Hernán Lozada kept a low profile following Apollon’s 3-1 victory over Anorthosis in the second matchday of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
The Spanish coach appeared satisfied with the “blue-and-whites’” first three points of the season, despite the absences, but emphasized that many aspects of his team’s play need improvement. At the same time, he praised Ozbolt and Rodriguez, who combined flawlessly to get the job done.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On the other hand, Nestor El Maestro expressed disappointment with the result, but said he was pleased with the team’s strong stretches, while taking a dig at the referees, saying that certain calls did not go in “La Señora’s” favor.
Here’s what was said in detail:
Ernán Lozada (Apollon): “An important three points in our first home game; I’m mainly satisfied with the result, which, in the end, is all that matters. With so many players out, four points in two matches is a good start.
On the positive side, I’d note that our forward (Ozbolt) scored, Gary played well, the substitutes made a difference, and Asoro played well in the second half. Our captain was absent from the starting lineup due to gastroenteritis, we’ll probably be without Andreou—I hope not for long—but we’re looking forward to the return of Thomas and Weisbeck; I expect we’ll be at full strength after the league break.
At times we played well, but at other moments I didn’t like how we were playing; we were naive. I’m not blind— I can see that we’re far from last season’s level, but if we consider the new players and the absences, the overall assessment is positive.
Eskritse played well. In the last 10–15 minutes, our performance dipped a bit, but he always has energy, and we appreciate that. I can’t wait for summer to end so we can play the kind of soccer we’re capable of.
I agree with Ozbolt that patience contributed to the result, but I believe we won because we were far better than our opponent, who came out with a different formation than in preseason and last week against AEL. We weren’t effective; we missed key opportunities. We need to improve to compete with the other top teams, but that improvement depends on the return of our injured players.”
Nestor El Maestro (Anorthosis): “We played against a very good team on the road. Still, it was disappointing. The locker room is very quiet. We gave it our all on the field. We showed intensity and passion, and at times we played very well. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side in certain moments. Next week we have an important home game, and we’ll try to be ready.”
On the change in formation: “I don’t speak Greek, and I don’t read the newspapers. That’s not how I decide which formation we’ll play. Next week we have a game against APOEL. My staff and I will analyze the opponent, and we’ll try to prepare the team.”
