After suffering a heavy 17-0 defeat to Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies on Sunday, Odisha FC Women’s team will be eager to regroup and put forth a stronger showing in their next match against the host Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC tomorrow.
The match against Urawa Red Diamonds, the reigning AFC Women’s Club Championship winners and two-time champions of Japan’s WE League, was a tough learning experience for the Odisha side.
The Japanese team showed their quality from the first whistle, but despite the scoreline, Odisha FC showed some resilience.
Now, Odisha FC will turn their attention to their second Group C fixture against the local team, Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC, who come into the game riding high after a strong second-half display saw them defeat Chinese Taipei’s Taichung Blue Whale 3-1 on October 6.
After a slow start to the match, HCM City found their rhythm in the second half, turning up the pressure and securing an important win on home soil.
“I know the last match was tough, not just for the players but also for the coaching staff, the entire team, and our country. I take full responsibility for the result. But I believe we are growing as a football nation,” said Crispin Chettri at the pre-match press conference.
“There were things in the last game that didn’t go our way, like our lack of attacking intent, but we’ve learned from that experience. We’re coming into this match with a fresh mindset and ready to take on the local team, Ho Chi Minh City, with renewed determination,” she added.
“We are obviously unhappy with the result from the last match, but we fought hard and gave it our all. The most important thing is that we’ve learned from that game. Now, we are fully focused on this match and will do everything we can to secure the three points,” said Arifa Zaheer.