At the end of the match at Zecchini Stadium, Coach Marco Turati had this to say: “I’d already mentioned before the game that it wouldn’t be an easy match for us because they’re a lively and well-organized team that switches smoothly between attack and defense; in the second half, they stepped up the pressure, following us all over the field, and we struggled. We need to bring more quality to our play and better showcase our strengths, especially considering that we had the majority of possession today. We certainly bear responsibility for this performance—myself first and foremost—but all of this helps us get to know each other better, give playing time to players who may not have had much yet, and our journey must continue, knowing that we need to do better—starting with me.
An experienced playmaker? We’re a very young team today; it’s the collective, rather than any single player, that needs to set the tone for the team. Once more experienced players get into shape, we’ll certainly improve in that regard, but today we need to step on the gas, let our guys run free, and be more incisive. The chances we conceded today stemmed from counterattacks following our own technical errors, so we definitely need to do better there.
Regarding the pass that led to the goal, individual positioning needs to be better, but we’re just getting started and a few mistakes are to be expected; I bear some of the responsibility, and the rest is shared by everyone, but we shouldn’t just see the glass as half empty—we should also recognize that we created at least two opportunities where players were one-on-one with the goalkeeper, or in the final play with the opposing goalkeeper’s great save on Durmush. Of course, we need to avoid conceding such easy counterattacks, but the defense isn’t largely to blame for the chances we conceded, except for the one that led to the goal.
The play that led to the goal is a move we practice often, and tonight it didn’t work out many times because of our opponents; Mazzocchi started off very well today; then maybe he got discouraged by the chance he failed to capitalize on in the first half, but he really came through for us in the closing minutes, and we definitely need to be able to create more chances for him as well.
We don’t see ourselves as favorites—even though this is certainly a higher-division team—we mustn’t forget that we’re a completely new team and we have a development process to follow; We certainly need to learn from some mistakes in order to grow, but today we played against an opponent that takes risks—one that isn’t afraid to face its opponents—and they deserve tremendous credit today; we’re perhaps left with a bit of regret because we were ahead and because of the missed opportunity in the closing minutes.
In recent weeks, the substitutes had come on with an attitude I really liked, but today that wasn’t the case; we had plenty of opportunities for one-on-ones but weren’t effective. Overall, though, I expect much more from the substitutes—always keeping in mind that players like Bastoni and Bright are behind in their fitness—but generally speaking, I’m the first to demand more from myself.
I’ll say it again: we don’t see ourselves as favorites; we see ourselves as a new team made up of excellent players with a bright future ahead of us, but right now we’re still a work in progress—we need to find our chemistry. At this moment, we need to build unity, internalize my expectations, and get to know one another. We want to have a strong season, but first we have an obligation to work hard, grow, and give our all—giving everything for the jersey we wear.”
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