Shahrazad Mozafar said about the performance of the national team in the China tournament: First of all, I must thank the Football Federation for sending the team to this tournament under the existing conditions. These four games had an achievement for us equal to 10 training camps; Because the new players and the new composition of the national team must be tested in the conditions of the match to determine their true quality. I think it was a good opportunity to test the new composition and the players came out of this test proud. We got good results and had an acceptable performance.
Referring to the team’s difficult situation in the final match against China, he said: “It was only in the last game that fatigue overcame the players’ bodies.” If we consider from November 10th, which is the last week of league matches, to November 19th and our last match against China, the players played five heavy matches in nine days. In the meantime, we were traveling to China for 24 hours. Therefore, the players endured a lot of pressure physically and mentally and did not have enough time to recover.
Muzaffar continued: We did not have a physiotherapist with the team during this trip, and because of this, the recovery of the players was difficult. We tried to provide the best possible conditions, but we did not have enough facilities to recover the physical strength of the players in the short interval between matches. However, the players fought with all their heart and I am proud of their motivation, zeal and effort. Even at the peak of fatigue, they worked hard for the national team.
The head coach of the women’s national futsal team praised the cohesion and unity of the players and noted: In addition to technical performance and favorable results, this team was exemplary in terms of unity and solidarity. There is a very positive atmosphere in the team. Experienced players such as Farzaneh Tausli, Elham Anafcheh, Mehtab Banaei, Maral Turkman, Maryam Seyed and Zahra Kiyani acted as the pillars of the team and accepted young players by their side. With their generosity and responsibility, they helped the new players to adapt to the team atmosphere faster and feel a greater sense of belonging.
He added: The young players also cooperated very well by respecting the elders of the team and modeling their professional and technical behavior. There was mutual respect and empathy in the team and everyone was working for a common goal, i.e. the success of Iran. I am really satisfied with all the players for this.
Referring to the limitations of the team’s preparation before sending to China, Mozafar said: It should be noted that before participating in this tournament, we did not have a single ball training session and only held one recovery training session. In China, due to the tight schedule of the tournament, there was no opportunity to hold ball practice. However, we tried to convey the technical points and desired items to the players through theory sessions. In the final match against China, the first half was the only part where we did not perform well, but in the second half, the team completely dominated the game and we even had a chance to draw the result or win.
He emphasized: Our main goal of participating in this tournament was not just to get results, but to evaluate the players, gain experience and reach our technical goals. I am happy that along with achieving these goals, we were also able to win the championship title of the tournament. This event was valuable and showed that the players have good capacity and potential for the future.
In the end, the head coach of the women’s futsal team said about the team’s future plans: “This path we have started will continue.” From 28th of Aban and at the same time as the resumption of the league matches, we will closely monitor the competitions. The doors of the national team are still open for talented players, and any player who shows the necessary competence to be in the national team during the tournament will definitely be considered and invited. I have high hopes for the future of this team and its young players, and I believe this tournament is a good starting point for the path ahead.
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