Bishkek [Kyrgyz Republic], April 7 (ANI): After registering a complete victory over the hosts within the first recreation of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers Round 1, India hopes to hold on the momentum into the second leg to be performed on Friday.
After an extended drought and not using a win, the Blue Tigresses opened their account for the 12 months with a 5-0 win towards the Kyrgyz Republic within the opening recreation on the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Tuesday, April 4. With 4 completely different goalscorers discovering the online, it appeared just like the strain had been launched off their shoulders.
Even contained in the Blue Tigresses coaching after the sport, the temper appeared to have lifted, jokes have been extra simply cracked and a free-flowing power that had beforehand appeared contained. At the final coaching session earlier than the second recreation, Thomas Dennerby inspired the gamers to maintain their smiles up but additionally set a brand new goal for the encounter.
“In the first game we were desperate for goals, because we had gone in without many of our big goalscorers,” he stated. “But tomorrow, I want the team to keep another clean sheet. We will get chances, I have no doubt, but I want the players to repeat their defensive solidity from the first game,” stated Dennerby as quoted by AIFF.
A win or perhaps a draw will probably be sufficient for India to progress by way of to Round 2 of the AFC Olympic Qualifiers. India have reached that stage of the competitors as soon as earlier than — for the Tokyo 2020 match. But they have been knocked out on aim distinction by Myanmar.
Many of the gamers who had performed in that essential fixture towards Myanmar — a memorable 2-2 draw — have sturdy recollections of the heartbreak and know {that a} run of optimistic outcomes could be good momentum to hold into the second spherical.
While acknowledging that the hole between the 2 rounds would imply that quite a bit might change, Dennerby additionally highlighted the necessity to finish on a excessive. “We have been in a long camp and tomorrow’s game will essentially be the last game for this Indian team for a few months,” Dennerby stated as quoted by AIFF.
“Many of them will go back to club duty, state duty and we will only come together in the lead up to the Asian Games. It is important to leave with a good taste in our mouth and some positive energy,” the Swedish coach stated as quoted by AIFF.
The first recreation additionally noticed a large variety of Indian followers flip up on the stadium to help the Blue Tigresses, a shock for a lot of. Bishkek’s many medical schools are residence to an enormous variety of Indians, and once in a while, there have been Indian spectators on the coaching periods too.
“It was great to hear the noise and see the girls being cheered on in the first game. Now with the pressure of getting a result relieved, I hope they can put on a show and create some happy memories for all who come to watch us play,” Dennerby continued as quoted by AIFF. (ANI)