Carlos Pena praises his team's fighting spirit and character

The Gaurs returned to winning ways with a promising victory in front of their fans.

FC Goa replicated the reverse fixture scoreline with a 3-1 victory against Kerala Blasters at Fatorda on Sunday in the ISL 2022-23. After Iker Guarrotxena’s opening penalty, Noah Sadaoui’s solo run and goal solidified their lead before the break. Ivan Vukomanovic’s men pulled one back after the break through Dimitrios Diamantakos, as Goa had a momentary lapse of concentration. However, their joy and hope was short-lived as super sub Redeem Tlang came off the bench to score. The winger’s goal condemned Kerala to a second successive defeat as Carlos Pena's side rose to fifth place.

Manager Carlos Pena was in a buoyant mood as he answered the media in the post-match press conference. 

On another home match win after a loss against Hyderabad in their last

Hyderabad FC overpowered Carlos Pena’s side in their last home game at the Fatorda as Ogbeche bagged a hat-trick. It was a pleasant return for both the team and the fans as they answered Vukomanovic’s side with a reverse scoreline. Speaking about the same, the Spanish tactician mentioned:

“I feel very happy because we came (back) from (what was) a difficult moment for us. We came (back) from a rough four games with no wins. Although we performed well in those games, like against Hyderabad (FC) we did well, then against NorthEast (United), we could have won the game, we were not getting the result we wanted. Today, maybe we did not have our best game because we had problems with keeping the ball. But we still got all three points. So, again, I’m very happy for my team and my players because they work extremely hard each day and they deserve this win."

On the importance of this game and the remaining games for the playoffs spot

FC Goa are surely in contention for a berth in the knockout stages this season. With a win, they seem to be back on track for the same. However, they have to and vow to keep their momentum for the next five games as their manager promised:

“It (the win) was very important (for us) because I felt some pessimism in the environment and a feeling that FC Goa was going down. From my perspective, while working with and within the club, I can say that this team works very hard. Of course, we committed mistakes, we had bad days and we were not getting the results we wanted. But the guys continued to work very hard regardless. I hope this win is a point of reflection for us that can give us the necessary energy for the last step. This was also crucial for the fans. We want them to come in numbers and cheer for us because they are pivotal to our success. I know that we are alive and we’ll fight for everything. We’ll give it everything we have because I know these guys.” 

On the physical battles and the rising temperatures with the progression of the game

The latter half of the game saw a number of rough physical challenges as both sides battled hard for points. While Ayush Chhetri got injured (in the first half itself), Adrian Luna, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, and Hormipam Ruivah all went into the book for silly offenses. On being asked whether this physical side of the game hampered their rhythm, Carlos Pena replied:  

“No no (chuckles). In a nervous game with tension and two teams fighting for the playoffs, these things are normal no? It happens on the pitch. We tried to match their physicality but it was very difficult for us because we aren’t a physically strong team like them. But they showcased a lot of courage, played bravely, and defended very well in the second half. That finally gave us all three points.” 

On what they did well according to him, especially after a defeat in the reverse fixture 

FC Goa managed to replicate the exact 3-1 scoreline that Kerala Blasters had inflicted on them in the reverse fixture. Noah Sadaoui, Iker Guarrotxena and Redeem Tlang all got in on the act for the Gaurs, as Diamantakos pulled one back for the Tuskers. Carlos Pena praised his team as he concluded:

“The fighting spirit that the team showed along with the character was the most important part of the game for me today. We played some really good football in some moments and the guys were really competitive. The team tried to create dangerous areas down the wings and in the first half we could do that. So for me, the most important thing was our team spirit and the fact that we showed that we still have some fight left in us."