Following a one-sided defeat in Pilsen 11 days earlier, the AAU Football Club defeated LFP International 5-1 on Nov. 22 in a friendly.
Despite the pressure to secure a win, AAU came out of the gate swinging from the first kickoff and played like a whole new team, scoring two quick goals in the first early minutes. The boost of confidence was palpable all game, and the team looked much more in sync and comfortable from start to finish.
“We learned a lot from the last game, and we played our style of football this time from the first minute,” club president Matt Saks said. “We celebrated the two [early] goals but had the right mentality, we just wanted to play like it was 0-0 the entire game.”
While LFP managed some promising attacks, AAU’s defence remained consistently staunch, causing the opposition trouble with converting chances. None of their threats came to fruition, and AAU entered halftime still holding the 2-0 cushion.
LFP briefly prevented AAU from sitting in a comfortable lead following an early goal after the break. However, the away side quickly gained back momentum with a relentless attack that added three more goals in a commanding second half performance.
“There will be times when we mess up, but our team did such a good job on staying calm,” Saks said. “We can carry this over for the rest of the season.”
The team clearly played this game with some fresh confidence and motivation, playing at a high intensity through the icy weather.
“The mindset of the team was way calmer and relaxed, and this played a big factor,” team captain Kurt Schemm said. “We played together for a change, we controlled the ball, controlled our pressure on them and were clinical in the box.”
Alex Aardoom led the scoring for AAU, recording a hat trick, and Baktiyar Kadyrkhanov and Tristan Pichereau added a goal each. However, the team saw contributions and chemistry from everybody on the pitch in what can only be described as a complete team effort.
While the match was a friendly, it will bring huge confidence to the team as they move forward with future matches. Saks also gave thanks to the fans who’ve continued to support the team passionately.
AAU Football will hit the pitch again tomorrow in Pilsen, for a rematch with the same team.
“Despite the win, we expect this game to be tough, as Pilsen is a tough place to play with their fans and [they’ll be] seeking retaliation,” Saks said. “We look forward to another great battle with them.”
For now though, the team can enjoy this win and use the momentum to drive their preparations for the remaining season ahead.
