Women's Football
Thailand challenge for desperate India
20 Sep 2014

AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: It was brutal, it was humiliating. And it left India Women’s Senior Team Head Coach Tarun Roy with little option but to admit that they need to regroup after their 0-10 loss against hosts South Korea in their second Group A Asian Games match.

“We were blown up by our own bomb,” Roy told www.the-aiff.com on the eve of India’s last group engagement against Thailand on Sunday (September 21, 2014).

“It was 5-4-1 system, the girls were new to it, and it was done keeping in mind Korea’s all out attacking >

“There cannot be any excuses for this landslide. The team was lacklustre from start to finish.”

The Delhi Coach did not flounce or pout. He was honest. Perhaps he was too exposed to behave otherwise.

Coming on the back of a 15-0 win over makeweights Maldives, India eves saw their goal breached thrice with the match only ten minutes old.

Revealing that the players had hung their heads down so low that their chins dragged on the ground, Roy admitted that the 15-0 demolition of Maldives was a mirage of sorts.

“Maldives were accommodating, and I admit it was an easier outing. But nevertheless 15 goals is not a matter of joke and does not happen every day. Taking it up from there, the manner of defeat was all the more disappointing.”

On the job ahead Roy said: “They (the girls) know they have been dismal. We failed to stitch a concrete move and work their goalkeeper. But that is life and you have to keep the past behind.”

India are expected to go back to their tried and tested system of 4-2-3-1 with Ashalata Devi filling the suspended Captain Bembem Devi’s place in midfield and Radharani Devi partnering Romi Devi in Central Defense.

“The rest will be the same,” Roy confirmed.

Thailand also have three points like India courtesy beating whipping girls Maldives by ten goals after their opening day 0-5 defeat at the hands of group leaders South Korea.

“This will be a make or break game for us,” added Roy fully abreast of the ramifications of another defeat which could land them in their toughest test yet against World Champions Japan in the next round.

MATCH KICKS OFF AT 1:30 PM IST

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