From http://www.afshinghotbi.com

To go with my match report, here’s what Mr. Ghotbi had to say…

Cheered on by a home crowd of over 15,000, we never gave up. This is the spirit that will make this team a contender for the championship! In the last second, a scramble in the goalmouth salvaged an important point.

Our players started the match without the energy or the concentration necessary to collect all three points. A good week of preparation including several meetings to warn against complacency went on deaf ears. Players proud of their previous achievements forgot the essence of their success. For the first thirty minutes, we were always one metre too far or one second too late. A costly uncharacteristic error by Hayashi left our goal unattended, and Cerezo punished us. We improved gradually, but we always lacked the sharpness to break through. Alex (Brosque) had the best chance of the first half, but his free-kick was pushed wide by Cerezo’s goalkeeper, Kim Jin Hyeon.

I tried to activate and recharge our players with a tough discussion at half time, and decided to wait on any substitution. Frankly, I could have changed nine players without hesitation. Unfortunately, the rules limit me to three substitutions per game! In the second half, we started to control the game. Our passing game improved, but we could not create any meaningful chances. Cerezo defended in numbers, and they looked dangerous on their counters. I had to go to my bench, bringing on Takahara (55), Kobayashi (63) and Franca (78). All three changes improved our team. I altered our tactical organization with the addition of Franca as a second central striker, and moved Kawai to right back. Two changes with my last substitution improved our attack both on top and the right flank. With four strikers and attacking with wide defenders, the pressure on Cerezo’s goal increased every minute. Franca and Kobayashi had the best chances to equalize, but Franca”s header missed the mark, while Kobayashi’s header was cleared off the line. Finally, the determination of our players was rewarded with Alex scoring his fourth goal of the season, after a scramble in front of goal. Bravo to our fighting spirit, and huge thanks to our supporters for believing in us.

Finally, I am disappointed by our performance against Cerezo Osaka. However, I am encouraged by our never give up spirit.