2024-01-24T15:57:30+00:00
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/ Today, Wednesday, Iraqi national team coach Jesus Casas described the national team’s match against its Vietnamese counterpart as “difficult” despite obtaining a full score in the group stage of the Asian Championship, while he stressed that the round of 16 will be a “dangerous” stage and the team’s match will be analyzed to improve performance in the future. Without preferring a specific team in the next round.
Casas said in a press conference held after the end of the Vietnam team’s match, which ended with Iraq’s victory with a score of (3-2) at the conclusion of the third round matches for the fourth group teams of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals, that “Today’s match was not easy for us, and it was difficult even though possession was ours.” In the end, we were able to achieve the full mark.”
Regarding the direct competitor in the round of 16, Casas explained: He does not prefer one competitor over another, and each match has its own circumstances and preparation depending on who we face, and we will do everything we can to continue winning, and it will be a difficult and dangerous stage, because nine points in the first rounds will not be on our side. Then, if you lose one match, you will be eliminated from the tournament, so we have to focus on the knockout rounds.
Regarding the mistakes committed in the defensive third, Casas added: “Football is a game of mistakes, and we will try as much as possible to improve our performance in the defensive aspect,” while the coach did not hide the presence of “some tension for the players who played their first match in the tournament,” stressing that “we are trying to watch… “All our players, and give them the opportunity to play.”
Casas said: “With every match we learn, and we will analyze the minutes of today’s match with our owners and players in order to determine the aspects that occurred in the match, and to correct some of the mistakes that were committed during the first rounds.”
Regarding the second penalty kick executed by Ayman, Casas explained: “I do not interfere in choosing a player to take a penalty kick, and I do not like to put pressure on any player. The player who has the self-confidence to execute it is better to let him do that.”
Casas thanked “the Iraqi audience who are present from different parts of the world,” noting that “it is a feeling that we experience in a positive way, not only on the match field, so we derive positive energy from our supporters.”
On a related level, the player “Ayman Hussein” was chosen as the best player in the match, and he was unable to be present at the press conference because he was chosen by lottery as part of the doping test.