MR U18 NL Gold 2024/2025 (Market Road League) - Regents Park
Coincidence or not, the fact of having our goalkeeper back from injury, helps the team to relax on a good way, and trust their game. 2 wins in 2 matches, 9 goals scored and one conceded.
About this match, we faced a team that has shown a lot of fragilities. It is not the same team that caused us some problems last season, to be true, they also lost a few players that moved to our team.
In what concerns the game, we managed and controlled the game the way we wanted. From the moment we scored the first after an incomplete save from the keeper, we unlock their doors. This is the type of the game, that the hardest thing to do is to score the first. Then is about our mentality, the desire of to extend the lead, whilst keeping a clean sheet.
At halftime, we were 5-0 up. My instructions were to don't take the foot out of the "accelerator", and try to play even with more movement, combinations of 2/3 player cove movements to break the opposition through the thirds and at the same time being creative as individuals and as individuals part of a team. The truth is that our 6th goal, is a masterpiece where the team combined, attracted the opposition, found the free man, linked with the player (support player) who could see the full picture, who makes another combination, and we end up scoring where all the play was built with 3 touches per player tops, and where the last pass and finish are in one touch.
Then we scored the 7th, and the team started dropping a bit the intensity, we allowed them to score straight after. Then they had a few chances to score their second. We scored the 8th goal, we could have scored more. However, the beauty of the 6th goal, that for me as a coach is what I would love to see from them more often, it disappeared.
At the end of the game, I congratulate the team for the win, for the very good things they did, but I also highlighted, they should not be extremely happy, they must want more and more. We don't want to stay in the confort zone. No matter if we lose or win, there is always space and margin for improvement. Especially, to a team who has the ambition to win tittles.
The two first on the table drew. This means, we are back on track, and we just depend on us to achieve our aims. Game by game.
Ps. One extra highlight for Emilio's commitment, coming to the match on his birthday!!! Not all the players, decide to come to matches on their anniversary. Him and the team provided and offered a good gift!!!
Well done guys!!!
