Schaaf praise for Almeida
Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf has heaped praise on Hugo Almeida.
Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf hailed Hugo Almeida after the Portuguese striker scored the only goal in the 1-0 away win over Celta Vigo in the Uefa Cup.The tall forward had been criticised by the German media for his disappointing form in the Bundesliga following his loan move from FC Porto, but Schaaf insisted that the 22-year-old had not been treated fairly.
"He did great things whenever thrown on the pitch and worked really hard, but could not score. I believe that this vital goal should give him more self-confidence, scoring the decisive goal is very important for him," said Schaaf, who praised his team for their patience.
"Vigo played exactly as we expected them to do. They defended deep in their own half and quickly changed to attack. We needed to be very patient as we couldn't convert our early chances. We did run the game and finally found the right balance," explained Schaaf.
Almeida warned his team-mates to guard against complacency.
"We have an excellent position for the rematch, but nothing is settled yet," he said with regard to next Wednesday's game at the Weserstadion.
