Rudi Garcia was pleased with the battling spirit shown by his team today, which saw them equalize twice and send the match against Manchester City in Melbourne to penalties.
Roma ultimately lost the International Champions Cup encounter in the shootout but the Giallorossi boss was impressed with his team’s second-half display against a side of City’s caliber.
Here’s what Garcia had to say in his post-match press conference in Melbourne.
Were you happier with Roma’s performance in the first half or the second half?
“I’m happier with the second half because we struggled a bit defensively in the first. We had to deal with top-quality players like David Silva tonight and that always makes it harder to play. After the break we had the upper hand in terms of balls won and possession – we only had 44% possession in the first half but got it back up level in the second half and that means we took the game to them. All things considered we managed to come from behind twice and I’m happy with that – it shows the team is strong mentally.”
Cole made a mistake which could have lost you the game in the second half.
“The pitch wasn’t great and with a surface like that it’s hard to play football. You can’t judge Ashley on a single moment because otherwise he had a good game. Mistakes like that can happen.”
What did you make of Pjanic? He was probably one of the best out there tonight.
“When Mire doesn’t have injuries and physical pain to deal with as he did for four months in the second half of last season, he’s able to give the best of himself. He scored a beauty today. We all know his technical ability is a notch above most other players.”
What’s your overall assessment of this experience in Melbourne?
“I’ve been extremely impressed by the Australian organization of the tournament and I’m very happy with the good work we’ve been able to put in, both in the games and on the training ground. The guys all know each other so it’s a great atmosphere to work in. I’m very pleased with what my players have done individually and as a team.”
Are Roma looking to buy a player like Edin Dzeko?
“We’ve been very clear in stating that we’re after three players in three specific positions but tonight is not the time to talk about transfers. I talk to Sabatini every day and we’ll do everything we can to get what we want, improve our roster and be ready in time for the Serie A kick-off.”
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