Simon Zamet admits a penalty shoot-out defeat against hosts Germany left him and his squad feeling devastated.
August 4, 2015 23:52EUROPEAN MACCABI GAMES U18 FOOTBALL FINAL
GB 2 GERMANY 2 (AET – GERMANY WON 4-2 ON PENALTIES)
Simon Zamet admits a penalty shoot-out defeat against hosts Germany left him and his squad feeling devastated.
GB were the better team for long periods but after taking the lead twice, they were unable to keep Germany out before bowing out in the cruellest of fashions.
Top-scorer Adam Burchell had put GB ahead from the penalty spot – his seventh goal of the competition – midway through the first half, but the hosts levelled on the stroke of half-time with a header from a corner.
Oli Goodman restored GB’s advantage moments later with a peach of a free-kick into the top corner.
GB were comfortable and if any team looked like scoring again it was them, but they were hit by another sucker punch when the referee awarded a penalty following a shove in the area. GB keeper Jack Christie saved the resultant spot-kick but he could do nothing about the rebound as the Germans levelled the scores.
Christie was hampered by a tight hamstring in the closing stages, but he continued to impress and play through the pain barrier.
Things went from bad to worse for GB when Josh Davis saw red and they were forced to play the final few minutes and extra-time a man down.
Burchell was denied by the keeper two minutes into extra-time but, on a boiling hot day, both teams eventually settled for penalties. Germany converted all four attempts, with GB missing three. Adam Ellis was their only scorer.
Co-boss Simon Zamet told JC Sport: “Today was our best performance of the competition and I’m absolutely devastated having led twice, but we let them back in.
"We changed our formation today because of our previous performances and went in 4-2-3-1 to press them higher up the pitch. We absolutely bossed it and were quality in the first half. Our lead was merited.
"At 2-1 we were in total control but Josh’s red card was justified.
"We had no doubt when it went to extra-time that we could take it to penalties, we were always in control.”
Zamet was angered by the antics of a German official who tried to put off GB’s first penalty-taker in the shoot-out. GB asked for a retake, but the decision fell upon deaf ears.
He said: “We had lots of newcomers, an unbelievable group who frankly deserved gold. We’ve had an incredible journey and I’m proud of them all."
Joint-manager Adam Klein told JC Sport: "Despite the result, we couldn’t be prouder of what the boys achieved both on and off the pitch. The team spirit amongst the group was something quite unique and an experience they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.
"It was sickening to lose the final the way we did but, given the opposition, as soon as it went to penalties the outcome was inevitable."
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