Republic of Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson expressed satisfaction with the character his team showed after conceding the first goal and making a turnaround to reach the final success in the first playoff match against Bulgaria in the UEFA Nations League tournament, BTA reported.
The Irish won 2:1, managing to make a turnaround from an early deficit in the 5th minute.
"We analyzed the Bulgarian team. We knew what they had. Of course, it was a bit shocking that they scored from their first attack. They are a good team. That's why I'm happy with the reaction we showed after we found ourselves in the role of catchers and controlled the game until the end of the first half. I don't agree that we scored after mistakes in the opponent's defense. In the second half we gave the initiative to the opponent, and that shouldn't have happened. We need to correct that for the second leg," commented the Republic of Ireland coach after the match.
"We performed well as a team. If I have to single out someone, it's Matt Doherty. I'm happy with everyone. They showed that they deserve to be part of the national team. If you look back, we didn't make many turns. That's why I'm very happy with the character we showed. Our plan was to press, which we did in the first half, but in the second half we were more passive," said Hallgrimsson.
The second leg between the two teams is on Sunday in Dublin. The winner of the clash will play in League B in the new edition of the Nations League, while the loser remains in League C.