Lack of technique was the main reason behind the defeat against Japan Under-21 team, admitted Bangladesh national team interim coach Saiful Bari Titu on Thursday.
‘Players of the Japan team are superior to us in many contexts,’ Titu admitted after the 3-0 defeat at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. ‘They grew up as a footballer from their childhood, which made them technically astute.’
‘Our plan was to keep the ball in control but when they put pressure on our players, we lost the possession,’ Titu said.
Bangladesh coach also claimed that his defenders failed to read the opponents’ tactics and as a result they conceded whenever there was a collective attack.
‘Actually we failed to read them as they scored all the goals with some combined move,’ Titu admitted.
Despite the defeat Titu said this match provided them a very good learning experience which could help his side playing batter in the forthcoming Bangabandhu Gold Cup in January.
‘It was a great experience for me as well as my team and this match will help us to prepare for the Bangabandhu Gold Cup.
‘If I get next one month, I will work with the errors that we committed in this match,’ Titu said.
Meanwhile, Japan coach Teguramori Makoto also pointed some technical errors in the Bangladesh game.
‘Bangladesh looked very united in the first half as they defended well,’ Makoto told reporters.
‘But I think the first goal was the turning point for us. They lost their confidence after conceding the first goal and then it became somewhat easy for us.
Makoto said that Bangladesh would play better if they rely on collective attacks.
‘I saw only two players came forward to create pressure, so they lost the possessions. But if they play collectively they would get some positive results,’ Makoto said.
Makoto also said that their marking on three Bangladeshi players — Zahid Hossain, Shohel Rana and Jamal Bhuiyan — made their job easy.
‘Our plan was to mark those three players who can change the game any time and the boys made the job easy by marking them,’ he added.
-With New Age input
