- Marcelo Méndez is the mastermind who has led Montevideo City Torque to the best international campaign in their history so far.
- In just one year, the Uruguayan manager has brought out the best in his players, given the side a clear identity and inspired the 'ciudadano' club to dream of reaching the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final.
The Uruguayan side, who had been the third-highest scorers in the Group Stage with 11 goals — behind only Botafogo (15) and RB Bragantino (12) — showed that, alongside their attractive footballing approach, they also possess the character required to keep progressing through the knockout stages of the Great Conquest and reach the last four in the continent. “I'm happy because the work is being reflected in the results. And that doesn't always happen in football,” the manager said.
With just 18 years of history, City Torque are enjoying the best international campaign in the club's history. Their journey, which began with victory over Defensor Sporting in Phase 1, has brought demanding opponents, challenging venues and ties that began with them at a disadvantage. Yet their response has always been the same: faith in the process.
Méndez arrived at the capital club following a spell with Gimnasia de La Plata and found a team with qualities that could be developed further — and that was his first strength. “We believe strongly in our playing model and we've grown tired of hearing: 'Torque play good football but don't win'. Rather than changing, we reaffirmed our path.”
The results backed up his philosophy as City Torque finished top of Group F ahead of Grêmio, Deportivo Riestra and Palestino, recording four wins, one draw and one defeat. In the Round of 16, against Tigre — runners-up in the 2012 edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana — they prevailed 3-1 on aggregate, winning 1-0 away and 2-1 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
In the quarter-finals, they faced a former champion of the competition in Cienciano, who lifted the trophy in 2003. City Torque lost 2-0 in Cusco in the first leg, in a performance that saw them fall well short of the footballing approach they had displayed in previous matches.
The real test came in the second leg. At the Estadio Centenario, the 'Charrúa' side showed their heart and character to overturn the tie with a convincing 3-0 victory and reach the semi-finals, where they will face Atlético Mineiro, who eliminated Santos.
With Franco Pizzichillo and Salomón Rodríguez among their standout performers, the Uruguayan representatives will look to overcome Eduardo Domínguez's side and reach the decisive match, which will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla on Saturday 21 November.
“Marcelo is bringing out the best in me. I'm putting up numbers I didn't expect to have this year,” said forward Salomón Rodríguez, who scored twice against Tigre in the Round of 16 and another brace against Cienciano in the quarter-finals, helping the 'ciudadanos' continue writing their own history in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. The San Gregorio de Polanco-born forward, who is enjoying the best individual season of his career, is his side's leading scorer in the Great Conquest, with seven of City Torque's 18 goals.
Pizzichillo, the player with the most appearances in the history of the sky-blue side and a key figure in Méndez's system, also highlighted the manager's influence. “He has changed the face of the team,” he said in an interview with El Espectador.
In their third international campaign — and their second in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana — Montevideo City Torque continue to show that they can turn their football into results and that they are capable of adapting to different circumstances. Marcelo Méndez's philosophy has become embedded throughout the squad and is setting the course for their continental dream. “It's good to achieve results in football. They're not easy to get and this group is achieving them, but the way you do it is also important, as is creating an identity.”
