Mariusz Jop after #WISODR: We Are Disappointed with the Result

Two goals from Wisła were not enough to defeat Odra Opole in the 9th round of the Betclic 1 Liga. Mariusz Jop summed up the match at the press conference.

“We are definitely disappointed with the result, because when we play at home in front of such fans, we want to win. I think that desire and belief were visible in the team. From my perspective, that’s how it looked. I believe we created quite a lot of chances in both halves. Against such a compact defense it’s not easy. Of course, it was frustrating that the opponent, practically from the 7th minute, tried to delay every play. But we must be ready for that as a team. Other sides will surely try it more often. From a defensive perspective – we conceded goals far too easily. The opponent entered our penalty area just a handful of times throughout the game, yet scored twice. That is certainly something we’re not satisfied with,” assessed Jop.

Plenty of mistakes, confusion, and even more missed opportunities.
“Yes, there were a lot of them. Especially in the second half, sometimes we waited too long to make a decision, and the pass was blocked. I don’t know if it’s a matter of concentration. I think it’s about wanting to speed up the play a bit, and in simple situations we acted too nervously. Of course, those individual errors in build-up, the cheap turnovers, gave the opponent time to rest. From our team’s perspective, there were definitely too many of those moments in this match,” he said.

The introduction of Kacper Duda after the break sped up Wisła’s play. “Yes. If the opponent defends deep, we want to play quickly, with one or two touches. It doesn’t always work out. We must also remember that in the first half the opponent has more strength, works harder, plays more aggressively, shifts faster. Then it’s harder to do that, which is why patience is so important. We know that if the rival spends most of the time defending, there will come a point in the second half, or the later stages of the game, when they simply run out of energy, and we will be able to create more chances. It’s quite natural that in those first halves, teams that play this way and take time over every throw-in, every goal-kick, seek fouls to catch their breath – they do it effectively, and I think it’s fairly normal.”

You made only two substitutions – why?
“I thought those who were on the pitch looked good enough that there was no need to change them,” he replied briefly.

We didn’t see Marko Bozić in the squad – why? “Injury,” he said.

The missed one-on-one by Frederico Duarte will surely be remembered. Had he scored, Wisła could have taken all three points? “This time he didn’t finish it, but apart from that he had other good moments. Let me remind you, the corner kick that led to our goal came because Duarte fought for the ball with a backheel that won us the set piece. He’s a player who always gives everything. He has a lot of energy, works hard for the team, so of course he won’t always be clinical. That was a great chance to score, but he didn’t take it – he tried. Sometimes it happens that the goalkeeper makes a very good save too.”

A second match in a row without a win. Are the ‘demons of the past’ back?
“I think it’s far too early to draw such conclusions. Obviously, we won’t win every game. For me, what matters is that the team worked really hard to create chances and try to win. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. We’re disappointed with the result because we want to win. But we must accept that today we dropped points. The next game ahead of us is a chance to take another three, and that’s what we’ll focus on now.”

Maciej Kuziemka did not finish the match on the pitch. Why? “Maciej was suffering from cramps and it was difficult for him to continue. That’s why he was substituted,” Jop concluded.