Graham Reid is confident his boys will live up to the expectations in a packed stadium.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
The Indian team has been sweating it out in Rourkela for two weeks now but everything the team has tried and tested over the last 18 months will finally be put to test on Friday. And coach Graham Reid is confident his boys will live up to the expectations in a packed stadium.
Ahead of the team’s opener against Spain, Reid acknowledged the advantage of playing to a capacity crowd but warned it was a dual-edged sword. “We need to understand that pressure is actually a good thing. It’s a matter of being able to let that get to a point where it can motivate you but it doesn’t go over the top. The pressure for me is to stay focused in the moment; if it is getting to you, that means you are off the task, thinking of either the future or the past,” he said.
Harmanpreet Singh says while crowd support does give a boost, communication becomes difficult because of the noise.
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AP
Captain Harmanpreet Singh was more concerned about the practical aspect. “It does give a boost but sometimes, communication becomes difficult. Then it is your responsibility to understand and be aware of your position and moves and stay focused,” he explained.
On his part, Spanish coach Max Caldas knows a thing or two about managing the crowd, having done so successfully in the last edition. “I think it goes both ways — it can motivate us to play our best game in front of such a big crowd or we can see it as a threat. We cannot control the crowd, we can only enjoy them. I think when your game is going well on-field, it is easier to control the crowd, but our focus is on ourselves,” he said.
File photo of Spain coach Max Caldas.
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BISWARANJAN ROUT
But he is prepared to adjust. “I think 90 percent of the time we focus on ourselves and the way we want to play and 10 percent you tweak and turn things and adjust to what the other team might present,” Caldas said.
Captain Alvaro Iglesias sounded confident. “This is a completely different team from 2018. I didn’t know the players very well initially but they have surprised me 200 percent. We might be young but we are ready for the World Cup,” he declared.
Reid too was cautious of the opposition. “I think experience is sometimes overrated, specially in a big tournament like this. I always say beware of the youth, they have an ability to perform much higher than what they think they can and have no fear so you need to watch out for those team,” he said.