Cartaginés coach Amarini Villatoro said on May 3 that he believes his team can recover from their first-leg defeat in the Clausura 2026 semifinal against Herediano. Villatoro congratulated Herediano for their 1-0 win but pointed out his team’s lack of effectiveness in front of goal.
“This is won with goals and their effectiveness mattered. In two shots they had on target, they found the goal at a decisive moment in the match and we lacked effectiveness,” Villatoro said during a press conference.
He also said decision-making needs to improve in the final third and that more quality is needed where matches are decided. “We were very good defensively, except for their goal which was well taken, but we did not have the necessary quality and effectiveness in attack for this stage,” he added.
Villatoro stated he could not complain about his team’s effort but admitted there were moments when they tried things incorrectly. He looked ahead to the return leg at Herediano’s stadium: “The match there will be different because with their fans, even though they have an advantage, they need to show more to be title contenders.” He emphasized confidence by saying, “I don’t see myself losing there; I think we can get a good result. I believe it will be close until the last minute.”
Discussing tactical aspects, Villatoro acknowledged issues managing play through central channels and recognized defensive duels were mostly won by Herediano due to their tactical approach. On player fitness, he confirmed Diego Mesén remains injured while Rándall Cordero is recovering from a nose fracture but praised other players filling those roles. Johan Venegas continues to experience discomfort but was included for his experience.
Reflecting on substitutions made during the game, Villatoro explained: “Yes, I didn’t like how both Juan Carlos Gaete and Suhander Zúñiga played; I expected more from them so I refreshed the left wing with Diego González’s quality.” He concluded that offensive variety was lacking and admitted anxiety led to poor decisions.
