CRISTIAN TORO: "WE NEEDED A PERFORMANCE LIKE THAT AND I AM HAPPY FOR THE TEAM"

Cristian Toro appeared before the media following the victory against Madrid CFF. When asked about the game which marked the halfway point in the league season, the first noticeable thing about his reaction was the pure happiness he felt: "I am very content with the effort of the players. I think that there were many good moments, we needed a performance like that and I am happy for the team, because each day the players train better, they put in a lot of effort and we needed that positive result. Often implementing the tactics for a game depends on players making the right decisions and in the moments where you are struggling, which at times we experienced in the first-half, we were good defensively. We knew that our opponent was going to rely heavily on their strikers so it was good we were sound defensively. Happy for the victory, and the way in which we achieved it. Playing at home and getting three points was crucial for us to keep working hard, and to inspire us as well."  

Moreover, he noted the different attacking threats that he has at his disposal, ensuring that all of these players are keen to impress the Argentine coach: "There are a number of options in the forward positions. Ana played very well against Villarreal, but there are changes to the team and all of my players need to be ready to play. The goals scored by Inma, Martín-Prieto, Toni and Amanda are very important... it is key that you are able to finish off these opportunities when they are presented to you. I think that the team was excellent in many facets of the game today and then to play with ten for 30 minutes meant that we suffered, but it was important Esther was there for us as she made three incredible saves. I am happy with what we have achieved and now we must keep up the hard work." 

To close, Toro wanted to thank those who came out to support the team, with nearly 600 people present at the main pitch in the ciudad deportiva to cheer the side on: "Their enthusiasm rubs off on us, and I am pleased that the fans enjoyed this victory and hopefully it will be a turning point so that the attendance keeps on increasing".

"I think that the team was excellent in many facets of the game today"

Esther Sullastres, one of the key players in the game following a string of heroic saves, also praised the team's attacking capabilities as well as the way in which they defended when they went down to ten: "It is more than just three points, it is about the way we played today. There have been many games where we played well but did not score, yet the last two games we have done very well and today with a player less... it is about how we won today, scoring goals in key moments. We are happy, many games have just got away from us by a fine margin and now we are starting to see the fruit of our hard work. It is important to start the year well and this will give us more energy to keep on working hard in the second half of the season and beyond. I think that it is important to head into the break with a victory and even more so with an emphatic one... at home we have to be strong and excited for the challenge."