Silvio Rudman accepted responsibility after Marathón’s 0-1 defeat to Alianza in the Copa Centroamericana, and the result leaves Marathon Alliance with no margin for error heading into next week’s decisive match against Real Estelí.
The loss at Estadio Morazán was Marathón’s first under Rudman, and it came at a difficult moment. Before the match, José "Pajarito" Aguilera had already been ruled out after a resonance confirmed a muscle problem that requires two weeks of recovery, removing one more option from the squad.
Rudman: the second half changed everything
After the game, Rudman was frank about what he saw. He said the team looked completely different from the one that had been playing well, pointing to 42 passes backward, 12 bad deliveries and no shots on target as signs of a performance that lost its shape.
He also split the match into two clear parts. In the first half, Marathón created three or four chances and looked in control. In the second, however, the volume of play dropped and the team lost its attacking rhythm, allowing Alianza to close the game out after scoring from their only meaningful attack.
That is the key issue for Marathón now: this was not just a narrow defeat, but a match in which they could not turn pressure into goals when the moment demanded it.
What comes next for Marathón?
Rudman made it clear he was not looking for excuses. He said Aguilera’s issue is muscular and confirmed the player could not participate, while also rejecting any idea that the squad had become overconfident after earlier performances.
His message to the group was to turn the page quickly and focus on the Clásico Sampedrano on Sunday against Real España. But the bigger test comes immediately after that, when Marathón face Real Estelí next week and need a win to advance in the Copa Centroamericana.
For a side that now sits in a precarious position, the challenge is obvious. They must recover fast, settle the details that broke down against Alianza, and arrive at the next international match with the right balance of urgency and belief.
