U19 Cup Match APOEL vs THOI
Final Score: APOEL 4 - 1 THOI
A rainy day and a good grass pitch set the scene for match-day against one of the best u19 teams in the country of Cyprus, playing in the first round of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd division cup competition.
A summary of the match
An even opening 10 minutes, with APOEL having the majority of possession, this trend would continue through the match. We (Thoi) held our weight and opened the scoring in the 10th minute. The match was even with each team having chances to score. In the 30th minute, my pairing centre-back was injured, a blow for the team. We then conceded 3 minutes later but were able to hold out the 1-1 scoreline until half-time.
The second half didn’t start well as we went down 2-1 in the 52nd minute. The game was back-and-fourth from thereon out and the score was 2-1 until the 90th minute where APOEL scored 2 late daggers in extra-time to seal their win and place in the next stage.
Team and personal performance
Overall I am happy with my performance and believe I did well. It was an interesting task playing against a high-quality team with a team of more unexperienced players for the most part. However, we hit above our weight and performed very well and I’m very proud of how we played and the dignity we can hold doing so.
Having played some u19 top division in Cyprus, the match was not as difficult as I envisioned and I attribute that to my improvement as a player and being in a first-team setting. I played well, but I wasn’t that one-step quicker and ahead during a few moments in the match which is something I’ve taken note of. I believe that has to do with reaction time, sharpness and also improving my physical stance, starting at a lower position where I am ready to explode rather than bending down then coming back up to get power.
Aside from that, I led from the back as I was expected to do, helped my teammates, won my aerial battles and did what I could to try and get the best result possible, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Highlights coming soon…
