Poor start at Loftus cost Orlando Pirates argues Jose Riveiro

The Brazilians were 2-0 up by half-time, leaving The Buccaneers with a lot of questions to answer in the second half of their top of the table Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Stadium.

Pirates did regroup by pulling one back shortly after the break, but Sundowns almost immediately added a third and then a fourth.

Riveiro says their poor start ultimately cost them the game.

"Tough beginning of the game, we were not comfortable. We didn't find a way to progress in very difficult circumstances today. I'm not gonna talk about the field after getting four goals, it's gonna sound like but maybe you will or maybe not but we didn't find a way to progress to the spaces where we used to do it, always an extra touch,” Riveiro said.

“With the permanent threat of Shalulile [Peter] and Rayners [Iqraam] in the last line it was difficult to control the turnovers, the transitions. Rough beginning of the game, the freekick of the set piece is coming from one situation where we fall down two times and we lose the ball then Ribeiro [Lucas] is coming in a similar scenario.

“Extra ordinary way, the transition himself, difficult first half. They were quite affective as well in front of the goal."

READ: Miguel Cardoso claims Sundowns spent 20 minutes preparing for Pirates

The Spanish mentor was a lot more pleased with the reaction in the second half, although they could not maintain it.

"The first 15 I think we were better, I'm not gonna say better than Sundowns but for sure better than in the first half. We managed to start to play the game on their side, I think there was a moment they couldn't cope,” he added.

“We got the 2-1 probably in that moment the game was more closed to, we have a little bit of continuity, we'll be close to the 2-2 but immediately they created one chance to get the third one and a little bit later they managed to find the net.

“We were taking a lot of risks in the pressing almost man to man all around the field and we speed that they have in the last line, what happened in the third goal is something that we were playing with that risk of conceding one or two of those situations but obviously we were chasing we have to take that risk.

“And I think after the third goal, we tried a couple of things more but I think the game was too far for us in that moment."