Following the first two games of the European U23s Championships in Paredes, Portugal, Vitor Pereira spoke with the England Roller Hockey Media team to share his thoughts on the team's performance.
Pereira acknowledged the challenges that the team faced in the first game, given their previous tough preparation game with the Portuguese team. However, he praised the players for their excellent availability and tactical rigor, which allowed them to maintain a high pace and demonstrate their quality. He noted that the team focused on rotation during the game to balance the effort of the competition while ensuring harmony and higher quality dynamics throughout the team performance.
Despite the result, Pereira drew positive conclusions from the game, particularly the team's fighting spirit.
Moving on to the second game, Pereira expressed confidence in the team's ability to perform well, and they did not disappoint. Despite facing a more experienced Swiss team with players of greater physical stature, the team showed more possession of the ball and put into practice some new movements. Although they were not able to secure a victory, Pereira was impressed with the team's positive style of play and highlighted their efforts to maintain their intended identity throughout the game.
The team faced accumulated fatigue, which caused them to lower the pace of play, but they maintained their determination to win. A testament to this was a ball that hit the post in the last 7 seconds of the game. Overall, Pereira was pleased with the team's performance and remains optimistic about their prospects for the remainder of the tournament.
