Kaunas District’s FC Hegelmann held their final pre-match training session yesterday at Raudondvaris Stadium, where they will face Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Athletic FC in the return leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers today, July 17.
Head coach Andrius Skerla and team captain Klaudijus Upstas shared their thoughts on the team’s preparation, reflected on last week’s match in Ireland, and emphasized the significance of this upcoming encounter.
“Before the match, of course, we were thinking only about winning,” said Upstas, recalling the first leg in Dublin. “But after sitting down, calmly analyzing the game and watching it again, we realized that bringing home a 0-1 result isn’t the worst outcome. It could have been worse. The match was goalless until the 80th minute, and then we conceded a penalty. That moment could have changed everything. From a performance perspective, though, 0-1 is actually a manageable result.”
Upstas also underscored the weight of the occasion and what’s at stake for the players.
“We all understand how important this game is. Some players, with a good performance, could even open doors to bigger career opportunities. I don’t need to prepare any motivational speeches, everyone knows how huge this match is.”
Coach Andrius Skerla noted that the break between matches provided a valuable opportunity to recover and prepare thoroughly for the decisive second leg.
“We had time to rest, recover, and get ready for this next match. I strongly believe the game at home will be very different. We’ve done our analysis, we know where our weaknesses are, where we’re too slow, and where the opponent poses the greatest threats. We’ll do our best to neutralize those areas,” said Skerla.
With a one-goal deficit and home support behind them, FC Hegelmann will be looking to overturn the score and advance in the UEFA Conference League. All eyes will be today on Raudondvaris.
Source: https://fchegelmann.com/andrius-skerla-ir-klaudijus-upstas-raudondvaryje-tikisi-visiskai-kitokio-rungtyniu-scenarijaus-nei-airijoje/
