Atlante looks ahead to Barcelona, but not too far

November 26, 2009

Atlante is looking forward to a potential match against FC Barcelona – just not too much.

“It’s an attractive possibility but we have a team to play before and we have to respect that team as well as preparing ourselves to play well and win,” captain and goalkeeper Federico Vilar said Wednesday. “Then we can think about that possible game against Barcelona.”

At a news conference to celebrate Atlante’s participation in the Club World Cup December 9-19 and send it off to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Vilar expressed the mood of the CONCACAF Champions League winner, which will have to face the winner between UAE champion Al Ahli and Auckland City FC before it can think about a semifinal meeting against Barcelona.

“We have to be focused on our first game and not think about Barcelona because we have to win in order to play against them,” midfielder Santiago Solari said. “If the opportunity does arise, it will be great, and today in soccer everything is very even and anything can happen.”

The best any CONCACAF team has done at the Club World Cup was third place. Mexico’s Necaxa outlasted Real Madrid on penalties in 2000, and Saprissa beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad 3-2 for the No. 3 finish in 2005.

The past two years, Mexico’s Pachuca has represented CONCACAF, eliminated by Etoile Sportive du Sahel in its opener in 2007, and beating Egypt Al Ahly to open last year’s event before falling to Eucador’s Liga de Quito in the semifinals.

“I have prepared my whole life to play this tournament,” midfielder Gabriel Pereyra said. “This tournament is a showcase for every player and we are going to take advantage of it as much as we can. We have working hard, training twice each day and are very anxious to take part in the competition.”

MEXICO CITY

Concacaf

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