Powell: Three points were the objective – and we got them
Under-21 head coach Darren Powell shared his thoughts after Crystal Palace secured a crucial 3-2 win over FC Nordsjaelland in Wednesday evening’s must-win Premier League International Cup clash (26th November).
The overall team performance was very good
—Darren Powell
Powell began by praising the Danish side: “We were comfortable in our shape – we had to be, because they’re actually a very good team.
“They beat West Brom, beat Fulham, they’re top of our group, and a lot of their players already feature in their first team in the Danish top flight. So, we knew it was going to be a tough game.”
Reflecting on Palace’s performance, he added: “Listen, we started well. We countered them a few times – really good. Benji [Casey] gets another goal for us. Zach [Marsh] and Benji were both working really hard.
“But for me, it’s the overall team performance that stands out. It was really good.”
“We had to defend as a group – out of possession, everyone’s a defender, and when we attacked, we attacked really well. It would’ve been even more pleasing with a clean sheet, but listen, they’ve got quality players.”
Scoring three against a team of this calibre is no fluke – trust me
—Darren Powell
Before the match, Nordsjaelland were the only team in the competition yet to concede, following a 3–0 win over West Brom and a 1–0 victory over Fulham.
On breaking down such a strong defensive unit, Powell said: “They’ve won all their games in this competition, and they hadn’t conceded.
“But we put them under pressure. I wanted us to do that when we were in possession because they’re so expansive – there are opportunities to break on them.
“We did that well at times, could’ve been better at times, but scoring three goals against a team of this calibre… people might not know much about them, but trust me, we’ve seen enough to know what they’re capable of.”
He concluded: “So it’s pleasing. Really pleasing – up until the end, I guess.”
The victory keeps the young Eagles fifth in the group, level on six points with Valencia, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Fulham, and FC Nordsjaelland. Palace still have games in hand over Valencia and Fulham.
“We’ve got one more game, and that puts us in a strong position to qualify if we win it,” Powell said. “I need to look at the table, but I believe it’s in our hands.
“Yeah, it was a tough game today, and the three points were the objective – and we got them.”