The head coach of Montenegro, Faruk Hadžibegić, praised the players he gave a chance against Latvia in the friendly match, which ended 1:1, and was played in extremely difficult conditions - heavy rain and a bad pitch.
With a goal by debutant Igor Ivanovic in the 91st minute, the combined selection, made up mostly of players from domestic clubs, reached a draw.
"I have to praise the boys, they played in very difficult conditions and gave their best. It was not only the rain that caused us problems, but also the opponent who played in a way that did not suit us, especially in the first half. It seems to me that Latvia adapted better to this situation, and we accepted their way of playing. We changed that in the second, and that's why I congratulate the boys. They deserved this draw. I'm glad for them that they equalized, for them it represents great satisfaction and motivation," he said Hadžibegić.
There was no real football, it was not even possible to have a thread in the game, to connect actions...
"We played two different halves. In the first half, we played less, and we accepted their style - long passes and duels. They imposed a duel game in every part of the field, and they have an advantage there because of the physical characteristics of the players. But, all our players are showed the desire, desire and will to play well and to continue to build on what we have done. With a moment of will, they responded perfectly," emphasized the selector.
The state of the field near Gorica can be a concern for Saturday's duel with Azerbaijan...
It may happen that we play under the same conditions against Azerbaijan, and it is up to us to use this experience and try to find a solution to score a goal earlier," said Hadžibegić.
When asked if he has decided which of the players will continue preparations for the next two matches, he answered:
"I have an idea, I have no doubts about my choice, but before we get the results of the new tests for the coronavirus, we cannot say what the decision will be. The choice is wide, everyone showed the right attitude towards the Montenegro jersey tonight".
The presence of the coronavirus in the national team was revealed today...
"I was shocked by the news that Vladimir Jovović tested positive, I was scared. I feel sorry for him. I had plans with him, he is an important part of the group, but we are used to problems and I don't want to complain," said Hadžibegić.
The final preparations for Azerbaijan, which did not have a friendly match, begin tomorrow.
"Perhaps the Azerbaijanis will be fresher because they played less matches, and we played on such a field. In any case, caution will not decrease, we have analyzed them and we know who is coming as our guests. They scored a goal against Luxembourg with one less player, then beat Cyprus . They will come here for three points each. They are physically similar to the Latvians, but they play more," he concluded.
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