Chinese Taipei look the strongest team on paper in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. A day after the loss to Myanmar, captain Tuli Goon feels the “fear element needs to be eliminated.”

In an interview to AIFF Media, Tuli spoke at length on India’s performance in the opening game, the road ahead, what needs to be done against Chinese Taipei and much more.

INTERVIEW

Do you think the result against Myanmar is a true reflection of India’s performance?
Sometimes the scoreline does not reflect the real picture but that’s what matters. They won, we lost. We conceded two in the first-half. We were the much better team in the second half and Myanmar could only attack once, in the dying minutes of the match. But all of that doesn’t count.

How is the mood in the camp?
It pinches when you know you have played a good game and end up on the losing side despite dominating one half. On another day, we could have won. So the mood was gloomy after the match. But we need to move on from there and the squad is gearing up for the next challenge.

You injured your rib in the process. How is it now?
I hope I can play against Chinese Taipei. This was troubling me and got aggravated while going for the tackle. Tomorrow’s match stays a very important one for us. I hope I recover in time. I am raring to go.

What’s your responsibility as a captain?
As a captain it is my responsibility to look that everyone stays in the right frame of mind. Along with my Technical Staff, I am working on it. We cannot let our shoulders droop.

How do you assess Chinese Taipei?
They are a very strong side. We watched them score six goals past Palestine. Against such a team, we have to be on our toes all the time. The opening 20 minutes would be very crucial indeed.

What are the positives which you will be carrying from the Myanmar match?
Our backline played well. We adjusted quickly to the artificial turf after conceding early. The passing was good and mobility on the field defined our strength. The element of fear has to be eliminated.

(AIFF Press Release)