Although we took the lead, our youth team eventually lost at the weekend in the Cup against Viitorul Cluj. The head coach analysed what happened.

Although we took the lead, our youth team eventually lost at the weekend in the Cup against Viitorul Cluj. The head coach analysed what happened:

“I know from experience, because I have won such a competition before, that in the Cup there are never any favourites. There are many surprises, and accordingly I try to prepare my players mainly from a mental point of view, so that they take every opponent seriously. In the Cup there is no real home or away advantage, playing at home is not necessarily an advantage, sometimes it can even be a disadvantage.

That is exactly what happened on Sunday. Already at the beginning of January I warned the boys that we could have secured qualification by now. Unfortunately, that did not happen. After Sunday’s match I asked myself many questions as well – what we should have done differently or better – but at this level, in the U18 category, players must already know how to compete. It is no longer just about learning football. Five or six players who usually carry the team did not perform as I expected this time. The opponent was not particularly dangerous, we even took the lead from a set piece that we practise a lot and which has paid off several times before.

Then came the penalty awarded against us, which raised doubts in my mind as to whether the referees judged the situation correctly, and the second goal we conceded came from a very serious mistake by our goalkeeper. The opponent had two shots on target and scored two goals. But that is football, and that is why it is beautiful – sometimes no matter how much you plan, reality rewrites your ideas.

We move on, we have to get back on our feet, because at the weekend we travel to face one of our toughest rivals, perhaps the most difficult opponent of the season, Universitatea Cluj, a team we have already faced twice and lost both times. Now we go for the third time, but not to collect points – we go for qualification, and that is a different situation. We must be strong mentally, but as long as there is even a minimal chance of qualifying, we will not give up. We will prepare very hard during the week and I hope that on Sunday we can secure our place in the quarter-finals.”

R. A.