Fiji Futsal coach Jerry Sam says communication breakdown in the second spell allowed Vanuatu to hold them to a 2-2 draw in the opening match of the Melanesian Futsal Cup 2022 at the Vodafone Arena in Suva on Wednesday.
“Miscommunication was the main reason we got behind in the second half and that’s how Vanuatu scored. We were just playing and at times the boys thought they were trapped by the Vanuatu players and we failed to see our fellow teammates.”
“We found it hard to mark the Vanuatu players because they kept us busy. They attacked us when we got our second goal.”
“First game is always tough because teams come well prepared. From this game, it shows that we need to work more mentally in a way that the players need to concentrate on the game.”
Sam said the side played according to their game plan in the opening half which saw them lead by 2-1 at the break.
“I’m happy with the result but there’s room for us to improve. Generally, the boys played to the plan and we emphasised that to the boys.”
“In the first half, the boys did very well; they stuck to the game plan and put on what we had talked about during the preparation.”
“We should have maintained focus throughout the match but we lost track and we allowed Vanuatu to come into our territory and score.”
Fiji will take on New Caledonia at 7pm on Thursday.
