East Timor coach bluntly states one thing after 0-10 loss to Vietnam: 'I was very confident, but...'

East Timor U17 head coach, Emral Abus Bin Bustaman, acknowledged that his team went through a tough game, losing heavily 0-10 to Vietnam U17, even though the entire team had prepared meticulously.

Speaking after the match, Mr. Emral said: “Yesterday we were very confident about our preparations. During training, the players performed their tasks well against Vietnam, based on analysis of the match with Malaysia. Yes, the players trained well. I was very confident.”

However, according to this strategist, the turning point of the match came right from the early minutes when East Timor U17 conceded an early goal. The first goal severely affected the team's playing mentality, leading to a subsequent collapse.

“Yes, the first goal truly impacted our spirit. Our goalkeeper is usually excellent at saving seemingly impossible goals. Today, the first goal happened, then the second, and it continued like that. This changed the whole team's psychology,” he said.

Coach Emral also emphasized that conceding an early goal was the most serious mistake, completely disrupting the team's operating system.

“That is one of the reasons. Because from the very first minutes of the match, we said we shouldn't let the opponent score easily,” he shared.

Even though the match ended with a very heavy score, the Indonesian coach refused to criticize his players, especially the goalkeeper position. “But we don't blame the goalkeeper. He tried his best, but things happened that way,” he affirmed.

Additionally, Mr. Emral also gave many praises for Vietnam U17, believing the opponent was superior in all aspects, from individual technique to collective play. “And we appreciate Vietnam, they have good players. They play individually, collectively, and as a team. Very good.” Coach Emral Abus Bin Bustaman concluded.