FC Midtjylland coach praises striker after ending long goal drought

Cho Gue-sung finally broke his scoring drought for FC Midtjylland on Thursday, finding the net for the first time in five months and 17 games. The 28-year-old South Korean striker's goal, which opened the scoring in a 2-0 home win against Rijeka, brought immense relief to both the player and the team.

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I am incredibly happy on behalf of Cho. He made a completely insane defensive work effort. It is not always noticed.

Coach Mike Tullberg expressed his happiness for Cho, highlighting his significant defensive contributions that often go unnoticed. "When he also gets to score a goal, you become really happy, because it just means a lot to a striker," Tullberg told ESPN on Disney+.

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And when he also gets to score a goal, you become really happy, because it just means a lot to a striker.

While pleased with the overall performance, Tullberg noted that the team's play sometimes shifted too much to the sides. This changed after halftime, with substitutes Sofus Johannesen, Stanley Iheanacho, and Kjell Wätjen credited by Tullberg for injecting much-needed forward momentum. The team's defense remained strong for most of the match, but Tullberg cautioned against complacency, acknowledging Rijeka's skilled players.

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You saw in short periods that when they are allowed to have the ball, they have some really good players. So we have respect for that, we need to succeed down there.

"You saw in short periods that when they are allowed to have the ball, they have some really good players. So we have respect for that, we need to succeed down there," Tullberg stated. He emphasized the need to approach the second leg as a 0-0 match, maintaining the same aggression and intensity to prevent Rijeka from controlling the game. The aggregate winner will advance to the Conference League group stage.

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We must see it as 0-0 and try to win the match in Croatia. We lead 2-0, but it will be a different match down there. We must solve it with the same aggression and intensity as in this match, so they are not allowed to play.