Football

ISL 2022-23: The results are coming and the team is improving a lot: FC Goa’s Carlos Pena

FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena was delighted with his team’s 4-2 win over East Bengal FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa on Thursday. Pena stated that the results are going their way and the team is improving a lot in the recent past.

The Gaurs had also won their Sunday fixture against Kerala Blasters by 3-1. FC Goa is currently in third position in the standings with eight wins from 16 matches and a total of 26 points. Thus, they look all set to qualify for the playoff stages.

Meanwhile, Guarratoxena scored a hat-trick for the home team whereas Brandon Fernandes scored in the 53rd minute to give a comprehensive lead of 4-0 to his team. Suhair and Sarthak scored for the visitors but it was not enough for East Bengal FC.

“They pushed us a lot in the second half. They created a lot of problems. They played with pride. They crossed a lot and had many set-pieces. They scored two goals but overall, we were better than them and deserved the victory. They came here with few chances remaining to reach the playoffs, but they played a good game,” said Pena at the official post-match press conference.

“We need to be humble. We are happy and confident. We need to think about how in the next game against Odisha FC we can get the three points and try to assure a place in the playoffs as soon as possible,” he added.

Guarratoxena scored a fine hat trick to continue his dream form for the Gaurs. The Spaniard has scored 10 goals in 16 matches of the ongoing season and Pena was all praise for the striker.

“It’s very important for a striker to score goals. Iker has helped the team since the start of the season. At the start, he didn’t score too many goals but he worked a lot for the team. Now, he is having more accuracy. He’s understanding better what we want from him. I’m very happy for him because he is a hard worker and a nice person,” said FC Goa head coach Pena.

Pena feels the competition for the top six is intense and the team is improving after they lost against Hyderabad FC.

“Many teams were having possibilities of getting into the top six. Many of them thought we were the opponent to catch. But when we lost against Hyderabad FC, I said the performance of the team was good. I felt that the team was improving. Against NorthEast United FC, we didn’t play a bad game, but we didn’t get the result. But now, the results are coming and the team is improving a lot. We are reaching the last games with our best performances and we are confident now. There are still four games to finish the league and then the playoffs, if we qualify. We need to keep working this way,” Pena concluded.

FC Goa will next take on Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar on 6th February.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Riyan Parag reacts on being appointed RR captain for first three IPL 2025 matches, says he is ready for the challenge

Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag is ready to take the captaincy challenge in the first three… Read More

March 21, 2025

Michael Clarke praises new RCB management for moving away from ‘superstar culture’

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has showered praise on new Royal Challengers Bengaluru management for… Read More

March 21, 2025

Sanjay Manjrekar sheds light on Test future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, backs former to turn his form

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has backed Virat Kohli to turn his form in the… Read More

March 21, 2025

Michael Clarke backs CSK to have another successful season ahead of IPL 2025, says they always seem to overachieve

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has backed Chennai Super Kings to have another successful season… Read More

March 21, 2025

India Ends 15-Month Winless Streak with 3-0 Victory Over

India registered a resounding 3-0 victory over the Maldives in a FIFA International Friendly at… Read More

March 20, 2025

PV Sindhu Crashes Out in Swiss Open 2025; Kidambi Srikanth, Priyanshu Rajawat Advance

Former world champion PV Sindhu faced an early exit from the Swiss Open 2025 badminton… Read More

March 20, 2025