What did Pedru Moreyra say after the historic victory over "Al Hilol"?

After the match between "Pakhtakor" and "Al Hilol" (1:0) in the Elite ACL quarter-finals, the "Lions" head coach Pedru Moreyra and midfielder Abdurauf Boriyev participated in a press conference.

"As I mentioned yesterday, it was a tough match. Today we managed to show a disciplined game against a very strong team. 'Al Hilol' was expected to have more ball possession than us. There was curiosity about whether we would play defensive football yesterday. Today you saw how we aimed to play. We focused all our attention on organizing the game correctly. Our players performed very well today. We tried to pay more attention to defense and catch the opponent in open zones. We spent the first 30 minutes in a 'fantastic' manner. Now we have a match waiting for us in Riyadh. The away match will definitely be tougher than today. I thank the players and spoke with them in the dressing room. We will start preparing for the next match," said Pedru Moreyra.

"Despite the cold weather, I want to thank the fans who supported us. The opponent was one of the strongest teams in Asia. We achieved this result thanks to our coach's tactics, but the fight is not over yet. Now we need to prepare for the next game," Abdurauf Boriyev said about today's match.

- Congratulations on today's victory. Your team has another week to prepare for the next match. What are your thoughts on the away match? 'Al Hilol' will be in a comfortable situation in Riyadh. Based on today's match, what else can you change?

- First, let's enjoy today's victory (smiles). Then we will think about the away match. Today my players did not allow the opponent to score with their actions. This field might have created discomfort for the opponent, but we also played football on the same field. We created 3-4 good situations. Our opponent had more chances than us, but they couldn't score today. Therefore, I have a positive opinion about my team's current state. The away match will also be tough. A stadium filled with big fans and a completely different atmosphere from today. I am grateful to our fans who did not leave us alone in such weather. It is very pleasant to participate in games in Tashkent because there is a 'fantastic' atmosphere here.

- Can you talk about the situation of Bryan Riaskos?
- We substituted Riaskos based on the game. He might have been tired in some situations or not participated well in pressing. This decision was made based on the situation in the game.

- Yesterday, a question about O'rinboev at the pre-match press conference caused quite a stir on social media. Can we expect to see O'rinboev on the field in the upcoming matches?

- We need to talk about the players on the field, in my opinion. They deserve it. I choose the best players who deserve to be on the field and currently fit into the starting lineup. This is my decision. I have only worked with O'rinboev for two days. It would be unfair to put a player who has been with the team for such a short time on the field compared to other players. I repeat, O'rinboev needs to fight for his place, and he is capable of proving everything. For me, substituting players is the easiest thing, but we need to rely more on those who fit the team game. Sobirkhojayev did not play today, but Boriyev successfully filled his place. Abdurauf performed very well. I have discussed this with all the players. For example, I agreed on this with Boriyev, who is sitting next to me, from the first day. Every player needs to fight for their place.

Question to Abdurauf Boriyev
- Abdurauf, in your opinion, in which aspect of today's match did "Pakhtakor" have the advantage over the opponent?

- If we exclude the last 5-10 minutes, we did not fall behind the opponent throughout the entire match. It might have seemed like we were playing to hold the score in the last minutes. The opponent pressed at the end of the game. They attacked with long passes to the forwards and wing passes. We hardly gave them any chances, and that is why I think we achieved a good result.

- You mentioned that "Pakhtakor" is striving to reach its best level of play. When do you think "Pakhtakor" will be in its best sporting form? Also, could you evaluate the game your team displayed today? For example, on a ten-point scale, how would you rate today's game?

- Today's match was only our third official match. We have developed a strategy with the coaching staff. We need to implement our ideas. I am satisfied with the game we are currently displaying. If we think about the first three matches, my impressions are positive. Today we did not play against an ordinary team. We did not give the opponent any chances in the early minutes. We really wanted to reach this stage. You know, we will not participate in the ACL next season. Our goal is to return to this competition as soon as possible.

Uzbek football is a developing country. When I received an offer from "Pakhtakor," I had studied your country's football. There are many young and talented footballers in Uzbekistan. I have said this before. I wish your national team success in qualifying for the World Cup. I want my efforts to benefit Uzbek football. I will try to contribute my small part to Uzbekistan's national team in its quest to qualify for the World Cup, and if I can accomplish this task, I will be happy.

Source: championat.asia