By defeating regional rivals Sepsi OSK, our U15 Liga Elitelor team finished top of their group and will now prepare for the play-off stage. Head coach Zoltán Fogarasi summed up the end of the regular season.

By defeating regional rivals Sepsi OSK, our U15 Liga Elitelor team finished top of their group and will now prepare for the play-off stage. Head coach Zoltán Fogarasi summed up the end of the regular season.

For us, the match had “only” one stake – with a win and a favourable result in Petrolul’s game, we could finish first in the group. For our opponents, however, the stakes were higher, as even a draw would have guaranteed them a play-off spot. As expected, both teams started the game with great intensity. We dominated possession, but for a long time we struggled to create chances against a very solid defensive side. Sepsi, on the other hand, couldn’t really threaten us either, as our team defending worked excellently. We didn’t allow them space to build up, and their long balls behind our back line were easily dealt with.

It was already clear by half-time that whoever scored first would likely win. We began the second half with energy, maintained our possession advantage, and created several dangerous attacks. Two well-worked crosses from the wings led to two goals, giving us a decisive lead that Sepsi could not recover from. Apart from one big chance, they didn’t really threaten our goal.

Overall, I can say we fully deserved the win, which secured first place in the group. I’m especially pleased that we’ve kept five clean sheets in our last six games and scored the most goals in the group – proof of our attacking efficiency. The number of goals conceded is also acceptable, averaging one per game, which is a solid record for such a young team.

We now have two weeks to prepare tactically and physically for the next phase, which includes five play-off and three cup matches before December. I’m very proud of the boys — they are developing strong characters, and the results of our joint work over the past three months are increasingly visible in our play. I’m also satisfied with the attitude and contribution of the players who joined from the older age group, as they’ve always added value to the team. Congratulations to the team for finishing the regular season in first place — now we look forward to the challenges ahead.

R. A.