Find out what FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez said about these 'two players'

Manolo Marquez’ kept his unbeaten record safe against Bengaluru FC.

Manolo Marquez’s FC Goa registered their maiden win at home in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season after decimating Bengaluru FC home ending their unbeaten run in the tournament. The Gaurs were dominant from the first minute letting Zaragoza’s men know of their intentions.

In the first half it looked like the Blues were letting Goa dominate the ball and wait to hit them on  a counter. The first half looked like a game of chess as all the attacking attempts made by the home team were nullified thanks to the sturdy defence of Bengaluru. At the stroke of half time the game was poised to end in an uninteresting and goalless draw.

The patience of FC Goa finally prevailed as Pedro Capo, who shifted as a central back after Jovanovic’s injury, mis-passed the ball to Sahil Tavora who orchestrated the buildup and passed the ball to Mohammed Yasir.

Yasir was through on goal, intelligently squared the ball to Armando Sadiku at the far post to give Marquez’s side the first goal.

Following that goal, the floodgates opened for FC Goa who added two more goals to seal the game ending the game 3-0 in favour of the Gaurs.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru FC coach Gerard Zaragoza reveals what went wrong against FC Goa

Manolo Marquez’s thoughts on inclusion of Hrithik Tiwari and Sandesh Jhinghan

Before the start of the game, FC Goa made two changes in their lineup. Young goalkeeper, Hrithik Tiwari started his first game of the season in absence of Laxmikant Kattimani and veteran defender Sandesh Jhinghan returned to the field after 11 months post his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury.

When asked about the performances of his players, head coach Manolo Marquez highlighted the importance of squad depth, emphasizing that every player is essential to the team’s progress. “This is a squad, and just now when we finished the game today, we spoke about the players who didn’t play today, that we will need them. 100%. You cannot play only with 11, 12, or 13 players. You need to play with a lot of players,” Marquez noted.

Reflecting on his decision-making during the game, Manolo Marquez added, “Even at one moment, I was thinking to substitute Sandesh and play with Jay Gupta, but in the water break, Sandesh told me he could continue. He played a very good game. For me, he is a top centre-back in India.”

Manolo Marquez also expressed satisfaction with Hrithik’s performance, praising his composure under pressure. “We are very happy for Hrithik. We are very satisfied with him because it’s not easy. I think that his character helped him a lot today. He is very calm… I don’t remember great saves, but he was very calm and very important for the team,” Manolo stated.

Manolo emphasized that the players feel confident with Hrithik, just as they do with Kattimani or other goalkeeper like Bob, who also impressed in pre-season.

Commenting on Sandesh Jhinghan’s impact on FC Goa’s defense, Manolo Marquez acknowledged the difference his presence makes: “Yes, but it’s not because the players who were playing before are good or bad. You are speaking about the best Indian centre-back. He’s a player that maybe technically is not in his best condition, but he’s a leader in the team.”

However, Manolo Marquez tempered expectations, concluding, “Now we cannot expect seven consecutive clean sheets.”

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