Montevideo City Torque erases 2-0 deficit with 3-0 rout, storms into Copa Sudamericana semifinals

Winning 3-0 in the closing stretch and booking a spot in the Copa Sudamericana semifinals. That's exactly how Montevideo City Torque did it, turning around a series that looked all but impossible at the Estadio Centenario: after losing the first leg 2-0 to Cienciano, the club hit back with a resounding 3-0 win this Thursday.

Head coach Marcelo Mendez held nothing back when describing what the qualification meant. He spoke of emotion, of gratitude, and above all, of a group that emptied itself on the field even though the match didn't start out entirely clean.

Tremendous emotion and joy, and gratitude to the players. That's it, really. Everything this club is living through right now, everything we're living through, none of it would be possible without their effort and commitment. We're thrilled to have turned around a tie that was incredibly tough against a great opponent, and the way we did it was crazy. Winning in the final stretch, 3-0, and reaching the semifinals...Marcelo Mendez

The coach made clear there's no magic formula behind results like this one. He'd rather talk about work, commitment, and a locker room that represents a footballing idea without ever losing its edge.

Three systems in one night

One of the details that drew the most attention was the tactical reading of the match. Torque didn't stick to a single plan: they started with a back five, expecting Cienciano to line up with two forwards inside the box, something that ultimately didn't happen, forcing the team to adjust on the fly.

Mendez summed it up this way: they began in a 5-2-3, shifted to a 4-3-3, and closed out the match in a 4-4-2. Three different setups in a single game, something the coach himself admitted is only possible thanks to the players' ability to read the moment.

The opening goal was crucial in easing the nerves. According to the coach, it didn't change the flow of the match all that much, but it did give the team the peace of mind of knowing the qualification was within reach. With Nahuel Da Silva coming on in the second half, the team began playing more directly, which ended up tipping the balance.

A message for Uruguayan soccer

Mendez also used the press conference to thank the fans who packed the Centenario and to send a message that went beyond the result on the field.

I want to thank everyone who came out to support us. Feeling that energy mattered. The reality is that a Uruguayan team is out there playing, we don't live anywhere else, we're all from here. So it's somebody's neighbor out there, somebody's father, somebody's brother, somebody's son...Marcelo Mendez

He also asked that the divisions over whether a club is a corporation or a "neighborhood club" be set aside, because what's at stake, he said, is a Uruguayan team representing the country's soccer.

Asked about the most important matches of his career, the coach placed this win among the most meaningful, alongside the promotion with Progreso, the title with Liverpool at the Parque Central, and the first Copa Uruguay won with Defensor Sporting at that very same Centenario.

Looking at how the team has performed, he singled out the contributions of Gonzalo Montes and Pablo Siles in midfield, calling them the heart of the midfield for their willingness to keep playing there even when outnumbered. For Mendez, courage isn't just about winning the physical battles, it's also about daring to keep the ball when the match demands it.

The coach closed with a message of continuity: the squad, in his words, still hasn't set a ceiling for itself and will look to keep writing this story in the semifinals.