BY SHOREYANN RAGOSO
In the open match at the National Stadium in Honiara, the CommBanks Joeys dominated their open match against the Solomon Islands men U-19, securing a hard fought win with skills, speed, and unbreakable team spirit.
Led by their star players, the Joeys turned defense into impressive attacks thrilling the home crowd and marking a memorable victory for Australian football in Honiara with a 5-2 win.
CommBank Joeys Head Coach Carl Veart speaks to Raw Sports about the joy and strong team performance in their opening match victory.
‘’It was a little bit patchy in moments to the game, lost a little bit of control but that was due to the pressure from the Solomon’s team. They put us under a lot of pressure, so yeah it was a good test for our boys,’’ says the Head Coach.
The Head Coach Mr Veart talked about the big moments that won the game.
‘’when we kept the ball and we kept moving the ball and we find our passes, which allowed to get in behind and create those opportunities, I think that was the key for us.’’
Mr Veart than continue to stress the importance of their preparedness and training routines for this specific game.
‘’Yeah, look, we’ve been on seven, eight days now of training and that, so we’re just preparing how we normally would with our teams, getting them to understand our playing style and implementing it in matches, which they did well in parts tonight.’’
It was a good game and a real challenge tonight, with Solomon Islands showcasing some truly talented players. Overall it was an exciting match from start to finish mentioned Head Coach for CommBanks Joeys.
‘’Yeah, it’s been good. You know, Solomon’s tonight were very good and very direct. They had some really good players in the middle of the park, so it was a very good challenge. You know, the score line could have been a little bit different, so look, it was a very good game.’’
Head Coach for the Joeys mentioned some key adjustments during the game, especially in those crucial moments.
‘’ Look, it was just more about us sticking to how we want to play and just reminding the players that, you know, at times, because of the pressure, they played a little bit too fast and just try and keep control of the game a bit more.’’
Mr Veart also highlight that winning this match is crucial for the teams development and morale. It’s also key to building our football style and the way we want to play.
‘’ Yeah, look, wins are always nice, but you know, we’re still building our football, how we want to play. So look, yes, it’s always nice to win every time you play football, but at the moment we’re more focused on our playing style and getting our principles and how we want to play correct.’’
Head coach Carl Veart sharing a heartfelt message with supporters and fans following the tough result.
‘’ Yeah, look, you know, I think Solomon’s crowd tonight was excellent and they supported their side very well and that’s just all you can ask and that’s, you know, all we want from our supporters as well’’.
He then wrapped up the interview with next steps for his team to prepare them before their next game on Saturday at the National Stadium.
‘’Yeah, look, we have three days now and then we play again on Saturday night. So it’s just about making sure the players recover well from this game and then just work on a few things that we need to improve on from this game for the next game’’ concluded Joeys Head Coach.
