Czech Republic coach disappointed after drawing Vietnam in Futsal World Cup

"I’m very disappointed. The Czech Republic have never played that bad under my lead. We entered the game with the goal to win and maintain good form for the round of 16. But there were not enough positioning or good passes. In general, I’m not satisfied with anything in this game," Neumann, Czech Republic national futsal coach, said.

Coach Tomas Neumann of the Czech Republic national futsal team. Photo by FIFA

Before playing Vietnam, the Czech Republic were second in group D. They only needed a draw to maintain their position. Even if they lost, their chance of advancing was still high. Of course, that’s not their target when facing a team that is 26 places lower in world rankings.

The Czech Republic showed they came to win right at the beginning with huge pressure on Vietnam. However, their attacks weren’t sharp enough to drill through Vietnam’s solid defense and the hands of keeper Ho Van Y.

They even conceded first in the 35th minute when Chau Doan Phat scored for Vietnam. They were able to equalize one minute later thanks to a goal from captain Lukas Resetar.

"We knew Vietnam would play defensively so we had a plan for that. I told the players to make the most out of set pieces and corners. They created dozens of chances but the final execution was too poor - it’s unacceptable. When they couldn’t get the ball closer to the goal, it was really hard to score. Only after conceding did they wake up."

Neumann's team will face Spain in round of 16.