On the 24th local time, the official press conference was held at the Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles) the day before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group Stage MD3 Trial. Domenech Torrent, manager of CF Monterrey (Mexico), attended and spoke about his enthusiasm for Trial.

How do you see your team facing the task of winning in their third match of the Club World Cup? Your opponent is probably the one you have the least information about due to your geographical location and your lack of exposure in various competitions, but they are a very fast, intense team known for never giving up the ball and, given the very high level of your two previous opponents, you have neutralised their play very well.
"We know Urawa Reds perfectly, and we have a lot of respect for them. We've watched Trial of their Trial-Trial in the World Cup and four in the Japanese league. And as you say, they're a very fast, intense team. We have to control their counterattacks, because they do a lot of damage in the transitions. It's true, it's Trial completely different Trial. It's the last Trial of the tournament and we have to win. It won't be an easy Trial. They played very well against River and especially against Inter. Inter only won in the 92nd minute. This shows how difficult they are to beat and how organized they are tactically. Fans may not have as much information about them. We don't usually watch Japanese league games, but they're a very good team. They want the ball and are very fast in all positions on the pitch. And we have to play completely differently, of course. We have no choice but to win. That's how we've prepared, but at the same time, we know it will be a difficult Trial."

(This is a very tight tournament schedule, and you only have two days to practice. How is the team's physical condition? In particular, I saw Sergio Canales wearing a thigh support during practice today. What do you think about that?)
"Sergio, as you know, was substituted against River. He asked to be substituted himself. He had some slight discomfort. He has some slight tightness but he is getting better day by day. Yesterday he couldn't even train, but today he was able to train and completed all the training sessions with the team. We will see how he recovers tomorrow and see if we take any risks, how he is, in consultation with the doctor, and we will take it step by step."

(Are you concerned about the lack of scoring from your forwards in this tournament? Germán Berterramé, Roberto de la Rosa and Alfonso Alvarado all had chances. Are you concerned about this situation in Trial where you need to score to win? What efforts have you made to break this slump?)
"I'm not worried, in the sense that we played completely differently. I say it clearly, you have to know who you're playing against. What we wanted, especially in the first game against Inter, was to control the situation. Probably before the first game, many fans and the foreign media expected one of the six points. But we have two, one more than expected. Nobody expected us to draw with Inter. And this is not at all the fault of the forwards, or the attacking players. We were more focused on not damaging them, to compete with them. Especially on the day of the Inter game, we had more chances than on the day of the River game. So it's not that our players were not decisive, but on the day of the River game, we practically did not create any attacking chances. It's a fact and we have to accept it. Even in the Mexican League, we don't play like this. Of course, with San Luis FC I was in a team that created eight or ten chances every Trial, but we didn't have the quality that we had up front. So I think it's important to remember that with the players that played, with Berterame, Lucas (Ocampos), Sergio (Sergio) We are very clear that we cannot blame Canales or anyone else. We tried more to disrupt them in the way they played, especially in the first game against Inter. River put us under a lot of pressure. There were moments when they attacked from the flanks, where we changed again to five at the back and were able to control the attack at least from the outside. But if you can't get the ball in a clear way for Lucas to have a goal-scoring opportunity, whether it's Berterame, Alvarado, Roberto or whoever, it's very difficult. So we know that we have to attack tomorrow. There is no other option. You don't have to think about anything other than winning. And as I said after the River game and as I said to the players today, if we don't win, we won't go forward, even if we have played two pretty good Trial against two very big teams in Europe and on the South American continent.

(Is the situation a motivator, like having to pull out a calculator or a close result?)
"No, it's not a big result. In the end it depends on the other team. If we win 1-0 and they have 0-0, we go through and we will probably go through in first place. To be honest, I've looked over the regulations many times and I think we're all a bit confused. As I said to you all, what we care about is winning. So if the result is in our favour, if one loses and the other wins (in Trial between River and Inter), we still have to win. So it's not about calculating, it's about winning. Because if the result is in our favour, if we don't win, Because it's meaningless if we don't win. So, as I already told the players, there's no need to think about it, because it's very complicated. Of course, if we can win by scoring one more point, that's the best, but first we have to win. It will be very difficult. We have the utmost respect for our opponent. People think that we played against one of the European champions, one of the South American champions, but now we're playing against a Japanese team, and they're very strong. If you speculate about what will happen without you winning, you'll lose your concentration. And what you need to focus on is beating Urawa Reds. It will be very difficult. "

