Gerard Zaragoza 'frustrated' about missed chances after Jamshedpur FC stage late comeback win in ISL

The Blues’ head coach rues missed chances as they slipped to their third loss of the season.

Following a dramatic end to their matchweek 15 Indian Super League (ISL) clash, Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza was ruing missed opportunities. The Blues succumbed to a shock loss as they failed to capitalize on a commanding first-half performance. Late goals from Jordan Murray and Muhammad Uvais sealed the fate as they hung on to their precious lead.

Speaking after the game, Gerard Zaragoza expressed disappointment at his team’s inability to close out the match in the post-match press conference. It’s a tough loss for Gerard Zaragoza’s men who have missed the opportunity to pile on the pressure on league leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Gerard Zaragoza gives a damning verdict on the result

The Spaniard was fairly frustrated after leading the game with their slender 1-0 lead for 84 minutes. While talking about the result, he stated, “The reality is yes because we gave them three points. Because we had the control of the game, totally, totally the control of the game. In the first half, we could finish easily 0-2, 0-3 and kill the game. I loved the game that my players did, but we cannot lose three points at one point.”

Despite going ahead in the 19th minute through Alberto Noguera’s goal, Jamshedpur kept the game close within their reach. However, the failure of the Blues to convert chances throughout the game left the door open for Jamshedpur, who adopted a more direct, and physical style of play, which ultimately won them the game.

The Blues just crumbled late in the second half

The turning point of the match for the Blues came late in the second half. It was an off-pitch altercation with coach Gerard Zaragoza, who was shown a yellow card for dissent following a contentious foul call in the game. The Spaniard was flummoxed with the decision and he vehemently disagreed with the referee’s call. The free kick that shortly followed led directly to Jamshedpur’s equalizer, sparking a shift in momentum in the game.

While talking about the decision, Gerard Zaragoza stated, “Even Jamshedpur’s players admitted it wasn’t a foul. That yellow card means I can’t do my job in the next game, and they scored from the resulting play.” Jamshedpur capitalized on the chaos, scoring the winner through Muhammad Uvais in the dying moments to complete a stunning comeback.

Gerard Zaragoza, while critical of his team’s defensive lapses, also pointed to the unpredictability of football. While talking about the costly error that led to the final goal, he stated, “It’s a game of mistakes. When you’re leading in the 85th minute, you can’t afford to let it slip. We love to win, and it’s frustrating when you know you deserved better.”

Gerard Zaragoza is still optimistic about the upcoming games

Despite the disappointment, Gerard Zaragoza remained optimistic about the road ahead. While looking ahead to the winter transfer window, he stated, “This is not over. We aim to make January a great month, and I’m confident we will bounce back.”

He further conveyed a message of resilience to his players, while stating, “This loss is tough, but it’s football. We need to keep the ball, lead the game, and learn from this.” Bengaluru’s inability to convert their dominance into goals continues to be a concern, even though Zaragoza noted their recent scoring consistency. He noted, “We’ve been scoring at least two goals per game lately. But today, despite creating many chances, we failed to finish them off when it mattered.”

Following the result, Bengaluru FC will now turn their attention to their next fixture and will be determined to rectify their mistakes and get back to winning ways as soon as possible. The West Block Blues will hope Zaragoza’s belief in a strong January translates into results on the pitch as they rally back their contention for the ISL shield.

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