Dante Polvara previewed the Dons SPFL Premiership game on Sunday against Ross County when he spoke to RedTV at Frankfurt airport on Friday morning.
“Waking up the morning after, it was a bittersweet feeling. Of course we were really disappointed to have done all that work and not get anything from the game. We really put in a shift. The tactics were clear and the boys executed them well but we made two mistakes that cost us two goals. It was very unfortunate we were not able to come away with something, especially from a venue like that.
“We played with four in the middle and we knew it would be hard work to key all those quality players at bay, and keep them as far away from Kelle as possible and I thought we did a really good job of limiting the opportunities they had. Really the only chance they had in the first half was from the penalty we gave away. As the game went on, they had the odd nibble here and there but again the only real clear cut opportunity was from the set piece. We did well to be disciplined and to work hard and to make it really difficult for them.
“For me personally, it was nice to finally open my account here and get that pressure off my shoulders.
“Watching the goal back, we had good numbers. When you are defending like that, it is hard at times to get players forward, so we should good commitment and I had Leighton and Nicky running either side of me. We had numbers in the box and thankfully the ball fell to my feet. I could not believe it. It looked like a composed finish! At that exact moment, everything slowed down. I did not expect the ball as it went through a few bodies. The first touch was quite instinctive, but the finish was the slowest thing ever! I knew how big a moment it was in the context of the game.
“I have watched the goal back and it was nice to see it on my friends and family timelines. Also in America they are good at staying on top of that type of media (when it comes to American players playing abroad).
“In a normal game I would like to get more touches of the ball and have more of an impact going forward but defensively I did what I had to do. When you get a goal like that, it gives you that bit of confidence that has maybe been missing from my game for the last few years. I was enjoying the game. They are a very good footballing team, so it is good to play against that. I will also say it was the best stadium I have played at.
“The message was short and sweet in the changing room afterwards. All the focus is now on Sunday. Everything we have done since last night has been about preparing for Sunday. There were positives to take away from the game, confidence being the biggest factor. When you lose a few games on the bounce it can be tough, especially when you have a young squad. I think last night will give us a lot of confidence going forward and I believe domestically we can start putting three point on the board consistently.
“The Thursday – Sunday thing, the reason it is tough is because it takes a while to get to sleep after a game like that. But you have to get your rest in when you can, you have to hydrate. There is no time to relax or sit back and reflect. You are only a couple of days out from kick off. It takes a while to get used to it, but we have players who have done it in other leagues and all the boys are adjusting to it now. It is also why we have so much depth in the squad so guys can come in to freshen the team up and give us a boost whilst we have others who can come off the bench and provide quality.
“We have two must win games coming up against Ross County.
“They are two massive games, there is no doubt about that. We need to get the league campaign going and in the cup game, this club needs to be competing for trophies and getting to semi-finals. It is a big opportunity and we need to take care of business this week, starting on Sunday.”
“Finally, Dante spoke about the new contract he signed last week.
“I was very pleased to get the deal sorted. Since I came back from the loan spell at Charleston, I did not really know what to expect. But the message was clear from the manager before I headed back to the States – he wanted me here so I returned feeling positive, I had a positive attitude and wanted to see what would happen. I gave it everything I had. The fact the manager backed me and had confidence in me, it did a lot for my own confidence. That is one of the biggest factors in football. I am looking forward to what is next.
“I feel very much at home in Aberdeen. I have a very good relationship with everyone at the club and I am more settled. I feel happy and feel more settled. The goal will lift all the extra pressure I had on myself and I feel more comfortable in the team.”
