“It was a difficult tournament, Syria were better….”: Indian coach Marquez on poor Intercontinental Cup run

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 10 (ANI): Following India’s loss to Syria in the Intercontinental Cup and their poor run in the tournament, head coach Manolo Marquez said that it was a “difficult” competition for the country on all fronts as they were not ready physically and they were outclassed by the Syrians.

It was a difficult start to the Marquez era in the Indian men’s national team. A 0-3 defeat to Syria on Monday after a goalless draw versus Mauritius last week meant that the Blue Tigers ended the Intercontinental Cup 2024 in third place.

After what was a drab affair against Mauritius, which left Marquez unimpressed, India put on a better offensive showing against 93-ranked Syria, but only in the second half. The Spaniard was rather displeased by his men’s panicky display in the opening minutes, which ultimately cost India as they were made to chase the game from start to finish after conceding as early as the seventh minute. Although India came out rejuvenated after the break, they could not breach the Syrian fortress and their debutant goalkeeper Elias Hadaya. But Marquez was at least pleased with the fact that his side created more in attack in those 45 minutes than they did in the previous three halves of football combined.

“It was a difficult tournament in all aspects. The team is not ready physically. All our players are in pre-season. Physically and technically, Syria were better. Against Mauritius, the game was very equal. At least today, it is true that the second half was okay. We deserved to score a goal. Three-nil is not a fair reflection at all,” said Marquez after the defeat to Syria as per an All India Football Federation (AIFF) press release.

“The second half was the only positive. Against Mauritius, we didn’t play a good game, and in the first half of this game, the team was very scared, especially in the first few minutes,” he added.

Requiring only a draw to win the tournament, Syria were happy to preserve their one-goal advantage and play on the counter. India put all their eggs in one basket and went all out to get the elusive goal. Twice the crossbar came to Syria’s rescue, while some brave defending from Syria and Hadaya’s strong goalkeeping display prevented the first India goal of the Marquez era. As such, a clinical and quick Syria punished the hosts with two more goals late on, with a combination of Mahmoud Al-Mawas and Pablo Sabbag’s fresh legs nailing the third and final goal.

“We knew that Syria’s strong point was the counter-attack. We were losing 0-1 at half-time, and we knew that we needed to take the risk. We also knew that they could kill the game like they did in the last 15 minutes. But I think that from half-time till the 30th minute of the second half, the performance was okay. We had some clear chances to equalise in the game,” said Marquez.

“Syria were better than us. Most of their players have already started the season with their clubs. They are in their fourth or fifth game in the championship that they are playing. And we are still in pre-season and we need to keep going because this is the only way that I know,” he added.

Next on the agenda for Marquez and the Blue Tigers is the tri-nation friendly tournament in Vietnam in October. India will face the hosts on October 9 and Lebanon on October 12, both higher-ranked sides, at the Thien Truong Stadium in the city of Nam Dinh. The new Indian Super League season is only three days away, beginning on September 13. The league will take a break for the next FIFA International Match Window from October 6. Marquez expects the physical condition of his men to be better for the next trip,, as it will be in the middle of the domestic season.

“Obviously, I think every coach wants to train more. It is difficult when you do not have too many training sessions. I said earlier that we need to find the correct group of players to adapt to our idea. This is the target because the ISL will start now and we will see how the players are. We need to keep going after a defeat. I know it is difficult, but the only solution is to keep working,” he said.