Independiente del Valle falls 0-2 to Flamengo, but Papa trusts a comeback at the Maracana

Losing 0-2 at home hurts, but losing without playing badly hurts differently. That's what happened to Independiente del Valle, who fell to Flamengo in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals and now must travel more than 4,000 kilometers from Sangolqui to face the return leg right in the Maracana.

Uruguayan coach Joaquin Papa didn't mince words in the postgame press conference. He acknowledged that his rival hit hard and that Flamengo's class ended up being the difference on a night when his team had the arguments to have gotten something better.

It's a very tough blow for us, they were very efficient and you could see the class they have. We expected a better result. Gonzalez's absence can be made up for by the squad we have, and we'll go fight in Brazil.Joaquin Papa

That comment about Carlos Gonzalez is no small thing: his possible absence for the second leg forces Papa to shuffle his lineup right when the team urgently needs goals. The forward had been an important piece of the attack for the Rayados, and his absence at the Maracana would be an extra complication for a series that already looks like an uphill climb.

Not giving up

What stands out is that, despite the adverse result, the coach's message wasn't one of resignation. Quite the opposite: he insisted that as long as the series remains open, the team has to go compete in Brazil without holding back.

As long as there are chances, we're going to try to compete, we're going to try to turn the series around. We're going to go fight.Joaquin Papa

Papa went further and defended his team's performance over the ninety minutes. In his reading, the flow of the match didn't reflect what the scoreboard ended up showing, and that's where the most concrete self-criticism comes in: the lack of finishing.

"The team did enough to deserve a different result, but they were very efficient. The way the game played out deserved a different result, and now it's time to turn the page and go to Brazil," added the Uruguayan, making clear that this chapter is already closed in Ecuador and that everything now depends on what they can do at the Maracana.

The point that worries him most has to do with finishing chances. Independiente del Valle created opportunities, got into the opponent's area several times, but couldn't translate that work into goals. Papa was self-critical on that front and left a clear idea of what needs fixing before Thursday: patience on the ball and more players arriving in the box at the right moment.

The rematch between Independiente del Valle and Flamengo for the Libertadores quarterfinals will be played this coming Thursday in Brazil, with the Rayados needing to overturn a two-goal deficit against a rival that arrives emboldened after the result in Ecuador.