FC Goa’s head coach Manolo Marquez was glad after their 3-2 win against Odisha FC in the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Saturday. The home team clinched three crucial points after Jay Gupta scored in the dying seconds of the game.
Earlier, Mourtada Fall and Noah Sadaoui scored braces for Odisha FC and FC Goa respectively. However, it was the Gaurs who had the last laugh against the Kalinga Warriors after a late winner from Jay Gupta.
FC Goa had 60% of the possession and took six shots on target and Marquez was happy with his team’s performance.
“I’m very happy. It may be a bit difficult to understand now because, finally, the score today is 3-2, whereas the other day (against Punjab FC) it was 1-0. However, the game the other day was quite crazy. Today, it’s true that we conceded two goals, both from set pieces. The first goal came from a very well-executed set piece, while the second was a mistake by our team. Nevertheless, except for the first 20-25 minutes when the team seemed a bit scared, I believe that in the latter part of the first half and especially throughout almost the entire second half, the team played very well. I think that this is the type of performance we want from the team, but it’s not always achievable,” Marquez said in the post-match press conference.
The Gaurs were left chasing the game after Mourtada Fall scored early in the sixth minute for the visitors.
Speaking on how he motivated his players when they were trailing by 1-0 at half-time, the Spaniard said, “I told them that we would turn the score around because we were playing well. Despite the challenges, we were quickly recovering the ball. We were up against a very strong team with excellent players and a highly successful coach in the ISL. And obviously, you can say whatever you want. But finally, the players entering the pitch were completely convinced that maybe it was the most important thing today. To be convinced that they have the quality to turn scores even playing against a team, that for me is a very good side.”
FC Goa hasn’t had a great record while playing away from home in the recent past and Marquez is hopeful his team will be able to change that in their next match against East Bengal, which will be played at a neutral venue of Bhubaneshwar on 21st October.
“This is another aspect I would like to change because it seems that FC Goa is very strong at home but weak away. I believe that we should be the same team whether we play at home or away. It’s true that today, with the type of game the players played, I think the spectators’ support was crucial. They were fully behind the team, and I consider them key to today’s victory,” he said.
“However, we have to go to Bhubaneswar for the game against East Bengal, and although it’s technically an away game, it’s in a neutral location,” Marquez concluded.
