Md.Junaid: We reserve our best for the team in our Olympic pool
Moments after Pakistan failed against Korea in the first match of Day Four in Ipoh, unfazed Pakistan manager Md. Junaid said that the tournament is still on, we are stillcnot out of medal race, we are here still counting, and will do far better against teams in our Olympic pool than others’.

“Today we lost badly, and it should not have been. Considering the number of penetrations we had made, we should have given enough on the scoreboard. However, we should be judged on the basis of how we perform against teams that is in our pool, Great Britain”.

Incidentally, Pakistan outplayed Argentina, which is in its pool in the opening day.

“Today’s match changed when we failed to convert two penalty corners in the second half, and the score was 0-1 against us. Then, no sport one will be winning if they at this level miss the chances the way we did”, he said.

Depending the team’s defensive mode in the first half, he said,” This is energy management, we cannot be seen attacking all the 70s minutes”.

“Today we did well in patches. We conceded goals due to individual mistakes, otherwise the team is playing well but for the finish”, he added.

On conceding goals in the second half he felt it was due to the urgency the team showed in going for the goals and in such situations the other team goes for counter and gets dividends.

To a pointed question that the absence of senior players like Shakeel Abbasi is telling on the team’s performance, he asserted negatively. “If we don’t make entries in to the circle, we can concede that. On the contrary, our organization in the match is good, we made good number of entries, about 20, and that is very good sign’.

Am realistic, we miss like this we cannot survive in any game’.
In this context, he said that we will play good hockey against the teams in our Olympic pool.
On his failure to strike goals, Sohail Abbas said that as in life there is always ups and downs and today we had the down.

It is not that you always win every game, it is not possible, he added.