In Chelsea and Real Madrid's USA tour finale, the Blues suffered a 1-2 defeat. After the match, the team manager Maresca accepted the media interview, a comprehensive and profound reflection on the game.
Maresca began by recognizing his team's performance on the offensive end of the floor, stating, "I thought we played pretty well on the offensive side of the ball, creating six to seven clear scoring opportunities. It showed that our offensive line showed good form and coordination during the game." However, he also candidly pointed out the team's problems on the defensive end, "However, on the defensive side of the ball, we did encounter some challenges, which is something we need to seriously take stock of and address. Overall, our defense still needs more adjustments and improvements."
For a specific analysis of the defensive problems, Maresca didn't limit himself to the backline, but broadened his perspective to the entire team, "By defensive problems, I don't just mean the players in the backline, but the overall performance of the entire team when it comes to defense. We need to maintain better understanding and collaboration on defense to deal with the offensive threats of our opponents."
Despite the unsatisfactory result of the match, Maresca remains confident about the future of his team. He emphasized: "Now that the tournament is over, we need to focus on the next training and games. Of course, it is also very important for the team to be able to finish this American tour and return home. We will use this time to rest and get fully prepared for the upcoming season."
In addition, Maresca made special mention of his exchange with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. He said, "Ancelotti and I had some exchanges before the match, and he is indeed a very good coach as well as a very nice person. We had a very good exchange, which makes me even more excited to communicate and learn from more excellent coaches in the future."
