Interview with Neftchi defender Yuri Matias for Futbolxeber.az
- In the first match of the Azerbaijan Cup semifinal, you lost 1-2 to Sabah. What was the reason for the defeat?
- It's hard to say exactly. The opponent had more chances than us. We lost, but the battle is not over yet. There is a second match ahead. We need to change the situation and our game in that match. A 1-2 loss is not the end.
- What does Neftchi need to change in the second match to reach the final?
- If we want to reach the final, we need to play better and create more goal-scoring opportunities. In the first match, we didn’t have many chances to score. We only created dangerous situations after corner kicks, two or three times. That’s not enough for Neftchi.
- How realistic is it for Neftchi to change the situation in the second match with the football shown in the first one?
- With this kind of performance, we have zero chance of reaching the final. If we want to qualify for the decisive match, we need to play differently. It can’t be like this. We need to play as we did against Qarabag and Zira. If we can’t score, how will we reach the final?
- It was unexpected for you to take the penalty in the match against Sabah...
- Normally, the penalty is taken by Emin Mahmudov or Filip Ozobic. They weren’t on the field, so I took the responsibility. I missed the first attempt, but when you really want something, God gives you a second chance.
- After scoring, you raised a special shirt. Does this mean you had prepared in advance to score?
- Before the match, we wore special shirts in honor of World Autism Awareness Day. You know this is a special matter for me because my child also suffers from autism. Yes, I was emotional. That’s why I really wanted to score. After scoring, I showed the shirt, and it was related to that. I was fighting for them.
Idman.biz
