Midfielder Federico Valverd made a harsh confession after Uruguay ‘s victory against Panama this Sunday in Group C of the Copa América. The Real Madrid player went through the mixed zone with Maximiliano Araújo and Darwin Núñez shortly after the match.

The Celeste won 3-1 with goals from Araújo, Núñez and Matías Viña .

Coach Marcelo Bielsa gave Valverde the captain’s armband for his Copa del Rey debut.

“We had talked about being patient. Sometimes goals come easily, sometimes they don’t. Today it was very difficult for us, especially in the first half. That perseverance, that pride in continuing to try, we were able to show that,” said Valverde in an interview with DSports after the game.

“The rival played and there was frustration, it was a bit of both. The rival felt much more comfortable with the ball in the second half and we had a hard time putting pressure on their players,” he added, before confessing bluntly: “When you create so many chances and you can’t score, it really affects you.”

Maxi Araújo: he practiced the goal on Sunday several times on Saturday

Maximiliano Araujo

Foto: Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

Maximiliano Araújo, who scored the first goal, said: “We wanted to confess like this, luckily we were able to win, there are many things to correct and now it is better to correct them by winning. We started very well by pressing very well up front, but then, at times, we lowered the intensity, those are the things we have to improve.”

“Panama is a good team, with very good players, they showed it at times, but luckily we were able to win,” he added.

Araújo said that on Saturday, he had scored several similar goals in practice and that his teammates joked with him because they asked him to save goals for Sunday’s match: “Yesterday they teased me because we played a two-touch game and they went there (the balls, to the corner) and they told me to save them for today and luckily they were able to go in.”

Darwin Núñez: “We missed a lot of goals”

Darwin Nunez

Foto: Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

Darwin Núñez, who scored the second goal of the match, said: “We are very happy with the victory. It was a difficult match. They have good players. In the first half we were better. In the second half, in the first 15 or 20 minutes, they controlled the match a little . We suffered a little, but with the goals we improved again and ended up playing well.”

“We missed a lot of goals, we finished a lot of plays badly. We learn from our mistakes, but we never give up, we keep trying and Uruguay is about never giving up, that’s why we keep trying,” he added.

“They came with the mentality of playing a good game, of beating us, they are a good team. Debuts are always difficult, now we have to rest, correct the mistakes and improve the plays that we didn’t finish well,” concluded Núñez.