Munoz praises JDT spirit despite missed chances in Buriram draw

JOHOR BARU: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz stood by his players' performance, despite appearing disappointed at failing to secure three points in their AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) East Zone opener, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Buriram United.

The Spanish-born coach said the Southern Tigers showed high energy, dominated the match, and created a series of golden opportunities, but a lack of clinical finishing proved the deciding factor.

"I am not proud of the 1-1 draw, but I am very proud of the spirit and capability of the players who gave 100 per cent on the pitch.

"In matches at this elite level, you have to convert every chance you get. In such a prestigious competition, it is difficult to get a second chance if you fail to capitalise on the first," he said.

JDT suffered misfortune when a goal by Oscar Arribas was disallowed, and prolific striker Bergson da Silva failed to convert a penalty.

However, the former Watford coach refused to blame Bergson, regarding such errors as simply part of the game.

"Sometimes these things happen in football. The most important thing right now is that we are a strong team with a solid mentality, and we need to bounce back quickly and prepare for the next match," he explained.

Munoz also expressed his displeasure with Buriram's tendency to frequently delay play by feigning injury, which disrupted the match's tempo.

"Tactics like this are not good for football because fans pay money to come and watch the match. Effective playing time is crucial for delivering a quality viewing experience.

"Sometimes we think a player is 'near death' because everyone is shocked, yet a minute or two later, he is back running on the pitch. To me, this does not reflect well on the future of football," he said.

Meanwhile, the man-of-the-match Arribas was disappointed when his early goal in the 22nd minute was disallowed by referee Majed Al Shamrani, who ruled that he had fouled Buriram goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

"I didn't foul the opposing goalkeeper. It was a one-on-one challenge and he hadn't secured the ball. In my view, there was no foul. In fact, when I made contact, the ball was at my feet, and I reacted quickly to push it into the net.

"Both the coach (Munoz) and I felt there was no foul, though the referee thought otherwise. However, I redeemed myself by scoring in the 26th minute, but it wasn't enough as Buriram fought back to equalize," he said.

Arribas also insisted that JDT should not have finished the match with just a single point after dominating the game.

"I am happy to have helped the team score, but true joy comes from winning, not drawing. We will improve for the next match and strive to secure our first victory," said Arribas.

Both teams finished the game with 10 men after Buriram's Kenny Dougall (58th) and JDT defender Eddy Israfilov (90th) were sent off.