In a fierce battle in the 3rd round of the men's soccer group stage of the Olympic Games, Spain lost the top spot in the group with a 1-2 defeat to Egypt. After the match, Atletico Madrid youngster Omorodion was interviewed and reflected deeply on the match.
Speaking on how he felt about the defeat, Omorodion said bluntly, "It's very upsetting because our original target was to top the group. This loss is a heavy blow to us but we cannot give up on it. Now, we need to adjust our mindset and turn our attention to the upcoming quarterfinals."
When asked what the team was missing in the game, Omorodion pointed to a lack of physical intensity: "We didn't have enough physical intensity and our opponents were tougher in the scrum. This made the game difficult for us and affected our play." He emphasized that this is an area where the team needs to improve.
Although Omorodion scored his first goal of the Olympics in the 90th minute of the game, he was humble about the goal: "The goal was very important to me, but what was more important was whether we could win the game. Unfortunately, we didn't end up doing that."
Looking ahead to the upcoming knockout rounds, Omorodion said, "There is no room for mistakes in the knockout rounds, we have to train harder and improve our game. To make it to the semifinals, we have to fight hard and leave no regrets."
Omorodion also gave his opinion on how to regain strength and form in the next three days: "We have to prepare ourselves mentally for the high level of competition in the quarter-finals. At the same time, we will train scientifically and rest properly to regain our strength and ensure that we are able to perform at our best in the competition. We will give our best to reach the semifinals."
