Our team captain Daniels Balodis has begun this season on a high note. Two goals in four Virsliga games. During the national team break, he went to showcase himself to the new national team coach Paolo Nicolato. In an exhibition game against Cyprus Balo managed to play in the starting eleven, which was his 10th match in the national team.
How would you rate the start of the season for Valmiera FC?
We have started well. Three points in almost all the games which is the most important thing. We have shown that we can win strong opponents. In the last game against Auda, we couldn’t manage to get three points but the season is very long and we still have many matches ahead of us. I think that we weren’t ready for it mentally because the match against Riga FC took a lot of emotions and we had to switch rapidly. We didn’t manage to do that but instead learned a valuable lesson. This battle has to be put in the history corner and we have to continue working so that we can fight for a positive outcome at the end of the season.
Not only the team but also the fans have shown quality performance, how do you feel about their support?
The first home game of the season was unbelievable. So many fans, and huge support – I hope that every match at Valmiera Olympic Center will be like that. The atmosphere was fantastic, the game itself was just the way we all expected, I hope that we will be able to enjoy many more of them.
Two goals at the beginning stages of the season – how have you managed to do it?
It is hard to say, I’m unsure how that happened. I think that I have found myself in the right place at the right time. I’m simply looking for the ball and when I find it, I deliver it to the goal.
During the international break you traveled to Cyprus and joined the national team – what are your first impressions of the new coach?
I can instantly say that everything is good. These changes have brought us positive energy, the coach is interested in achieving big things with us, things that we all want to achieve. Nicolato is demanding but he has trust in us and that is important. The main tasks in the camp were to showcase ourselves from the best side for the coach to understand what kind of players we are, and what we are capable of on the pitch. I believe it is important to understand our chemistry, and how it is built. He gave everyone a chance and emphasized that – we had to play confidently and prove what we were capable of.
How do you see the model of the national team? The core has been kept but do you feel potential changes are coming? For example – could the squad get younger?
Our current core is rather strong, we know each other very well. The coach already emphasized that this time he called up these players but that could also quickly change – the best players will be playing and that is self-explanatory, this is the Latvian national team after all. You have to be in good physical condition and only those who will prove themselves will get to play. We are competing against each other but at the same time we support the group, we are a team.
This camp was longer than previously – what was the daily schedule?
This time around it felt like a real training camp. We worked a lot on the pitch and learned tactical nuances. We had a lot of short theory meetings, they were about specific things so that we don’t have to soak in too much information at once. We did a lot, we learned a lot, and even physically there was a big difference. There still was plenty to digest.
You spent 45 minutes on the pitch against Cyprus, was that the plan, or just a coincidence?
I honestly don’t know if that was the plan that I would play only a half. We often hear that we don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes I don’t think that I was substituted for a specific reason. Everybody got to play. The coach did talk to us individually, gave some tips and pointers as well as his assistants spoke about specific things. Nicolato is always next to us, he follows all the processes and gives his advice on what we have to improve.
Can you tell us what is the work language?
We speak in football terms, so we understand what the coach is willing to say. He also speaks English, and if there is something complicated it goes through his staff, I don’t even think that there is a problem with that. We know what the coaches want from us. Again – everything is specific so that there are no misunderstandings.
What are the differences between the new style? How much time will the team need to adapt?
The tactics are different so it will take time to adapt but we built a really good foundation. We understand the schemes, we know what we have to do. In the summer we have the Baltic Cup where we will be able to put the right dots on the most important things, and we have time to polish the details. However, I have to say that in football time is very relative and you have to be able to adapt quickly. That is the specific thing about this game, but we are moving ahead well. It is important to play safely and to find the right episodes on the pitch when we can do certain things. A nuance that we pay attention to, for example, is the distance between the players, we are focusing on that as well as many other things.
The first serious test will be the Nations League Latvia was drawn into a perspective group, how do you see this situation?
I think that we have to set a goal – to fight for the first place in the group. We have to look up and be positive, only then we will be able to battle for something. We thoughts like these we have to play, we have to be sure about ourselves and then the results will come.
