JEDDAH: Saudi coach Herve Renard expressed his disappointment and accepted the blame after his team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico, which saw them exit the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the quarterfinals.
“We did not perform at the (right) level, and the Mexican team deserved to win,” Renard said during the press conference following the match held in Arizona on Sunday morning.
“Sometimes the coach makes wrong decisions, and that’s part of football. I take full responsibility for today’s loss.”
He added: “We have to work on developing the offensive side of the national team, and we have benefited from our interactions with other teams during the tournament.
“We were lucky that Mexico did not play at 100 percent. I asked the players to put pressure on their defense, but we did not do it well and kept the ball.”
The French coach said that his time with the players was fruitful in terms of gaining experience, but admitted that the team failed to perform at its best during the crucial match. Focus will now shift to preparing well for the World Cup playoffs, Renard said.
