We must win every match
Monday, September 2, 2024
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Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik reflects on the victory over Kryvbas U19 (3-0), the results and the team's plans
– Congratulations on the victory! What is your summary of the match?
– The game was tough because we are used to training and playing on grass, and switching to another surface requires adaptation. All the more, the heat made things even more challenging, and the players felt the strain in their legs even after the warm-up. The bounce of the ball is different on an artificial pitch and it takes time to adjust. It is not an excuse but a reality, as we understand that Kryvbas U19 also train on a grass surface. We agreed with the guys to quickly seize the initiative and focused on potential frequent alerts. When there are a lot of pauses in the game, it's bad because the pace gets thrown off. We quickly took the lead through a great goal from Dabo. It may have been a bit of a surprise as Ibrahima was expected to pass, but he caught the wind and produced an excellent shot that was difficult for the keeper due to the trajectory of the ball. After that, we relaxed a bit and let the hosts take the initiative. In some episodes, the offense and defence sometimes made bad decisions and were not positioned well when pressing, so they were unable to increase the lead quickly. During the break, we calmly analysed the mistakes and discussed the plan for the second half. We agreed to control the ball more to wear down the opponents and continue to use free zones. It resulted in goals scored after pressing, excellent passing by Tiutiunov and Tsukanov, as well as through Lomaha’s skills. Also I’m a little unhappy with the positioning of the players during the penalty when they were focused on the ball and not on the opposing players. However, this is youth football, such episodes happen often, so we will work on it during the international break. At the same time, I’m glad that Bahlai blocked this attempt.
– Shakhtar U19 ended August with five wins and are topping the table. Are you happy with the result?
– I am, but we must understand that we did not do anything spectacular or something that should not have been done. We are stronger than any opponents and must win every match. The result of the first rounds is quite natural because we have prepared well for the season, we have good competition in every position, as well as experienced footballers who are able to take responsibility, together with young players who want to prove themselves. I’m satisfied with the result, but there is work to be done, especially considering that soon there will be frequent moves, which will leave little time to practice certain principles of the game. However, after the weekend we will have time to work on it.
– What are the future plans of the team during the two-week international break?
– The boys got four days off, as we previously agreed that if they won, they would get a rest. They will have time to take a break from football and spend it with their families. And on September 5, the team will resume the training process, hold a warm-up session, after that we will try to organize a friendly game. On Monday, we will start preparing for the next league game. At the same time, it is possible that some players will join the training of the first team. It's still being worked out because they have a slightly different schedule, but if the first team invites one of our players to train, I'll be only happy because I think they deserve it. Training with the first team will be an additional motivation for the players.
– The game was tough because we are used to training and playing on grass, and switching to another surface requires adaptation. All the more, the heat made things even more challenging, and the players felt the strain in their legs even after the warm-up. The bounce of the ball is different on an artificial pitch and it takes time to adjust. It is not an excuse but a reality, as we understand that Kryvbas U19 also train on a grass surface. We agreed with the guys to quickly seize the initiative and focused on potential frequent alerts. When there are a lot of pauses in the game, it's bad because the pace gets thrown off. We quickly took the lead through a great goal from Dabo. It may have been a bit of a surprise as Ibrahima was expected to pass, but he caught the wind and produced an excellent shot that was difficult for the keeper due to the trajectory of the ball. After that, we relaxed a bit and let the hosts take the initiative. In some episodes, the offense and defence sometimes made bad decisions and were not positioned well when pressing, so they were unable to increase the lead quickly. During the break, we calmly analysed the mistakes and discussed the plan for the second half. We agreed to control the ball more to wear down the opponents and continue to use free zones. It resulted in goals scored after pressing, excellent passing by Tiutiunov and Tsukanov, as well as through Lomaha’s skills. Also I’m a little unhappy with the positioning of the players during the penalty when they were focused on the ball and not on the opposing players. However, this is youth football, such episodes happen often, so we will work on it during the international break. At the same time, I’m glad that Bahlai blocked this attempt.
– Shakhtar U19 ended August with five wins and are topping the table. Are you happy with the result?
– I am, but we must understand that we did not do anything spectacular or something that should not have been done. We are stronger than any opponents and must win every match. The result of the first rounds is quite natural because we have prepared well for the season, we have good competition in every position, as well as experienced footballers who are able to take responsibility, together with young players who want to prove themselves. I’m satisfied with the result, but there is work to be done, especially considering that soon there will be frequent moves, which will leave little time to practice certain principles of the game. However, after the weekend we will have time to work on it.
– What are the future plans of the team during the two-week international break?
– The boys got four days off, as we previously agreed that if they won, they would get a rest. They will have time to take a break from football and spend it with their families. And on September 5, the team will resume the training process, hold a warm-up session, after that we will try to organize a friendly game. On Monday, we will start preparing for the next league game. At the same time, it is possible that some players will join the training of the first team. It's still being worked out because they have a slightly different schedule, but if the first team invites one of our players to train, I'll be only happy because I think they deserve it. Training with the first team will be an additional motivation for the players.