MIAMI, Florida – For CSD Municipal of Guatemala, the 2020 Scotiabank Concacaf League marks a long-awaited return to Concacaf competition. It will be the first appearance in a Concacaf tournament for Los Rojos since the 2015-16 SCCL and there will be plenty of excitement when they take the field in their Round of 16 contest with 2019 SCL champions Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica.
“We are all very excited. We know how important this game is, we know it’s like a final since it is single elimination and you can’t make errors. We’re really focused on what we have to do to. This is a big club, not only in the country but in the region, so we know we have a big responsibility and that makes us excited to face an opponent that is also a big team in the region,” said Municipal MF Jose Rosales in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
Rosales acknowledges that it will take a special effort to eliminate last year’s winners, but that Municipal have the talent to get the job done.
“This is like a final. You cannot commit any errors. You have to be focused for all 90 minutes and be decisive when the chances arise to score. Saprissa are the reigning champions so it’s a big challenge to face them in the first match. They are a strong team, they’ve shown in recent years that they can go toe-to-toe with Mexican teams, MLS teams, so we know they are a great team with talent, but we have confidence in ourselves. We have a good mix of young and experienced players. We’re going to come out looking for the win, play our game and show the rest of the region that Municipal is a team that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the area,” said Rosales.
Rosales also expressed his gratitude to the Municipal faithful, who have strongly backed the squad, even if it has had to come from their living rooms and not the stands.
“The Municipal fans support us at every moment. They show their passion for the club at all times. Sadly, because of the pandemic we are unable to have them in the stadium every week, but we are sure that from their homes they are going to support us during this international competition and they will send us the best vibes to help us obtain a winning result,” said Rosales.
But perhaps the biggest motivational factor for Municipal is that a top-six finish in the 2020 SCL would mean a punched ticket to the 2021 SCCL and a chance for Municipal to once again take on the top teams in the region.
“The Champions League is our main objective. We want to compete at an international level with the best. In the first match we have to face the best from this tournament, so it’s a big challenge for us, which is what we like. We like big challenges, we know they are difficult, but we have confidence in our talent, our team and in each one of the players. We are going to look for the result and ultimately look to qualify for the Champions League to be able to compete at a much higher competitive level internationally with teams from Mexico and the United States,” concluded Rosales.