottery, and it fell to the rivals’ side. A club like ElPozo cannot afford to lose in the first round of the Copa del Rey to any rival, it is a failure to be accepted, something that is not worthy of this entity and this team,” said Javi Rodriguez.
For his part, Duda, coach of Jimbee Cartagena, described as “mission accomplished” the pass to the second round of the Copa del Rey, which he made with some suffering on the Nueva Elda circuit. “Losing would have been a debacle and it’s true that we had to suffer in stages of the game. They had nothing to lose and put all their energy and strength into ringing the bell. We ended the game with the feeling that our obligation, namely to pass, had been fulfilled. “If you are relaxed, anyone can beat you. In this sport mind and soul have a lot of influence and that is what Nueva Elda put it. We knew how to impose ourselves,” summed up the Spanish-Brazilian.
At Jimbee they are already focused on the “Tourmalet” that the Cartagena team now has to face in the competition. After tomorrow’s visit to Tudela, there will be the derby against ElPozo on the 27th in Cartagena and later the visit to the field of the first two, Barça and Mallorca. “Now we are well on our way and we need to extend it as long as possible,” Duda asked.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
