CRISTIAN TORO: "I AM HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AS A GROUP"

Christian Toro addressed the media following Sevilla FCs victory over Villarreal CF to progress into the quarter finals of the Cope de la Reina. The manager showed his delight with the performance that the team showed last night, explaining how firstly he is "happy for the girls, for the team, that they are training well. It was a Cup match and so anything can happen. We had a lot of respect for our opponent today and put the result from the league to the back of our minds. Our focus was on being competitive and working as a team, and at times today we suffered". He made it clear that "we could not arrive here and think that it would be a similar game to the one we played earlier in the season against this opponent. Only a few days ago we had a tough match in Barcelona and we had to make changes to the side, and give some players opportunities. Today Nazareth returned after being out for a year with injury, and Amparito had the chance to play from the start. This is important for the team and I am happy with what we have achieved as a group. To be heading into the next round as we did last year deserves a lot of praise and we are excited to be involved in any competition". 

He also highlighted the strong performance of Villarreal in a competition where there is no easy game: "the Cup does not give you second chances. Last year we struggled in Bilbao and managed to qualify for the next round, but these matches are completely different to those in the league. Villarreal played well and I am happy for the girls, because we deserve to be happy with that performance. I think that today is a step in the right direction".  Specifically on how the substitutions helped to deal with the threats poised by Villarreal, Toro explained that "we wanted to stop Villarreal playing their game, we thought that it was the right time to introduce Nazareth. She came on, won many duels and it was good that this game did not run away from us as has been the case before. It is important that we learn and progress. In these two games almost all of the players have got some minutes under their belts".

"The Cup does not give you second chances,these matches are completely different to those in the league"

The argentinan manager also stressed the effort of his players before they return home for the upcoming fixture on Sunday: "today the journey was long, we only arrived a few hours before kick-off, a lot of things went against us but the good thing is that the players did not complain and were focused on the task at hand. After the journey and the mental fatigue from the last match, I want the players to enjoy what they have achieved and then we can start to think about our next opponent, Madrid CFF".

Rosa Otermín agreed that "it has been an intense period. We knew that the Cup was going to be challenging, a competition which excites you and I am happy with how the team did today, porque we worked hard and a victory was needed. On a personal note, I am pleased with getting ninety minutes but above all, with the work of the team. Tomorrow we will rest ahead of another challenge on Sunday. The results have not been great recently, but the team is united and working hard. We feel that things will come together, and we are ready for Sunday and we want to win in front of our home crowd, so we hope that the stadium is packed".