Latvian national team head coach Paolo Nicolato gave a frank assessment of his side’s performance following their 2-2 draw with Andorra, speaking openly about both frustrations and positives from the match.
“It was a strange game from the very beginning,” Nicolato said in the post-match press conference. “The first half was technically poor. Yes, the wind made it difficult, but that can’t be an excuse – we have to play cleaner football. In the second half, we changed the rhythm, controlled the ball, and created real chances to score.”
The Italian coach admitted that fine margins continue to work against his team. “We’ve hit the post three times in six games, missed a penalty, and had shots cleared off the line. Of course, there are individual mistakes, but luck hasn’t been on our side either. Honestly, we deserved more from this match.”
This was the third straight game this autumn in which Latvia looked stronger after the break than in the opening 45 minutes – a pattern Nicolato knows must be addressed. “We need to figure out why we don’t play at full intensity from the start,” he said. “Some players aren’t getting enough minutes at their clubs, which doesn’t help. But in international football, you have to be ready from the first whistle.”
Despite having more possession overall, Latvia didn’t dominate the chance count. “It’s not just about having the ball,” Nicolato explained. “We need to turn that control into goals. The goals we conceded were far too easy – both came from tactical mistakes and slow reactions. At this level, that gets punished.”
Still, Nicolato saw clear improvements after halftime. “We played better football in the second half – more combinations, more pressure, more opportunities,” he said. “Sometimes the luck just isn’t there, but we have to keep creating chances. My frustration is with the way we started: too many sloppy passes that disrupted everything – transitions, positioning, intensity. That’s something we must fix.”
Source: https://lff.lv/zinas/18555/p-nikolato-jabut-konkuretspejigiem-jau-no-pirmas-minutes/
