The head coach of “Sogdiana”, Ulugbek Bakayev, shared his thoughts after the match of the 7th round of the Super League against “Kyzylkum” (3:1).
— Your opinion about the game?
— The game started well. Both teams were active in both defense and attack. In the first half, we managed to score a goal. In that episode, it is difficult to say exactly who made a mistake — the midfielder or the defender. Then we scored a second goal and went into halftime with an advantage. In the second half, we scored again after a quick counterattack. In the end, we conceded one goal.
I congratulate our team on the first victory of the season. Everyone who stepped onto the field today gave their maximum and tried to show an organized game. I wish good luck to the “Kyzylkum” team in their next matches.
— Previously, many coaches complained that U-21 matches should be held one day before the main game. Now 7 rounds have passed, but we have not seen any head coaches at U-21 matches. How appropriate was it to raise this topic?
— It is difficult for me to answer this question. But out of respect for you, I will try to answer. Perhaps head coaches do not have enough time, or assistant coaches are attending the U-21 matches.
The purpose of the U-21 tournament is to observe young players and attract talented footballers to the main team to create competition. We are now living in a modern era: all matches are recorded, and a lot of information is available. Personally, for me, it is better when U-21 matches are played one day before the main team’s game. Then a young player who stands out has a chance to be included in the squad the next day.
Our assistants always attend U-21 matches at the stadium. Yesterday, we sent three main squad players to the U-21 team and received evaluations about them. I cannot speak about others, but we constantly monitor our U-21 team.
— What was the main reason for today’s victory?
— Both teams were in a difficult situation before the match. The opponent had already won before, while we had no victories at all. In the match against “Kokand-1912”, even after scoring two goals, we could not hold the lead. Against “Dinamo”, we went 1:0 ahead but then conceded two goals. Therefore, we realized that players must first be prepared psychologically.
The second factor is the physical condition of the team. We were often conceding goals around the 70th minute. Today at the 50th minute, “Kyzylkum” organized an attack and an opponent’s player took a shot from 20 meters. Fortunately, our goalkeeper saved us from conceding. If we had conceded then, it is hard to say how the match would have ended.
— Goalkeeper Shohrukh Isokov made two very good saves today.
— That is his job. If necessary, he must make not two, but ten saves. We trust him, so he must justify that trust. For now, we are one of the teams that has conceded the most goals. Shohrukh should draw conclusions from this statistic. I want him to keep a clean sheet and wish him good luck. Everything is in his hands,” said Bakayev.
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