Garcia: Hajduk must break the six-year winless streak away from home
Hajduk's coach is aware of the gravity of the situation ahead of the visit to Žalgiris, and Rokas Pukštas has a special motive to prove himself in his native Lithuania
Hajduk's coach is aware of the gravity of the situation ahead of the visit to Žalgiris, and Rokas Pukštas has a special motive to prove himself in his native Lithuania
Hajduk finds itself in a situation where it can no longer afford a misstep. After two consecutive defeats, Gonzalo Garcia's team visits Žalgiris in Vilnius, and the match carries a huge imperative for victory. The Lithuanian club, led from the bench by former Hajduk players Marko Capan and Pero Bosančić, entered the tie forcefully, scoring seven goals in the return leg against Dinamo Tbilisi, which is a clear warning sign for the Split camp.
Garcia spoke openly at the press conference about the issue plaguing his team. "It doesn't matter how you lost; at Hajduk, it's loud as soon as you don't win one. That's why it's important for us to be right and fully ready against Žalgiris. We want the win," said the coach of the Whites, before addressing the alarming statistic. "Hajduk hasn't celebrated away from home in six years, and we have to change that. At home, we have support and the wind at our backs, and I don't know what happens on the road. It's more a matter of the head and mentality. That history bothers us... Then we lose in the league and we're not good. We were tired in Varaždin."
Hajduk's last away triumph dates back to the match against Renova in Macedonia, where Mijo Caktaš was the scorer. Garcia believes that rest is not a decisive factor. "It has an impact, but not too much in my opinion. When you're a player, you want to play always and attack every time. If you think about it too much and if you're weak in the head, then you look for excuses. We must never be slow. We have quality and players who want to win," he added.
Asked how he sees the opponent, Garcia did not mince words. "I told Pukštas that I like them and I like that atmosphere. When you come out with positive energy, miracles happen, and when you're full of negativity, crap happens," the Hajduk coach stated directly. He also commented on Dinamo's high 5-goal victory against Kauno Žalgiris, but he does not want comparisons. "It's just the beginning. Dinamo dominated, but we are different clubs. It's hard to compete against them and compare those two things. I saw the first two goals. Dinamo was constantly in the opponent's box, and then those 5 goals happened."
This will be a special clash for Rokas Pukštas, who returns to Lithuania, the country of his childhood. "I'm glad to be back in Lithuania, where I was as a child. We just need energy, I'm really excited," said Hajduk's American midfielder. He also revealed that his father is a big Žalgiris fan and that his relatives will be watching from the stands. "My cousins, grandparents will be watching; that's already enough motivation for me. We need to have much more energy than in previous matches."
Pukštas dismissed the possibility of playing for the Lithuanian national team, stating that only Hajduk is on his mind. He also commented on his friendship with Marko Capan, Žalgiris's coach, whom he called a "great worker" and one of the first people to welcome him in Split. "We're constantly in touch," concluded Pukštas.
