08/08/2026 | REACTION | Jan Strýhal

HEIDENREICH: I FEEL BEST IN THE MIDDLE OF DEFENCE

Defender David Heidenreich was an important member of the well-functioning defence in the match in Zlín. The Kangaroos defender described the course of the match from his perspective, praised the success in duels with tall opponent players and also described the defence of the dangerous Appiah.

We have our first victory. How do you feel about it?

We played the game well. Zlín hadn't scored yet, so they wanted to grab three points for themselves. We prepared well for the opponent, had a clear plan and knew what to play for. If we manage to score a goal in the first half, it will boost the team's self-confidence a lot. Then Aleš Čermák came into the game, made one move that resulted in a penalty. He successfully converted it, which calmed us down. We believed throughout the game that we had the strength to avoid challenges and win one-on-ones. That was confirmed. It was a very important factor for us. We dare to take three points.

We scored a goal early on. Although Zlín tried to outplay us, they didn't have a clear chance...

We started the game well. We scored a goal, then Honza Matoušek had a chance, but there were also some problems in front of the goal. We let the opponent play a little, they weren't so coordinated in their approach. We didn't have a chance and we weren't that active in it. As a result, there were illegal tackles, set pieces are Zlín's strength. We managed to defend against them, which also raised our self-confidence. In the second half, we gave up on the combination play a little, after the gains there were losses and pressure. We had in our minds that we could succeed in one action. That also happened, we won a penalty kick.

You led the personnel-changed defense from the position of center back...

I feel the best in the middle of that three-man defense. I have the responsibility for the functioning of the defense, I collect the balls behind the defensive line and I feel strong in one-on-one duels. We wanted to get more involved in the passing game, but the game was difficult, it was not always possible. But in the next games we want to push it more. Typologically, our team is arranged in the direction of a formation with three center backs. We told ourselves clearly how we would play. We followed the instructions the whole game, and I personally played very well.

Zlín started in a classic four, but with Kukučka in midfield. Was it a surprising move?

From my point of view, it was a tactical intention of the opponent. They knew that we were giving long balls to Ladislav Almási. They wanted to have one such player in front of the defenders. We had to help each other in a different way, Roman Květ and Honza Matoušek were running down the pitch for the balls. When we find Lac well, he can keep the ball. This is where the gains come from and we can develop our actions in the attacking half.

Probably the most dangerous player of the opponent was the winger Appiah. How did you prepare for him, or even react directly on the pitch?

I must say that he is a really interesting player. We prepared for him during the week and saw his actions on video. He is skillful on the ball. We had clearly agreed that Matěj Kadlec would play him one-on-one and beat him. He was a skillful player, of course they can handle themselves. On the other side, Petr Mirvald and Milan Havel played against him. We managed to eliminate him well. When needed, we helped ourselves with an extra player.

©2026