Mario Carević couldn't have been more honest: 'We fell short, and we're a mystery to ourselves'
Gorica coach admits poor performance after 2-0 home loss to Osijek, vows defensive stability and a better response against Lokomotiva.
Gorica coach admits poor performance after 2-0 home loss to Osijek, vows defensive stability and a better response against Lokomotiva.
Gorica coach Mario Carević didn't hide his disappointment after his team was defeated 2-0 by Osijek in the season opener. In a candid analysis, he admitted they fell short both for themselves and the fans, and that the team is still searching for its true identity.
Gorica opened the match against Osijek disastrously, conceding two early goals that set the tone for the rest of the game. "Unfortunately, we started that first match really poorly. At the season opener, when you don't even know how good you are, instead of building on a positive, we conceded a goal in the seventh minute. And then another in the fourteenth from a penalty...", Carević said for Tportal.
After the shocking start, uncertainty crept into Gorica's play, and they never managed to recover. "After that, uncertainty set in, and we looked the way we looked," the coach added, aware that the performance was nowhere near the desired level.
Aware of the issues that surfaced, Carević revealed what they worked on during the week. "First and foremost, we need to stabilize defensively. It's about certain details where we weren't good, and we emphasized those things during the week. We must not give anything away to opponents, and if we're solid, we can expect a positive result," he stressed.
An additional challenge is the absence of two players. Sule and Erceg were not in the squad for the match against Osijek, and their status for the next round is unknown.
Gorica's next opponent is Lokomotiva, a team that has started the season brilliantly. Carević is aware of the opponent's quality and doesn't underestimate them. "Lokomotiva entered the championship superbly; they've certainly injected themselves with an extra dose of confidence, because that's how it goes when you start the season well. They're a true competitive team, full of experienced players who are genuine competitors, and they're also very good at set pieces, which we'll need to pay special attention to," he analyzed.
Despite everything, optimism hasn't left the Gorica coach. "I truly believe we'll offer a much better performance, and ultimately, a better result," he said.
Carević emphasized that at the start of the season, the team is still a mystery to itself. "It's the beginning of the season, some players are new, we're a mystery to ourselves in the full sense, and the only true picture is the league match. I warned that all the good things from preseason mean little once the championship starts, because that's the real picture," he explained.
The key to the rest of the season, according to him, lies in a mental reset. "We need a good result to fill ourselves with confidence. Now it's a psychological matter, to avoid long-term uncertainty creeping in, but to reset, forget that first match, and start from scratch," Carević concluded. It remains to be seen whether Gorica will show a different face in the next round and live up to their coach's expectations.
