On the eve of the 1/16 finals of the U-17 World Cup, the head coach of the Croatian youth national team, Marijan Budimir, shared his thoughts on the team's mood and the upcoming match against Uzbekistan. According to him, the team performed well in all group stage matches, and now the main goal is to go further in the competition by winning the playoffs.
"First of all, I congratulate my players on reaching the playoffs. They fully demonstrated their strength in the group. In the last match, we gained full control of the ball and tried to score even more against the opponent. After hearing Senegal's result, we tried to score another goal, but we couldn't. Senegal played a fantastic game against the UAE and scored five goals. Thus, they finished first in the group by goal difference," the coach said.
At the same time, Budimir noted that, despite the results, he is proud of his team:
"For us, this result will not change anything. We played three strong matches in the group stage. My players were always on the field with sincere hearts. Now it's time to move forward and speak our minds in the playoffs. We know well that to go far in this competition, you need to win every game."
The Croatian coach also noted the main strengths of the team:
"We have discipline, team spirit, and confidence in victory. There is strong mutual understanding between our players, and each player diligently fulfills their duty on the field. Therefore, we are not afraid of any opponent, including Uzbekistan. It's important not to make mistakes at this stage, so we intend to turn every minute into a win."
The Croatian national team has been playing consistently throughout the competition. They scored 7 points in Group "C" and advanced to the playoffs in second place after Senegal. Now their next challenge will be the Asian champion, the physically strong and technically prepared Uzbekistan youth national team.
According to Marijan Budimir, the team has gained a lot of experience through all matches, and now every player feels the responsibility for the playoff stage. "In such competitions, every detail is important. We are working as a team, and each player clearly knows their role. "The playoffs are a new stage, where only strong and patient teams will remain," the coach said.
As a reminder, the match between the Uzbekistan and Croatia youth national teams kicks off on November 15th at 8:45 PM Tashkent time. The winner of this match will advance to the quarterfinals and will meet the winner of the Austria-Czech pair.
The Uzbekistan national team is currently continuing the competition in good spirits, having further boosted the fans' confidence with a resounding 6-1 victory against Panama in the previous round.
Thus, on this evening, two different football schools and styles will clash - European tactical discipline and Asian energy. Fans are waiting for an intense, competitive, and emotionally charged match ahead of the historic match.
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