ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Esteban Solari was very satisfied with the performance of all his men who played gallantly last night against Kuala Lumpur (KL) City FC to retain their FA Cup title.
Despite the win, the Argentinian coach said it was a tough game against a strong opponent.
“It is a pleasure for me to be a part in this team of this big club, to have this achievement like we have today (last night), it was not easy. It was a difficult game against a good team like KL City and we could not make any mistakes.
“But, we refused to stop and continued attacking and tried to score, and in the end my players showed they wanted the trophy,” he said at the press conference after the final, last night.
He also praised midfielder Nathaniel Shio Hong Wan who scored his first goal for the club and Argentine striker Leandro Sebastian Velazquez for scoring in the second half to lead JDT to victory.
Solari said goolkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed also played an important role in guarding the goal well and proved his capability during that important match.
The Southern Tigers defeated KL City 2-0 to retain the FA Cup, having won it last year and in 2016.
He added that the Southern Tigers will try to maintain their unbeaten record when they meet Selangor FC next in Super League on July 29.
Meanwhile, KL City FC head coach Bojan Hodak admitted that they lost to a great quality team, although he was full of praise for his players for not going down without a fight.
“However, we managed to put JDT under pressure in the first half with our defence and had a couple chances to win the trophy.
“But, Nathaniel’s goal in second half gave us pressure and the players started to lose concentration when Leandro Velazquez scored the second goal ,” he said.
JDT’s FA Cup triumph continues their unbeaten run in all domestic competitions this season, which includes a 17-match winning streak in the Super League. – Bernama