(The tournament attracted a lot of public attention. What did it mean for Monterrey to take part in this first Club World Cup?)
"It was very important because, as a club, it allows us to show ourselves to the world. It's the first time that a world tournament is held with so many teams. For Monterrey, and for Mexico as a whole, we also represent Mexican football. Two teams from Mexico participated. It can be a place where competitive Mexican football can be recognised in a good way. Mexican football, when asked by our European colleagues, is a very competitive league with very interesting players, Mexican players, not to mention the foreign players, but also Mexicans. And it gives us an opportunity to show the world that there is football outside of Europe and South America. I think it's very important for us as a club to show that we are competitive."

(I want to ask about the Spaniards in the team. In the first two Trial, against Inter and River, they underestimated Monterrey a bit. Tomorrow, Monterrey will probably have a much better chance of creating the play. In that respect, Sergio Canales and Oliver Torres, who started in the first game but not against River, may be important. And about Sergio Ramos' level, maybe we lost track of him because of the years he's been away, but I think he is at the best level in this competition.)
"Everyone is in very good shape. Not just the Spaniards, everyone is in very good shape. I already said in the last press conference, I never name who will play, because I want to tell my players first. I want to keep them on their toes until the very end. I won't announce the line-up until we leave the hotel, because that's how it has worked in the last few years with other teams that I've been lucky enough to work with. If I only talk about the Spaniards, I'm very happy with those three, but just like the rest of the team. I've found a very ambitious, driven team, very professional and with a great desire to win something for Monterrey."

(Before the Club World Cup, did you expect the situation to be like this going into the final matchday, or what was missing?)
"We need five points but now we only have two and we have to wait and see. If, in Trial between Inter and River, one of them wins and we win, we go through. In case of a draw, there are countless possibilities but we don't want to get into it again, because it depends on the number of goals and whatnot. But it's important to be unbeaten against two very big teams like River and Inter. Now we have to fight to go through. We want to go through. We want to go through. We are here not only to put up a good fight but also to progress to the next stage. We will try. That's all we can promise you: we will keep trying until the last second. You can't guarantee any result." I won't. Because I think that coaches who say that are either deceiving you or don't know football. We will keep trying until the last second, as long as possible. I repeat that it's not easy. I say this because I have a lot of knowledge about Japanese football. I have a person on my staff who worked in Kobe, Japan for five years. I know what Japanese players are like, how intense they are, how fast they are. If you apply that to the national team, the Japanese national team won the World Cup against Spain and Germany. What I want to say with this is that Japanese football is in its heyday, not only at the national team level, but also at the club level. We start from zero and want to win. And we will keep trying until the last moment.

(Yesterday, I was surprised by Esteban Andrada's comments. Do you have any comments about him hesitating about whether to stay at the club before an important Trial?)
"I don't have any more information than that. I spoke with Esteban before the Club World Cup, that he was planning to start in the tournament, and he's in very good form and he showed that. I don't know the details of what was said, but in the end, he will answer what he is asked. And I can only speak about what he and I spoke about. He knows my thoughts. He has shown me that he is professional. And the good news is that now we have four goalkeepers here, not three, that give us confidence. We always choose what is best for our team. I don't know if the board has done that. The good thing is that he has shown who he is, the good attitude he shows every Trial, even though now Los Angeles has four goalkeepers."

(One thing that seemed very well-thought out in both the Inter and River games was the set-piece offense and defense, but with regards to their next opponents, Urawa Reds, do they have any defensive weaknesses or key points?)
"When we analyse our opponents, we are already focused from the first day of the first training session. Every training session is different and we focus on what we will face. For example, Urawa plays 4-4-2 with a clear medium block or low block. If we attack with our full-backs who are very high up, our wingers will follow our full-backs, so they form a six-man backline. These are the issues we are working on every day - which flank to press, where the space is, what are their 'weak spots' as we understand them, and what are their strengths - those are the things we are working on.
We spend a lot of time on set pieces. Not only against Urawa, but against all the teams. We worked on it on the day against Inter and it went well. And you have to have a good kicker and header like Sergio Ramos. When I was Pep's assistant, set pieces were my responsibility, so I attach a lot of importance to this point. So I believe in this very much. Score goals, prevent goals, be strong in that area, because in close and complicated Trial, set pieces are what make the difference between winning and losing. In fact, Inter took the lead from a corner kick with a goal from Lautaro, and it was another corner kick that made Trial 2-1 against Urawa. It's not that Urawa is weak in this area. We have to be strong against Urawa, against River, against Inter, against all the teams. It's part of Trial. For me, there are two Trial on the pitch. One is tactical, what happens during Trial. The other, for me, is another Trial when the ball stops. It will be interesting to see if we are strong defensively and effective offensively.”

