Defensive fragility is a concern: Gonzalo Pineda

Following Atlas' painful 3-1 exit from the 2025 Leagues Cup against Orlando City, head coach Gonzalo Pineda spoke candidly about the team's main concerns . The coach acknowledged that the coaching staff's main concern is their lack of defensive solidity, a weakness that has been recurrent in recent matches and has cost them points in both Liga MX and the international tournament.

"It's not that I'm worried in a negative sense, but it's a situation we must correct immediately. We've conceded 13 goals in five games, which isn't normal for a team with our aspirations. These aren't just individual errors in defense; it's a collective issue," Pineda said.

The Red and Black coach explained that the problem goes beyond the defense , and that improvements must be made in the initial pressing, defensive returns, and cohesion between the lines. “Defense starts with the forwards. It's something we're working on every day with video and individual and collective analysis, but the match load has limited our time on the field,” he added.

Pineda also justified the player rotation for the match against Orlando City , a decision that was criticized by fans. “It was necessary due to the physical strain. We've played five games in two weeks, including six trips. Some young players responded well, and that's also part of the process we want to build at Atlas,” he argued.

Despite the poor form, the coach is confident his team can turn things around . “We're not going to give up on our strategy. We also defend with possession, and today we finally had more than 60% of the ball against a strong team. That indicates improvement. We'll continue fine-tuning the details,” he stated.

Atlas will close out its Leagues Cup campaign against Atlanta United and then return to Guadalajara to face league leader Pachuca . "It will be a great challenge and a good opportunity to show we're on the right track," Pineda concluded.

SV