America's Peralta ready to make amends - CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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There can be few greater motivations for a footballer than to quickly exorcise the demons left by a defeat. The desire can be greater still when you have the chance to swap a poor performance for a fonder memory on the exact same stage, consigning to history once and for all any lingering regret or frustration.
Just five months ago, Mexican heavyweights Club America fell at the first hurdle at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015. The defeat was not just a massive disappointment for their expectant fans, but also for the players involved, who vowed to make amends.
And so when Las Águilas run out on Tuesday evening for the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semi-final, the prospect of another trip to Japan will most certainly be on their minds. Ahead of the big game, Oribe Peralta, the team’s star striker, found time for a chat with FIFA.com, insisting, “we’re ready”.
Making amends
With ten minutes remaining in their opening fixture at the Club World Cup last December, America were leading Guangzhou Evergrande 1-0 and appeared to have things under control. Peralta himself had put the Mexican side ahead and their reward for holding out would have been a dream showdown with Barcelona in the semi-finals. But in a dramatic finale, joy turned to despair as the Chinese side hit back with two late strikes to bring the Eagles crashing down to earth.
“It was difficult but we’ve learned from the experience,” said America’s goalscorer on that ill-fated evening. “I thought we knew not to assume a game has been won before the final whistle, and that we had to impose ourselves until the last second and fight for every single ball.”
In addition to their Club World Cup disappointment, a few days before the tournament, the capital side had lost to arch-rivals Pumas in the semi-finals of the Torneo Apertura 2015.
"We’re hugely determined to make up for what happened last year, and so we’re ready now to get a result and start dreaming big again."
Club America forward Oribe Peralta
The new year also brought its share of ups and downs but, as often happens at big clubs, crises can be fleeting, and America duly responded. Now, as well as being in the Champions League semi-finals, they have climbed to second in the league table.
“Yeah, we sat down and talked through all this among ourselves,” admitted the striker. “Our December commitments meant we didn’t have as long a pre-season as the other teams, so we knew we’d have to catch up. But now we’re firing on all cylinders and super motivated to reach another Champions League final.”
Three games for a shot at redemption
Shaking off any doubts and bringing your A-game into a decisive encounter is the goal of every team and player. Of course, the chances of that happening are considerably higher if you have scored eight goals in your last 12 outings and five in your last five, as Peralta has done.
“I’m well aware that I wasn’t at my best, but I kept working all the same as I knew what I was capable of and what I could give to the team. And that patience has paid off,” said the player nicknamed Cepillo (brush), who has twice top-scored in the Champions League, firstly with Santos Laguna in 2012 and last year with his current side.
To get a chance to make amends in Japan, Las Águilas need to negotiate another three games, with no margin for error. First up comes Tuesday’s return fixture against Santos Laguna, who they held to a scoreless draw away in Torreon in the first leg.
“We know we cannot slip up. If they score it could make things very complicated for us, while a score-draw would put us out. That’s why we’ll be going on the offensive and trying to get on top from the start, so we can avoid any nasty surprises,” explained the 5’9 (1.79m) front man.
The 32-year-old finished with a statement of intent that his opponents would do well to heed. “We want to show people what Club America is all about. For us winning is mandatory. We’re hugely determined to make up for what happened last year, and so we’re ready now to get a result and start dreaming big again.”