Par Lagerstrom praises Indian girls, Thomas Dennerby proud of his team

Despite the defeat both coaches had kind things to say regarding the Indian side.

The Indian U-17 women’s team began their U-17 Women’s Football Tournament 2019 campaign with a defeat against Sweden at the Andheri Sports Complex on Friday. Following the match, India head coach Thomas Dennerby and Sweden boss Par Lagerstrom interacted with the media in the post-match press conference.

Although, the Indian women were defeated 0,-3, the girls showed promise and put up a performance that made the Swedish coach, Par Lagerstrom, appreciate them.

Speaking about the game, Par Lagerstrom said, “During half-time we were happy that we were 0-2 up. We did some good things and did not do some things. We need to press the players who had the ball. We knew India had some fast players, so we decided to defend."

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“Some Indian players were very impressive. During the game you could see some of the players cramping. I mean it’s warm, but it’s the humidity,” the tactician said about the weather.

“I think we started okay. But, in the last 15 minutes, I think India were playing really good. They had some counter-attacks. If India scored in the beginning of the second half, it would be very difficult for us. But, we managed to hold on,” Par Lagerstrom spoke about the Indian team’s performance.

“They were really good near the penalty box. But, they need to have a game in midfield too. Their defence was very organized. We have some really fast players. We have a player, Monica, who is one of the fastest players in Sweden and she’s a strong player too,” he said.

Lagerstrom On Thailand Game

The Sweden head coach also spoke about the upcoming game against Thailand as he said, “All the players who did not start today will play against Thailand, that is if I don’t change my mind. I expect an even better game against Thailand.”

He concluded the press conference saying, “It is an honour to play in India. We hope to qualify for the World Cup next year too.”

Thomas Dennerby

Thomas Dennerby, the Indian head coach addressed the media later on. He was asked about the team’s performance and how satisfied he was with their display on the field.

“Of course, I am never happy when we lose a game because we always look to win. But, you look the team we played. Sweden, we know they are a strong team in Europe. So, we know we played a strong team. I am definitely proud of the girls. We created some really good scoring chances; maybe the movement in the final third was not good enough. Maybe we showed too much respect in the first five minutes,” Thomas Dennerby began.

The 60-year-old was probed about his thoughts on Par Lagerstrom’s assessment that the Indian team wasn’t adept in midfield. “I understand what he is meaning because I think when we build up from the defensive line it stayed okay. Maybe, we could have some more pace on the ball. We have to speed up the pace and link-up play," Thomas Dennerby said.

Dennerby On Lagerstrom's Assessment

“In the midfield, the mistakes we do sometimes, we play too many square passes. When you play sideways on the field, there is no angle, it is easy to defend. On the midfield, I think that is what the Swedish coach means. But, of course, we need to work more on the build-up play over midfield,” he added.

Thomas Dennerby elaborated on his overview of the Indian team since he has taken over the reins. “Since I have arrived, it has been 6-7 weeks. We have seen a lot of games. We have played also against boys. They were not technically more aware, not smarter, but they were more physical because these girls are 14-15-years-old," he said.

“They are definitely very good in trying to follow the team plan. The tactics is for the game. Also, when you get a new coach you take some time to understand what the coach is searching for; so it takes some time.”

Thoughts On Playing Against Sweden

The coach was asked about whether he thought that playing a stronger team like Sweden could help them in their preparations for next year’s World Cup. “You’re also right, that’s the way it is, you need to get used to it. I can try to tell the girls, when we have training sessions, which we need to reach the level of the first touch on the ball. Yes, that’s good that the coach is saying it. But, it is good to learn and understand on the field,” Thomas Dennerby stated.

The Indian boss had said earlier that a draw against Sweden would have been ideal for them. They were unable to achieve the required result and Thomas Dennerby emphasized on that by saying, “Yes, I said that if we play against Sweden a draw and beat Thailand, that will be a very successful tournament for us."

“Now, we need to win the next game against Thailand, if we want to play the final on 19th. We are not doing any changing. Hopefully, we play three games in this tournament. The players also need to rest a little bit."

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Speaking about the philosophy of a passing-centric style the boss said, “Yes, definitely, we are trying (to play a passing game) because I am not a kick and run coach. We are trying to learn to build from the back, we want to learn to do the passing game.

“Sometimes, for some reasons, the players take longer kicks, for some reason. It’s not because of the quality they have, but it’s because some of them get stressed.”

He then detailed his plans for the time till the tournament, “From now to November, yes you can say that when there are camps in Goa we will work very hard. Then, we go for some exposure, where you do some basic things. The tough things you do for your weaker muscles. We have a plan for everything from here to November. Me and my fitness coach we follow that plan till the end.”

*With contributions from Tarkesh Jha.