Joel Huiqui asks Cruz Azul fans for trust after 3-3 draw with Toluca

A 3-3 draw can be read in plenty of ways. For some it's a point that tastes like too little, for others it's a lesson that arrives right on time. Joel Huiqui falls into the second camp, and that's why, in the middle of the FIFA international break, he decided to speak calmly about what that match against Toluca left behind and where he wants to take Cruz Azul.

The Cruz Azul head coach used the press conference ahead of Thursday's friendly against America in the United States to ask something very specific of the fan base: trust. Not blind trust, but the kind he believes the club has earned through the titles of recent years.

I still believe that Cruz Azul has also grown, above all in that credibility, in that passion, in that energy to keep believing the team can achieve important things. And I think that's very much reflected right now.Joel Huiqui

Huiqui also invited Cruz Azul supporters to follow the team through the two preparation matches it will play on US soil, first against America and then against LA Galaxy, while Liga MX takes its break for the international window.

The 3-3 as a starting point

Beyond the result, what interests the coach is what that match revealed. Cruz Azul went ahead, conceded goals, was forced to fight back again, and ended up drawing in a match that swung from one side to the other. That very reaction from the team after conceding is exactly what Huiqui wants to sharpen during the break, working on the defensive side, the offensive side and the mental side as well.

The coach doesn't hide that there was a problem there, but he also has no doubt they've already found a way to fix it.

I'm convinced, I'm sure this is going to guide us for what's ahead, I'm sure that in upcoming matches, when we concede a goal, this won't happen again. Why? Because now we know what it feels like. And that's the most important thing, learning from mistakes, and I'm sure that's going to happen.Joel Huiqui

Within that analysis, there was one name Huiqui didn't want to let pass: Gabriel Fernandez. The "Toro" not only scored twice in the draw against Toluca, including the equalizer that made it 3-3, but he was also the one who held the group together with his attitude on the field, something the coach valued just as much as the result.

Someone in the locker room said something, that it's always important to set the example, and I think that in Toro's case, by continuing to insist, and that goal he scores to make it 3-3, that's a reflection of the team. He will never give up.Joel Huiqui

With that mix of self-criticism and confidence, Cruz Azul approaches the FIFA break not as a simple formality between matchdays, but as the moment to fix what went wrong against Toluca before Liga MX starts demanding results in earnest again.