Cristian Espinoza

Q&A: Cristian Espinoza on the return of soccer

Espinoza Marketing 2020

On training:
"I’m very happy to be training again. Even though they’re individual practices due to protocols, we’re all very happy to be back training. Little by little we’ll be able to practice together again."
On seeing teammates/coaches again: 
"It was a bit weird because, as a Latino we’re very friendly and you just want to see them up close and hug them and ask how they’ve been. But unfortunately, with this virus we can’t do that yet until we’re sure that no one is infected. But we got to at least see a few of each other’s faces. It’s an important step after three months of stoppage."
On Orlando:
"The league is providing us with maximum health security. We’ll be under controlled measures and the league seems prepared to operate this tournament. So that makes us the players feel calm. At first, there were rumors about the tournament, but no one talked about the health and safety protocols. Now that everything is confirmed and that we’ve received all the information, it definitely leaves you pretty calm."
On playing in a short style format: 
"I like it. I think this new competition will be a great opportunity to move along and compete in a tournament that’s new to everyone. It’s a nice opportunity for all of us, for the league to showcase our soccer worldwide on a greater scale, even more than what it has already been doing. There are multiple factors that have an effect in these types of events. I got to play in a U-20 World Cup with Argentina. It’s not just about soccer talent; it’s also about how much spirit clubs and players have, the things that get to your head, not everyone deals well being locked in. We’ll have to be ready for anything, and now that we’re in this we’re going over to win."
On using Galindo’s absence as motivation: 
"It’ll be very special for us. Training and knowing that he’s not with the rest of the coaches is difficult to see. It’s an important absence for the team because Benjamin provided a lot of experience as a coach and as a player. I hope we can win this tournament and dedicate it to him and his family during these difficult times. But we have lots of faith that El Maestro will recover and come back soon once he’s okay."