Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Juan Ferrando hailed his players for showing great character in their 3-2 win over Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League on Wednesday at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.
Mohammed Sanan scored the early goal courtesy of a miscommunication from the MBSG backline. However, after getting dominated by the hosts in the first quarter. The Mariners struck back with Armando Sadiku scoring his first ISL goal in the 29th minute. He brought them to level terms going into the break. In the second half, Liston Colaco scored a blinder to hand MBSG the lead before Kiyan Nassiri added the third for the visitors.
In the 67th minute, Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper TP Rehenesh was sent off which made matters worse for the home side. However, a late penalty from Steve Ambri meant they were still in with a shout but the Mariners’ defence held onto the lead.
Mohun Bagan SG are one of the three teams in the ISL to remain unbeaten but they are the only team to win all their matches. Ferrando was pleased that his team won a tricky clash considering the tough week that they had. “The last week was tough for some players because we had (players with) fever and some problems, but I’m happy for them.. When you have good results, I’m thinking of supporters, I’m thinking about the players. They (players) are working hard. I’m happy for them. But this is football; memories are not enough. We need to recover and continue working,” he stated in the press conference.
It was a difficult start for the Mariners as there was a massive defensive lapse which caused the first goal for Jamshedpur FC. But the Mariners showed great character to come back in the game and eventually took all three points from the away game.
“It was one mistake for us (the first goal), because we did not completely control the space, and then we were confused for one moment. For me, the most important thing is when you concede one goal; it’s about trying to find the solution. Why? And the second is the reaction. Sometimes in football, there exists one action, but the most important is the reaction. The team continued to work in the same line; we changed some details. In the end, it’s good,” Ferrando said.
Ferrando made three changes to the team that won against Chennaiyin FC. Players like Armando Sadiku, Glan Martins and Hector Yuste getting a start replacing Anwar Ali, Jason Cummings and Hugo Boumous. Addressing the changes, he said, “It’s unnecessary to talk about the missing players. Of course, I miss the players, but when I see injuries because I love my players, I love my squad.”
MBSG will play their next match in the AFC Cup against Bashundhara Kings on November 7 at the Kings Arena in Dhaka. It will be a very vital match for both teams.
