Baltimore, Maryland, June 22, 2026

The First Team of Santos Laguna continues an intense preparation in the United States as part of the second stage of the Guerrera Preseason.

As part of their work agenda in the United States, the team led by Renato Paiva will play two preparation matches that will be important to continue gaining football rhythm and playing time.

The first of these will take place this Tuesday against Annapolis Blues FC, while the second will be held next Sunday, June 28, against NY Cosmos at the Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.

In preparation for this last match, a joint press conference was held on Monday with members of NY Cosmos, in which Santos players Javier Abella and Lucas di Yorio participated.

During his remarks, Javier Abella highlighted the significance of facing a historic institution in American soccer, noting that it will be a valuable opportunity to continue strengthening the team's preparation:

“We are well aware of what NY Cosmos represents. We know the history and importance of the Club in the United States. On our part, we are excited and happy to play this match. We are in a preseason process, preparing for the start of our tournament, and playing against a historic team is an extra motivation for us. What we want is to win and compete. It will be a beautiful match that we have to take advantage of to keep growing,” commented the Guerrero defender.

Abella also spoke about the work the squad is doing under the technical direction of Renato Paiva, highlighting the adaptation process to the Portuguese coach's playing model.

“The focus we are having in training under Renato Paiva's guidance is based on learning and understanding the way he wants us to play. We are having training and video sessions to better understand his playing model. That video part is helping us a lot,” he explained.

Meanwhile, forward Lucas di Yorio stated that this match represents a valuable experience within the preparation stage the albiverde team is undergoing in the United States.

“For us, it is a special match because it brings new experiences and challenges in football. When there are new experiences, the motivation is always there. We are in this preseason process, so these matches are good for us. This match against NY Cosmos will be very important for us to see how we have been working. The team is motivated by this experience in the United States,” he noted.

Regarding the implementation of Renato Paiva's footballing ideas, the Argentine forward emphasized the group's willingness to adopt the concepts sought by the coaching staff.

“We are putting a lot of emphasis on adopting the ideas that Renato Paiva is asking of us. There are different points compared to how the team played in the past, so now a process is needed. The team is adopting Renato Paiva's ideas in all aspects of the game, but it is something that takes time. All these matches are important because progress is made little by little. It is important to win to get used to that again,” he concluded.