Canadian goalkeeper Jake Ratcliffe admitted he is “really happy” ahead of the game between CD Almuñecar City Juvenil and neighbour's CD Juventud Sexitana Juvenil.
In their first season in the Spanish league system, #CDAC Juvenil are sitting second in Cuarto Andaluza Juvenil (Granada) having won five of their eight games so far this campaign.
#CDAC had started the season unbeaten in seven games before the narrow defeat to CF Alhendín Balompié in their last match, but will be looking to bounce back this weekend in the derby against Sexitana at home.
“I’m really happy with where our team is in the league right now.” Ratcliffe said. “We’re three points behind the leaders with a game in hand.
“With the quality that our team has, and the obstacles that we’ve had to overcome throughout the first half of the season, I think first place and taking the league is attainable.
“Now it’s our job, as a team, to put our words into actions and show that with the game at the weekend.”
Ratcliffe, 18, featured in the showcase game against higher-level opposition in Albacete Balompié earlier in the week.
That is something the club can offer young players, the opportunity to showcase against some of the top-level teams in Spain, and Ratcliffe admitted there were plenty of positives to take from the game.
He added: “The biggest thing I took from the game against Albacete (Balompié) was that while they were a very good team, a lot of their habit in play shared similarities, or were quite similar, to habit we have in games and in practice.
“It’s really good to see what we’re trying to achieve as a team, as a collective, and where we can improve, especially since the game was live streamed.
“We’re able to go through the footage, look back, see what we did wrong, see what we did right, and develop as a team with the end goal of getting to a level that teams like Albacete are at.”
Ratcliffe is now into the second half of his first season with the club, and spoke about his goals and ambitions between now and the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
He said: “I’m looking forward to, just like the first half of the season, putting in the work, putting in as much effort in practice to develop and get better because we will have more big games against teams like Albacete.
“There’s going to be chances for us to prove ourselves, that we have what it takes to make it to the next level.
“These will be our opportunities against the big teams, some of the best youth teams in Spain. These will be opportunities for us to prove to ourselves that we are at their level and we have what it takes.”
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