FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez was satisfied with effort, discipline, and positioning after a 1-0 win against FC Goa in the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kochi on Thursday.
Boris Singh Thangjam scored for the Gaurs in the 40th minute of the game to put the visitors in front. FC Goa had 42.5% possession and they took five shots on target whereas six attempts were made off target.
The Spaniard was happy with his team’s performance against the Yellow Tuskers and gave an update on injury woes.
“We have six foreigners, and four can play. All of them have the quality to perform, but Armando [Sadiku] and Borja [Herrera] faced physical issues this week, especially Armando in the last two days. We knew we needed to be 100% to perform in this stadium,” Marquez said in post-match press conference.
Reflecting on the match, he added: “This is the kind of game where you feel satisfied because of the effort, discipline, and positioning. But we can do more with the ball. In the second half, we can’t just defend a one-goal lead because the equaliser can come at any moment. The players put in a big effort, especially in the final minutes, when Kerala pushed a lot. We defended with a lot of order, and that made the difference.”
Marquez was delighted with the team’s defensive show as they were able to keep the opposition at bay to get a clean sheet.
Marquez admitted “The atmosphere here was more difficult for us, and we were not comfortable.. Kerala (Blasters FC) started the game stronger, attacking more than us. Suddenly, we scored a goal from practically nothing and then managed the score well. At times, it felt like nothing was happening in the game, but in the final minutes, Kerala (Blasters FC) pushed hard. Because we didn’t score a second goal, the pressure increased, but we defended with a lot of order. That was key to our victory.”
Speaking on defender Sandesh Jhingan, he said “I think, again, Igor Stimac said something that reflects the reality of Indian football: the most difficult player to substitute is Sandesh Jhingan. Not just for his quality, but for his leadership. He’s a real leader. Whether things are going well or badly, he’s always pushing the team forward.”
FC Goa has won their last three matches and they will next take on Hyderabad FC at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad on Wednesday.
