Lincoln City defender Andrei Coubiș made his competitive debut for Romania on Friday, playing the full game as his country slipped to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Sweden.
The trip to the Strawberry Arena in Solna brought a demanding assignment for our summer signing, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres both on the scoresheet for the hosts. Romania stayed in the contest throughout, but all three goals arrived before the interval as their Nations League campaign began with defeat.
Isak opened the scoring after 20 minutes, with Dennis Man bringing Romania level nine minutes later. Gyökeres restored Sweden’s advantage in the 43rd minute, leaving Gheorghe Hagi’s side chasing an equaliser they could not find.
Having previously featured for Romania in friendlies, Friday brought Coubiș his first taste of competitive senior international football. Starting on the right of the defence, as predicted, he completed the match, totalling 99 minutes including stoppage time.
There was encouragement in his use of the ball. Coubiș completed 47 of his 53 passes, giving him an accuracy of 89%, a respectable return on a night when Romania were trying to stay in touch with their hosts. His longer passing was less successful, with only one of four attempts finding its target, but the overall figures suggest he generally kept possession moving reliably.
His defensive contribution included six interceptions, eight recoveries and four clearances. Those interceptions were a positive part of his evening, showing that he was able to step in and cut out Sweden’s play on several occasions, while seven of his eight recoveries came in Romania’s own half.
The individual battles were tougher, but then the opppsition was of a pretty high standard. Coubiș won seven of his 15 duels overall, including five of 12 defensive duels, although he did win his only aerial contest. Against a side whose scorers were Isak and Gyökeres, there was always likely to be a stern examination of Romania’s back line, and those numbers suggest he had plenty to contend with.
There is huge value in Coubiș getting a full competitive international under his belt against opposition of that quality. His passing and interceptions offer some encouraging details from a disappointing result, alongside evidence of the demanding individual contests he faced.
Romania now turn their attention to Monday’s home game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with kick-off at 7.45 pm UK time. That brings another opportunity for Coubiș to build on his first competitive appearance and help his country put their opening points on the board.
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