Perković: “We Didn’t Lose. A 2-2 Draw With Sion Is Not a Defeat”

Noah head coach Sandro Perković commented on the 2-2 draw against Swiss side Sion in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round.

The Armenian side took the lead twice through goals from Hélder Ferreira and Gor Manvelyan and played with a numerical advantage from the 26th minute following the dismissal of Sion defender Nias Hefti. However, Sion managed to equalize in the second half, after which Noah were also reduced to ten men when Stone Mambo was shown a red card.

After the match, Perković acknowledged the strength of the opposition, admitted that his team had made mistakes, and stressed that the tie remains wide open.

Sandro Perković’s Press Conference After Noah 2-2 Sion

Sandro Perković’s Opening Statement

— In my opinion, it was a wonderful European night in Abovyan. We started the match very aggressively and controlled the game. We scored early, and even after conceding, we continued to control the match and soon scored our second goal.

After our opponents had a player sent off, the game should have become easier for us, but we started making the wrong decisions in midfield and playing more slowly. Perhaps the situations that led to the goals we conceded and our own red card showed that we were too naive in certain moments.

At the same time, we have to take into account the quality of the opposition and the individual ability of their players. When you lose concentration for even a second against a team like this, you get punished.

The tie is level now. We will go to Switzerland, try to produce our best performance, and see where that takes us.

— What can you say about David Sualehe’s performance? The opposition often created danger down his flank.

— Yes, one of the goals we conceded came after his mistake. But at the same time, I would point out that he was very effective going forward on the flank. His combinations with Marin Jakoliš led to several dangerous situations. Sualehe is very good in attack.

At the same time, Sion have very high-quality players, so you cannot reduce everything to the mistake of one player. It is a collective responsibility.

— Your team played with a man advantage for around 45 minutes. What were you trying to do to extend the lead, and why did it not work?

— We have to acknowledge that Sion play in a strong league and have very high-quality and expensive players. I think we played a good match against an opponent of this level.

At this level, you get punished for every mistake. We made several serious tactical errors and did not take enough care of the ball. After the opposition went down to ten men, we started playing more slowly, when in fact we should have increased the tempo even more.

When they were a man down, Sion switched to a 4-4-1 formation, and it became difficult for us to break down their defense. We need to be better and more decisive in the final phase of our attacks.

— It seemed that Marin Jakoliš did not have his best game today and looked less effective than Marko Lazetić, yet you substituted Lazetić. Why did Jakoliš remain on the pitch until the end?

— I do not agree with you. I think Jakoliš had an excellent game and helped us a lot.

Mario González picked up an injury before the match, so we did not have many options in attack. In addition, Hovhannes Hambardzumyan was injured, which forced us into a substitution. Then, in the second half, after the red card, we had to make another change. In the end, we were left with almost no substitution options.

When we made our final substitution, I saw no reason to take off either Jakoliš or Takuto Oshima. In my opinion, they were playing well. Of course, there are things we need to work on, but we also have to take the level of the opposition into account.

— Noah pressed very aggressively at the start of the match, but after scoring twice and the opposition going down to ten men, the team dropped the tempo. Was that part of the plan?

— You cannot plan for a red card or influence whether it happens. But we did indeed plan to start the match very aggressively and apply a high press. We had a specific plan, and it worked.

Strangely enough, after the opposition went down to ten men, the game became more difficult for us tactically. In the end, we were punished for the mistakes we made. It is what it is.

— Noah often use crosses from the flanks. But when Hambardzumyan, who delivers the ball well, is not on the pitch, and Mulahusejnović, who was effective in the air, is no longer in the squad, do you not feel that this approach becomes less effective?

— We work not only on crossing but on every other aspect of our attacking play as well. I do not think the problem is specifically with the crosses.

The wind also had a major impact on the quality of our passing today. We had seven or eight potentially dangerous attacks in which the wind carried the ball out of play. Of course, we would like to make fewer mistakes in attack.

— What did you tell the players at half-time?

— I told them that after the opposition went down to ten men, we slowed the game down too much. We needed to step up in the duels so that we could control the ball better, move it faster, and win it back more aggressively after losing possession.

