Total Football Bucharest

MATCH DAY ⚽️

2017/18 VS Sport Team (Alb)

We faced a strong Sport Team side and, for the opening 10 minutes, showed them a little too much respect, allowing them plenty of possession, keeping pressure on our goal early on. As we worked our way into the game, Mateo was called into action several times and produced some excellent saves to keep us in the contest. Defensively, the boys competed well and put in some strong tackles, but we lacked the variety in our passing to break into the opposition’s half and create meaningful chances. As a result, opportunities in front of goal were limited during the first half.

The second half was a completely different story!

The team came out with real energy, intensity, and belief. We began winning our battles all over the pitch, moving the ball quickly, and spending far more time in the opposition half. Matty had a chance, coming one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finishing confidently. From there, the boys pressed high and caused Sport Team plenty of problems, creating a number of good chances.

Despite our comeback, it just wasn’t our day. A combination of not quite finding our usual finishing touch and several impressive saves from the opposition goalkeeper meant we couldn’t quite keep up.

There are plenty of positives to take from this performance, especially the response shown after half-time. The boys recognised the importance of starting games with that same intensity and maintaining it against strong opposition. The second-half pressing, work rate, and mentality were all excellent and provide a strong platform to build on.

On to the next one