Shakhtar U21 started the year with a victory
Sunday, January 29, 2017
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Shakhtar U21 continue preparing for the season’s second part in Belek, Turkey
From the first day on, the team have been working in two-sessions-a-day mode at the training camp. Morning sessions on the sand and workout in the gym were complemented with evening sessions on the pitch, where much attention was paid to tactical exercises and changes of formation, along with regular theory classes.
The reserve team had been at the training camp in Belek for many years, therefore, Valeriy Kryventsov’s lads got accustomed to the local conditions. It takes 7-8 minutes for the team to get to the pitch by bus; on completion of the evening session, the guys recover muscles in the pool.
On January 28, the Pitmen claimed a 1-0 victory in the friendly vs Saudi Arabia U20. All players who joined the training camp had been featured in the match.
In the first half, the Orange-and-Blacks delivered a series of clever attacking moves. With playing threatening piercing passes inside the area, the guys fell short of accuracy in the closing stages. After the break, Shakhtar’s dynamic performance bore fruit, as Volodymyr Yakimets was fouled on inside opponents’ penalty area before Arabidze coolly dispatched the spot-kick.
- We played the match under heavy loads, - says Valeriy Kryventsov. – We must pay tribute to the players. We were satisfied with numerous interactions, including pressing, the element we have been working a lot on. The Saudi Arabia national team are a well-organized side having fast players. The guys tried to mark the opponents and employ the team effort to win the ball. This particular friendly and the ones to follow will give us a lot of useful information. It is crucial to find the best combinations in the line-up by the time the season resumes.
In the coming days, Shakhtar U21 will face Varda, Hungary in a friendly match scheduled for January 30.