Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro admits you can feel the level of experience from Mamelodi Sundowns after their 1-0 defeat at Orlando Stadium.
Sundowns produced a mature, and to an extent, physically dominant performance over the Buccaneers at Esgodini on Wednesday evening to make it seven wins from seven league games in the 2023/24 season.
While there were moments of technical brilliance from both sides, Sundowns notably looked to stem any sort of attacking fluidity from Pirates, with their attacking players feeding off scraps for most of the encounter.
“What I know, what I can tell you is that Sundowns is exceptionally good in pressing as well, we used to think about Sundowns as a team that is good on the ball and it’s true, but they are also good when it’s time to defend,” Riveiro said about their high fouls count.
“It’s a very mature team, experienced players with a lot of battles behind them and you can feel it in these types of games. Then… it’s your job, not mine to elaborate an opinion on judgement about if everybody there outside was on the same level.”
When asked to explain why his talented crop of forwards struggled to find space and create clear-cut chances, Riveiro stated there’s a variety of factors of things Masandawana are good and aspects his players need to improve too.
“It’s difficult to explain football, I don’t know how to explain that we haven’t scored a goal in the last three games against Sundowns, it’s difficult, but it’s the reality, we finished with one shot on target,” Riveiro said about their struggles to break down Masandawana.
“I think Sundowns had four [shots on target], counting the penalty but easy balls that the keeper collected quite easily. So the games aren’t being played in the boxes, or the quality wasn’t there.
“There were a lot of interruptions, I think we finished with six fouls, Sundowns 23, hmmm… but that’s a different story. But anxiety yes, when you chasing a goal, everyone in the squad has quality and wants to contribute when they are coming on the field.
“They want to help the team and in the last meters, the key is composure, it’s the pause, it’s not the speed, it’s how you stop, sometimes we are confused about what makes the difference in the last meters [in the box], and we lack a bit of the poise in the last meters.
“We have two or three crosses from the left that were excellent to finish at the second post, we had nobody at the second post and we misinterpreted some of the situations in the last part of the game and that’s why we go home with zero points.”
