Didn't expect there will be five goals in this game, says Mumbai City FC boss Petr Kratky

Petr Kratky also shed light on his experience here in India till now.

In an electrifying display of resilience, Mumbai City FC orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the first leg of ISL semi-finals against FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium. Initially trailing 2-0, Boris Singh and Brandon Fernandes had put Goa ahead. However, Mumbai City FC, under the tactical helm of Petr Kratky, refused to surrender. 

The tide shifted dramatically as Jayesh Rane, coming off the bench, emerged as the catalyst for Mumbai’s resurgence. With sheer determination, Mumbai City FC clawed their way back into the contest. Rane’s instrumental presence on the field proved pivotal as he orchestrated both goals for Lallianzuala Chhangte, effectively igniting the comeback. 

In a breathtaking six-minute spell, Mumbai City FC netted thrice, flipping the game on its head and leaving Goa shell-shocked. Petr Kratky seemed happy with the win and here is what he had to say in the post-match press conference:

Win at Fatorda

Winning at Fatorda is no easy job, that too turning around a game against a team coached by Manolo Marquez. But, if there’s one team that can do it, it has got to be Petr Kratky’s Blue army. The coach first of all disagreed to the quiz that FC Goa dominated the game as he said, “Firstly, I don’t think they dominated all 90 minutes. I will disagree with that. But, it was an equal game. We knew Goa are a quality team. There were good patches for both the sides. So, the game was equal and it is still on. The goals away don’t count, so we have to make sure we don’t concede goals again (in the second leg).

“Our defence is strong because I believe scoring is very hard. It was a fantastic game to watch because of the high quality ending to it. I didn’t expect there will be five goals, but I thought there would be one or two.”

Thoughts on the final minutes

The final minutes of the game were the highlight for the Islanders. The coach believed the momentum helped his team to score more. “I think we got the momentum to score goals. Boys were back on the track with the spirits and beliefs and we got another one. To come back from 2-0 down against a very good team and then to score again – it really is a great comeback. I told my side before the game that we have to learn from the Mohun Bagan game; we need to come here with the want to win. That’s what they did and I am very proud of them.”

Plans at home

The return leg is on 29th April. Mumbai City FC have a slender one goal lead, but the coach believes that the game is very much open and that he will not be complacent with the lead. He asserted, “New game for me. 0-0 will be the scoreline at the start. Our players will play again to win, because this is us. We want to go for it. I want that mentality there (in Mumbai). We are going home with good comeback from here. We had to bounce back from the Mohun Bagan game because that was very hard for us. We knew it will not be an easy game. So we shouldn’t be mentally weak. We had to be very strong because Goa are a quality team and can hurt you. Happy that we are going home with good spirits.”

Experience so far

Petr Kratky has also highlighted his experience this season. He expressed, “Very good. Enjoying. It’s always good when you are winning (laughs). It hurts when you lose, like the game against Mohun Bagan. But this is part of the journey. Everything is learning. We don’t lose, we learn. We are trying to do that. For me personally, I am really enjoying it. I am also enjoying the culture, learning a little bit of Hindi now, to talk to people which is really good. The boys are very good, the cup is very good, standard of ISL is really good. So, it’s all positive experience for me.”

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