| Fadhil Yunus |
TIMOR Leste head coach Eduardo Pereira highlighted that the introductions of substitutes Henrique Wilson Da Cruz and Silveiro Da Resureicao helped bolster their attacking options during the 1-1 draw with Thailand in Group ‘A’ of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for Asean Youth Football Tournament 2018 at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last Sunday.
The head coach added that the sending off of defender Gumario Augusto Fernandes scuppered their plans in the second half though he still provided motivation to his players to instil high spirits despite being down to 10 men.
Eduardo called for reinforcements from his bench in search of firepower after Thailand took the lead in the third minute and the arrival of his forwards gave them more emphasis upfront.
“The players have good individual skill and they also have good speed. As I’ve mentioned, I had a plan in the second half and in the second half we were adding power though I feel that even though we had a player sent off, we still had the strength to offset Thailand.
“And the outcome was we managed to find the goal,” the head coach added who at least see his side occupying the final automatic berth before the start of the final Group ‘A’ game.
The head coach admitted that his side was beset with lapses of concentration after conceding an early goal after calling them to stay focused.
Thailand grabbed the lead after Nelson Sarmento Viegas misjudged the flight of the ball before Gumario was unable to keep out the initial header from goal-scorer Phaphirom Pithak.
“It was an error as I have already ordered my boys to stay focussed, keep their concentration and have good communication. However, with only two minutes of the game, my boys lost concentration which led to the goal.”
The ideal scenario for Timor Leste is a Myanmar victory but Eduardo acknowledged that the host nation is a strong team.
Meanwhile, Thailand national under-21 team manager Maruay Marhasaranukun admitted that the quality of football in Asean has increased after overseeing his team’s exit.
“Every team in Asean has improved in terms of their fitness, motivation and how they play. We agree that they have improved,” said the manager who will be switching their focus to the AFF and AFC tournaments.
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