Kaizer Chiefs suffered a 1-0 loss against Werder Bremen in a friendly, but Ryan Moon believes that they matched the Bundesliga outfit in all aspects.
Ernst Middendorp used the clash against the travelling German side to experiment with his starting lineup.
Having seen his team suffer a 2-1 loss to defending Absa Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns the day before, the former Maritzburg United tactician named a completely new side in the clash against Bremen.
An effective Kaizer Chiefs ‘B’ team matched Werder Bremen‚ Amakhosi striker Ryan Moon said‚ even though the Soweto team were 1-0 down when the friendly match at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon was called off because of a storm.
Bruce Bvuma was called upon to replace goalkeeper Virgil Vries, who made the cringeworthy error that led to Sundowns’ winner, while defender Lorenzo Gordinho was partnered in the heart of the defence alongside fellow academy graduate Siyabonga Ngezana.
Kgotso Moleko and Letlhogonolo Mirwa were utilised as the wingbacks, while Chiefs’ midfield consisted of Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana, Siphelele Ntshangase, Kabelo Mahlasela and Dumisani Zuma.
Moon was given the nod as the lone man upfront, and said that Chiefs’ B team gave an excellent account of themselves against a well-structured Bremen side.
‘Ja‚ no I think it was a good game overall. It’s just a pity it got called off‚’ Moon was quoted as saying by Times Live.
‘I think we were looking forward to the second half. I think the guys showed a lot of quality. I think we matched them overall.
‘We were pressing them high and didn’t allow them to play a lot of football. The guys on the wing were giving them trouble.
‘So I think overall it was a good performance‚ with a lot of positives to take out. We can learn a lot from them but they can learn a lot from us as well.
‘I think we matched them pound for pound. There were a few chances we could have taken.
‘I don’t think it was a foul on the goalkeeper‚ the one that I scored [early on‚ when keeper Luca Plogmann gave the ball away for Moon to have the ball in the net]. It was a good experience for us.
‘What we learned from the game – I think they’re very tactically disciplined. They stick to their game plan – they know what their strengths are and stick to it.
‘They play out from the back‚ don’t panic under pressure‚ know their structure and stick to their structure,’ he concluded.