Juan Ferrando: Princeton Rebello is as important as Lenny & Brandon

The Spaniard spoke after his side bagged their second successive win of the season.

After what was a gruelling contest, Juan Ferrando and FC Goa laboured to a crucial win against Odisha FC that boosted their playoffs hopes. The victory pushed the Gaurs into fourth place in Indian Super League standings. A lone Igor Angulo goal was enough for all three points, with the Spaniard scoring his sixth goal in the competition off an Alexander Romario assist.

The hard-fought three points aside, Juan Ferrando feels that his team could have brought more to the table. “I am happy about 70 percent. We need more intensity in the press. I think in my opinion, it is necessary to receive more second balls. We should also not lose the ball while building the game.”

The game also saw captain Edu Bedia dropped from the starting XI as a combination of schedule congestion and illness pushed him to the bench. “We have three games in the week. I believe in all the players and it becomes necessary to make changes. And Edu Bedia was ill during the last two days. He is better but we decided in the end to play with (Alberto) Noguera and (Jorge) Ortiz.”

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Juan Ferrando also stressed on the flexibility within his squad, with the Odisha FC match making it five different lineups in five matches. “It is very important to prepare the lineup depending on the opponent. We have a plan during the training sessions, it is necessary to prepare the lineup based on those factors.”

ALSO READ: Igor Angulo strikes again as FC Goa edge Odisha FC

Interestingly, Arshdeep Singh’s performance between the sticks for Odisha FC caught the Spaniard’s eye. “The goalkeeper of Odisha was incredible today. It is important for us to find the spaces. It is also necessary to have a clear mentality and prepare a plan according to how the opponent reacts.”

Lastly, Juan Ferrando also stressed on the importance of several young talents at his disposal and the potential he sees in them. “For me, Princeton (Rebello) is very important as other players like Lenny (Rodrigues), Alberto Noguera, Edu or Brandon (Fernandes). We have players with good quality, like Nestor (Dias) for example. The players are hardworking. They understand the concepts well,” he concluded.

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