We showed why we were not Shield champion: FC Goa boss Manolo Marquez after stunning 3-2 loss in ISL semi-final against Mumbai City FC

Manolo Marquez also praised the fans for their constant support.

In the final moments of the game, Petr Kratky’s Islanders pulled off a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Indian Super League’s (ISL) first leg of the second semi-final between FC Goa and Mumbai City FC. Vikram Partap Singh started the comeback, and Lalianzuala Chhangte stole the show with a brace in injury time. FC Goa had a 2-0 lead at the interval, but the visitors’ late comeback took center stage.

Post-game, FC Goa head coach, Manolo Marquez got into a conversation with the media, sharing his insights from their first-leg performance in the semi-final round. Let’s dive deep into the excepts.

Thoughts on the game

Till the 86th minute of the game, it seemed like an easy 2-0 victory for the Gaurs only to spare for the late drama that was coming up ahead. While asked about his thoughts on this match, FC Goa boss, Manolo Marquez said, “My feeling was that we have played maybe the best game in the competition.

“That is till the 85th minute. And then we showed why we were not the champions of the Shield. We conceded three goals in eight minutes in Kerala. We conceded three goals in eight minutes in Punjab. Now we conceded three goals today. That is why we are not the Shield champions.”

He further added, “You can play a very good game. Tactically they understood very well. Technically they played well, and the players played a very good game. Physically, because they played against a strong team, they were okay. That was a pity, the injury of Yasir.

“But the most important part was, we did have the most important part, that is the mentality. I told the players, not in FC Goa, in all the teams I had trained, if you don’t have enough mentality to play football, play an individual sport, but don’t kill the teammates.”

Thoughts on the reputation

Coach Manolo Marquez sees his team’s shortcomings during the game in the press conference. “No, I think there are some moments that the team had shown.”

“For example, when we pressed concretely from the goal kick, in the second goal the players forgot. That was because the players didn’t press in the 90th minute. Then all the action was like, all players were out of the position. Things that happen in football can happen once, but when these things happen three times, the problem was easy to know, the lack of character in the team.”

Thoughts on lack of character

The Spanish gaffer who has been leading the Gaurs’ camp said that players lacked character in their game. “No, no. Now they have to speak between them. That is not about the coach, about the tactics, about the things. They have to know. If I were a player today, I would be very angry at how Mumbai celebrates the victory on our faces”, Manolo Marquez replied.

He also added, “They were here for the 90 minutes of the game. If they can show character in their game throughout the 90 minutes then in the end we saw, who won the game.”

Thoughts on fans

Manolo Marquez praised the supporters wholeheartedly who were cheering for FC Goa at the stadium. He said, “The fans were fantastic today. They supported us throughout the game. It was a fantastic atmosphere for a player to play a game of football in these conditions. We already knew who were up against us. Mumbai City FC is a big team in Indian football unlike other small clubs given the level of football they have played during the playing minutes.”

Thoughts on substituting Brandon

The coach shared his perspective on substituting Brandon during the game. According to the coach, “Brandon wasn’t able to press anymore. He was very tired.”

“I had to keep the game going. Some players were already physically down and Brandon was substituted in the 85th minute when the team was 2-0 up. Later we conceded three goals which was an accident. But we have won many games because of Brandon,” he concluded.

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