I told them some other things as well, but those will remain between me and the team.

— Why is the team unable to maintain the same tempo and level of performance throughout the entire match?

— I do not think that is the case. Perhaps you do not fully realize just how strong our opponents are and how difficult it was to play against them. We faced a very strong team, and I am satisfied with our performance.

— How ready is Kalifala Doumbia to compete with Marko Lazetić and Mario González for a place in the team?

— That depends entirely on him. He played against Syunik, and we analyzed that match. There are still many areas in which he needs to improve.

If you watched that game, he played reasonably well. But we need more than just reasonable. He is still a young player and needs to adapt to the club and to a new level.

Competition at Noah is somewhat different from what it is at teams in the lower part of the league table. He needs a little time, and I am sure he will be very useful to us. But how much playing time he gets depends entirely on him.

— What can you say about Gustavo Sangaré’s performance? It seemed that he was one of the best players on the pitch. And a second question: whenever the opposition increased the tempo, Noah had serious problems. How do you plan to deal with that in the return leg?

— I agree with you about Sangaré. He was fantastic. I think it was his best match for the club. At the same time, I believe he is capable of playing even better.

Against teams like this, you can defend in a low block, but we decided to try a high press. We have to remember that we were facing an excellent team with a good coach, representing a league where matches are played at a very high intensity. According to some data, it is the second-most intense league in the world. That has to be respected.

As for the return leg, we will think about it after the match against Shirak. First, we have a difficult away league game ahead of us, and we need to prepare well for that too. Afterward, we will begin our direct preparations for the second leg against Sion.

— After a match like this, a draw can almost feel like a defeat. Do you agree?

— No, of course not. We did not lose. We drew 2-2 with Sion. That is not a defeat.

— You have spoken a lot about Sion’s strength. But if you get past them and face Ajax, what will you say about the opposition then?

— I will not say anything different from what I said before the matches against AZ Alkmaar.

— You have been playing in Abovyan for many years and know the local conditions well. Why does the wind still have such a major impact on the team’s play?

— The wind was genuinely very strong today and kept changing direction. It was practically impossible to predict. That did indeed lead to mistakes on our part.

— Would it be fair to say that you, as the head coach, also made mistakes in this match?

— I select the lineup and determine the tactics, so all the responsibility lies with me. When the team wins, all the credit goes to the players. When we lose or play badly, the head coach is responsible. So yes, the responsibility is mine.

But once again, I would like to remind everyone what kind of team we were playing against today.

— You talk about Sion’s strength, but they are still not a top team. At the same time, Noah also had problems in the matches against the weaker Zimbru.

— I completely disagree with you, although you are entitled to your opinion. Sion are a very strong team from a very strong league.

As for Zimbru, we completely controlled both matches. They also had a decent squad. In European competition, it is difficult to play against any opponent.

I have already said that I take full responsibility for the team’s performances. But at the same time, we are now unbeaten in 23 consecutive matches, we have won the domestic Cup and Super Cup. We became the first Armenian team to reach the knockout phase of a European competition. We beat the domestic champion  Ararat-Armenia 4-0.

If you think all of that is still not good enough, then the responsibility for that lies with me as well.

— What is the current condition of the injured players?

— It is still too early to draw any conclusions regarding Hambardzumyan. He was injured in a challenge when an opponent caught him on the leg. We need to carry out tests and determine how serious the injury is.

Mario González faces a fairly lengthy recovery period. He sustained the injury while striking the ball.

As for Sualehe, he also needs to undergo tests, after which we will have a clearer understanding of his condition.

— Are you satisfied with the players who came on as substitutes in defense?

— I am satisfied with all of my players. They did everything they could to win.

— What should we expect from Noah in the return leg?

— When we step onto the pitch, we try not to think about the status of the opposition. Instead, we focus on producing our best possible performance.

Right now, we have a difficult away match against Shirak ahead of us. First, we will prepare for that game, and only after that will we fully turn our attention to the return leg against Sion.

Noah vs Sion video highlights: Four goals and two red cards