Mathias Tieppo Coffee and Questions with https://www.thestandardclcl.com/
How did you come to be a part of our club?
I already followed The Villages SC because I’m a very good friend of Pedro. He and I played together when we were young. He would post on social media and I would speak with him about it. Then I asked to see if there was an opportunity for him to recommend me. He made the connection with coach Anderson so that’s how it happened.
You mentioned that you had seen some things about the club online, how was it when you arrived? Did it live up to your expectations?
In some teams I have played in the past I would arrive and have some sort of a negative surprise. Sort of “this wasn’t what they said.” But here it was a pleasantly surprise because everything that Pedro had told me or that I had seen was in fact the same. The housing and food we are provided are very good, the people here, it’s a nice environment. I didn’t know that The Villages is a retirement community or much about this part of Central Florida. It’s beautiful, clean and pretty calm. One thing I find really nice is how close the fans are to us. They come to talk with us and give us hugs. One example of how close they are was that in one of the games I had finished all my water. But I had to stay focused so I kept playing. A fan noticed and filled my water bottle for me. It was such a nice gesture and it goes to show that they are supporting in any way they can.
How about the team?
I think we have a great chance to win the league. I follow some of the other teams and from what I’ve seen in regards to soccer here our team is very good. It’s happened that players come in from the bench and the level doesn’t go down. That’s characteristic of a winning team. All the players are quality athletes and a team that the level doesn’t go down when a change happens is very good.
What do you think of Coach Yago helping as a player on the field?
It’s different. When I have to say something to Henrique or Leonardo I know I can speak in a more assertive way and with Yago being a part of the coaching staff there is some thought that goes into what to say during training. But when the game is going on that is completely forgotten. I can speak the same way, no change. One thing that I find very positive is that since he has played here for a long time I see that he does already have a leadership quality that does give us as the defense a lot of confidence. So I see it as a positive.
The first game you were man of the match against Swan City SC, on paper should have been an easy game for us. What do you think happened?
I think it was a combination of a lot of things. We got there and the first thing we had to do was to change in the bus as there was no locker room, we played on a side field and it was theoretically an easier game. Everything combined, made the level of concentration of the team go down. What I tried to keep in mind was that if we lost that game the dream would have been over. We wouldn’t be where we are today. For the defenders, it’s always complicated because in a game that is so-called “easy,” it only takes one ball for them to change the outcome. No matter how easy the game may be there is always a need to be vigilant so that one simple counterattack won’t jeopardize the whole team’s goals. I’m glad I help to keep us on track.
What do you think about us going forward into playoffs?
I think concentration is the most important part for us to keep going. Once the game is decided then yes, we can work on controlling the pace but before then we need to have our minds sharp and play with intensity. That balance of knowing when to push and when to hold will be crucial. Sometimes the game is controlled but if they score, that changes the dynamic so it’s important to show the opponent who we are in the first half. I’m confident in our team and think we will do well in the playoffs.
