Johor Darul Ta’zim head coach Xisco Munoz stood firmly behind his players’ performance despite visible frustration at failing to claim maximum points in the club’s AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) East Zone opener, a 1-1 draw against Buriram United that leaves plenty of room for regret.
The Spanish coach felt his Southern Tigers side had done more than enough to win the contest, dominating possession and territory throughout while creating a string of clear-cut chances — but a lack of clinical edge in front of goal ultimately cost JDT the three points.
“I am not proud of the 1-1 draw, but I am very proud of the spirit and capability of the players who gave 100 per cent on the pitch,” Munoz said. “In matches at this elite level, you have to convert every chance you get. In such a prestigious competition, it is difficult to get a second chance if you fail to capitalise on the first.”
JDT’s frustrations were compounded by two key moments that went against them: an Oscar Arribas goal ruled out by the officials, and a missed penalty from prolific striker Bergson da Silva that would have handed the hosts the lead late on.
The former Watford boss, however, was quick to defend his forward rather than lay blame at his door, framing the miss as an unavoidable part of the sport. “Sometimes these things happen in football. The most important thing right now is that we are a strong team with a solid mentality, and we need to bounce back quickly and prepare for the next match,” he explained.
The JDT coach didn’t hold back when addressing what he saw as deliberate game-management tactics from the visitors, criticising Buriram’s frequent stoppages for what he characterised as feigned injuries that repeatedly broke up the flow of the contest.
“Tactics like this are not good for football because fans pay money to come and watch the match. Effective playing time is crucial for delivering a quality viewing experience,” Munoz said. “Sometimes we think a player is ‘near death’ because everyone is shocked, yet a minute or two later, he is back running on the pitch. To me, this does not reflect well on the future of football.”
The contest didn’t lack for drama at either end, with both sides eventually finishing the match with 10 men after Buriram’s Kenny Dougall was sent off in the 58th minute, followed by JDT defender Eddy Israfilov seeing red of his own in the 90th minute.
Credit Photo : AFC
