ISL 2022-23: Need to focus on what depends on us: FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena

FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena feels the team needs to focus on what is in their control ahead of their clash against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa on Thursday. The Gaurs are currently in sixth position in the standings and a win against the Marina Machans will help them strengthen their chances of qualifying for the playoff stages.

FC Goa has won eight out of the 18 matches they have played and they have a total of 27 points under their belt. Carlos Pena’s team had lost their previous match against Mumbai City FC by 5-3 and they will be looking to get back to winning ways.

Pena wants his team to learn from their mistakes against the Islanders and come up with a better performance against Chennaiyin FC.

“I think Mumbai City FC are the best team in the league. They have shown in the past 18 games. You can see a big gap with other teams, but we can beat any team on our day, even Mumbai City FC. The result didn’t justify that but if you analyze the whole game more than the goals, we scored three goals against Mumbai City FC and created a lot of chances. If you commit mistakes and you concede just after scoring then you lose options. The game against Mumbai City FC is in the past and I’ve told my players to focus on the next match which is another final for us,” Pena stated in the official pre-match press conference.

The top six teams qualify for the playoffs and the Spaniard feels the new format in the league has made it more competitive.

“This is the result of the new format. In the previous years, only four teams qualified for the playoffs but now, you have two more spots, so many teams have the option to fight till the last game and reach the playoffs. This is the consequence of the new season and I think this is good for the league. You can see that now four teams are in contention and this is amazing for the fans but we need to be focused on our matches and not look at other fixtures. We need to focus on Thursday’s match against Chennaiyin FC which is an important game for us at home. We need to be strong, solid and consistent, this way we’ll have the opportunity to finish the day with 30 points,” he said.

In fact, the Gaurs have scored 34 goals in the ongoing season whereas they have conceded 30 goals, which is the most among the top six teams.

“When my team concedes goals, I’m always worried. We are second in most goals scored in the league after Mumbai City FC but it’s true that in the last few games, we’ve been conceding too much. If we want to win games and get points against the top teams, we have to improve that, but in football, everything is about balance. So, I think we are not bad in defence, some situations are difficult to control because sometimes the quality of the opponent also matters. We need to focus on what depends on us and how to score more goals than the opponent,” he added.

Meanwhile, Odisha FC are hot on the heels of FC Goa as the Kalinga Warriors also have 27 points in their bag.