Simão: “We played well, we just needed a goal to get into the match”
“Madrid’s goals came because of our own mistakes'
Simão Sabrosa was the player in charge of speaking to the media the day after playing Real Madrid. The Portuguese player left it clear that the team made two mistakes which cost them two goals and that his team was lacking a goal to get back into the game. He’s convinced that everything could have been different.
The winger stated that the players had discussed what happened in the derby. “We always talk after a match about what happened and what can be improved upon. That’s the only way to get better. We know where we made mistakes. Madrid’s two goals came off of our own mistakes. When you play against a team like Madrid, which is a good team and which has been very strong in recent years, where everyone defends and works hard, and you fall behind by two goals, it’s tough. But we continued to play our game and the truth is that we were missing a goal because if we’d scored one we would have gotten back into the match. We had chances that were saved by Iker, another one that hit the post, and the truth is that when you’re two goals down it’s always tough to play against Madrid.”
With respect to the fact that they haven’t beaten Real Madrid in eleven years, the Portuguese player was emphatic: “Our league isn’t just playing Madrid, although we want to beat them. There are important games and many points in play to reach our main goal.”
Considering whether Atlético was again hurt by the referee’s performance, he said that “there have been clear penalties that haven’t been called in the last three games and that bothers us. The official does his job and tries to do it as well as possible. We can’t single out the referee but the truth is that they haven’t been calling penalties in our favour the last three matches. They didn’t call it at the Bernabéu and that’s bad luck for us. If we’d scored a goal the match would have been different. We played a good game even though we lost 2-0. It’s not easy to play at the Bernabéu when you’re two goals behind.”
He was asked if the team had come out strong enough for this match. “We always come out with intensity and we planned the game to hurt Madrid, with a compact and united squad. We all have to defend and all eleven of us don’t have to attack in order to attack well. I think that we always come out with intensity and that’s how we came out at the Bernabéu, wanting to turn things around.”
He was asked whether the players were content to have stood up to Real Madrid or upset about losing a good chance to have caused damage to the ‘blancos’, and the Atlético captain replied “both. We know that we had to play a serious, complete match yesterday, and that we couldn’t give anything away. Nowadays goals are 90% of the opponent’s mistakes. And we didn’t want to give anything away to Madrid. And they were already winning 2-0 at the beginning because of our mistakes. We’re satisfied with the game plan we made and with our play because we played open. We had scoring chances. But we were lacking a goal to get back into the match and finish with another look on our faces.”
To finish he was asked about Forlán, and if we’ll see the real Forlán soon. “Of course. Diego is a striker and, not coincidentally, he’s a professional who works hard, scores goals, and is an important player. He works as he always does, and goals will come. He played a good game against Madrid and the bad thing is that his shot hit the post, but they’ll go in. He’s an important player for us. He’s confident because I see him every day and he still has the same excitement and the same joy. Obviously strikers live to score and the goals will come.”
The winger stated that the players had discussed what happened in the derby. “We always talk after a match about what happened and what can be improved upon. That’s the only way to get better. We know where we made mistakes. Madrid’s two goals came off of our own mistakes. When you play against a team like Madrid, which is a good team and which has been very strong in recent years, where everyone defends and works hard, and you fall behind by two goals, it’s tough. But we continued to play our game and the truth is that we were missing a goal because if we’d scored one we would have gotten back into the match. We had chances that were saved by Iker, another one that hit the post, and the truth is that when you’re two goals down it’s always tough to play against Madrid.”
With respect to the fact that they haven’t beaten Real Madrid in eleven years, the Portuguese player was emphatic: “Our league isn’t just playing Madrid, although we want to beat them. There are important games and many points in play to reach our main goal.”
Considering whether Atlético was again hurt by the referee’s performance, he said that “there have been clear penalties that haven’t been called in the last three games and that bothers us. The official does his job and tries to do it as well as possible. We can’t single out the referee but the truth is that they haven’t been calling penalties in our favour the last three matches. They didn’t call it at the Bernabéu and that’s bad luck for us. If we’d scored a goal the match would have been different. We played a good game even though we lost 2-0. It’s not easy to play at the Bernabéu when you’re two goals behind.”
He was asked if the team had come out strong enough for this match. “We always come out with intensity and we planned the game to hurt Madrid, with a compact and united squad. We all have to defend and all eleven of us don’t have to attack in order to attack well. I think that we always come out with intensity and that’s how we came out at the Bernabéu, wanting to turn things around.”
He was asked whether the players were content to have stood up to Real Madrid or upset about losing a good chance to have caused damage to the ‘blancos’, and the Atlético captain replied “both. We know that we had to play a serious, complete match yesterday, and that we couldn’t give anything away. Nowadays goals are 90% of the opponent’s mistakes. And we didn’t want to give anything away to Madrid. And they were already winning 2-0 at the beginning because of our mistakes. We’re satisfied with the game plan we made and with our play because we played open. We had scoring chances. But we were lacking a goal to get back into the match and finish with another look on our faces.”
To finish he was asked about Forlán, and if we’ll see the real Forlán soon. “Of course. Diego is a striker and, not coincidentally, he’s a professional who works hard, scores goals, and is an important player. He works as he always does, and goals will come. He played a good game against Madrid and the bad thing is that his shot hit the post, but they’ll go in. He’s an important player for us. He’s confident because I see him every day and he still has the same excitement and the same joy. Obviously strikers live to score and the goals will come.”