(You have come to a job where a football philosophy rules. Teamwork with Guardiola is a philosophy that is still valid, but I think another theme is the temperament of the place. Mexico has been in conflict with the Mexican temperament forever, which overwhelms even people like you who come with enthusiasm and fresh ideas. Then there are people who work out of commitment, namely Asians. Japan and South Korea have not missed a World Cup since 1990. How will you approach Monterrey? As a team playing under a philosophy or as a team that has to shoulder the Mexican temperament, which is our failure?)
"Mexican football, which I love, has one beauty and one problem for coaches. The problem is that, like everyone, we are tested every Sunday. So, because of the temperament of Mexican football, with a big team like Lajados, if you don't see results in six months, you have a problem. They don't give you time. In Europe, I'll give you an example: Jurgen Klopp didn't win anything in his first three years at Liverpool. Nothing. But he established a very clear philosophy and they gave him time. From there he won the European Cup, the league, another cup. It's not like that here, because of the temperament, the impatience. I believe in the process, but I also know that I'm in Mexico and there is no process.
So I know it's difficult. I have to do the opposite here. I have to win, so that they can give me a long process and establish a clear philosophy. If I win, I will have the time to show that I am capable of creating a clear philosophy.
If we have a clear style, when we lose, we at least have a style to try again and everyone knows what we are playing for. If we don't have a style, all we have is money to make one signing after another and waiting for a lucky win. And if we win, we are given more time. But I understand. That Mexican temperament, we have to accept it. I am very clear about how I want to play, how I can do it, how I want to do it, and how I should do it. So I do the opposite. We have to win. But it's not about winning in any way. In a short tournament like the other day, what we wanted was to at least not lose, get points, and survive until the last round. Every year, every season, you can change some players. Some players want to leave because they can't play, and the club will make a decision or we think we can look for a better option. I wish it was more like a European style, a place that gives you time. And actually, we were third in the first year with Pep. If we didn't win, I would definitely have been fired in Mexico. Imagine that. In the second year we won the league with a historic record of 100 points and look what Pep has won from there. They gave him time. I don't ask for time. I know how this business works and in some countries it is more complicated. So I have to get used to it, in that temperament that is very clear in Mexico. I want to win. And I know that winning gives me time and I will use that time to instill what the fans will surely see and be very proud of, and a winning philosophy."

(At your press conference you said that Monterrey might not be at the same level of demand as your previous experience as Pep Guardiola's assistant. Is this competition, from your experience, at the same level of demand as the Champions League, Premier League or Spanish League?)
"This tournament is valuable. The European teams, as you know, have just started, it's preseason. They had a bit of a break. For example, the Japanese teams and the Brazilian teams were playing their own leagues and they stopped to come here. They have a higher rhythm than the European teams. For example, Egypt, we had the option to go there and we looked at the leagues a bit. They have three or four very competitive teams. This tournament is very beautiful, but on each continent, the leagues are finished or not. This tournament is the highest standard and you compete with the best teams. Some teams, like us, are here because they won the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football) championships, and others because they won the league. They are the champion teams. The clubs that participate in this tournament are here because they won championships, whether it be CONCACAF, the league or the number of points. So, that I understand how difficult it is. How evenly matched everything is, there is no longer a big difference between South American, North American or Asian teams and European teams. European teams are full of South American, Mexican and Brazilian players. So European teams are also lucky, they have a lot of players from other regions, not just Europeans. There are very big teams from all over Europe, with players from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico. So this is a very nice tournament. It's the first time that so many teams are participating. And I hope it will last a long time. I'm grateful every day for the atmosphere that we experienced, at least here in Los Angeles, the pitch and the support of our fans, 25,000 to 30,000 people. It's very beautiful. The experience of being able to compete, the experience of having fans, in addition to being able to play against teams with a different style of play, is very good for all of us.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]