Match against Hyderabad FC will be a difficult game, says Juan Ferrando

After three defeats on the trot, FC Goa have their last two games.

After two wins in a row, FC Goa are set to take on the high-flying Hyderabad FC in their next home game on Saturday. Following a relatively slow start to the season, Juan Ferrando’s men have begun delivering and are currently in eighth place, with six points under their belt. Hyderabad FC too, have won back-to-back games and are coming into this encounter on the back of a 5-1 victory over NorthEast United.

A win for FC Goa will take them to the fifth spot, while three points will ensure the Nizams second place in the table. Ahead of Saturday’s encounter, FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando and defender Aibanbha Dohling interacted with the media in the pre-match press conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHpXDRTyKJo

Will Ortiz suspension harm momentum?

Things have started to fall into place for FC Goa. But, unfortunately, they’ll be missing Jorge Ortiz, who was shown a straight red in the previous match.

Will this suspension harm the momentum of the Gaurs? Juan Ferrando stated, “At this moment, the most important for me is that the team is focusing in the game against Hyderabad tomorrow. It is very important for the 29 players to be ready. Of course, there are injuries, there is one red card, but it is important to put focus on the next 90 minutes. The rest of the details is not so important because its distraction for the team.”

Devendra’s Performance

Devendra Murgaonkar played some fantastic football against Bengaluru FC and was named as the Man of the Match. When asked if he's happy with his performance, the boss replied, “I’m not very happy. We can improve a lot in some details – in transitions, positional attack, in controlling the space, it’s necessary to work in a more compact manner in some points in the moment of the game.

"Also, the game is of 90 minutes. Sometimes, we have not put attention is tactical details. It is very important to primarily change these details for the team, the club and the players.”

Difficulty in defending during transitions

FC Goa have had a tough time while defending during transitions. On the other hand, Hyderabad FC have a habit of edging past their opponents during these transitions.

When asked if this will be the most difficult part of the game, Juan Ferrando quipped, “Tomorrow it’s a difficult game because there is good balance in this team – the young players have a very good physical condition, along with the experienced players like Juanan, Ogbeche. They have a good mix in the team. In this case, it is necessary to put attention in transitions because sometimes they find the spaces.

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"They know the timing – when is the best time for transition in attack, the best moment to keep calm and be ready for positional attack. There are a lot of details which are very important for us to be controlled because in my point of view, maybe they are the best team at this point. About the plans of Hyderabad - in the five games and also in the last season, I am so happy about the level of their game.”

Regarding Throw-ins

Throw-ins are developing into an important aspect of the game of football. Last season, we saw how SC East Bengal utilized Raju Gaikwad’s throw-ins to score goals. This campaign also, they have done it once against Kerala Blasters.

When asked if FC Goa prepares these throw-ins (both in attacking and defending) during training sessions, the tactician commented, “It is necessary to prepare on every detail. In football or sports there is no real statistic that you work in one set-piece and you have success in defence and offence. Sometimes it depends on the game, on the moment. There are a lot of details.”

He added on the importance of long throw-ins in modern football, “In India the size of the pitch is small. Here, it’s so easy to put throw-ins primarily like a corner. But, I don’t like that because when you decide to put a throw-in, the ball is in the air. When the ball is in the air, it’s 50% for the defensive team and 50% for the offensive team. Regarding throw ins, I like to keep calm, good position, take control of the ball.”

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Balance between four foreigners

FC Goa played with the same foreign lineup in the last two matches. In the games prior to the one against SC East Bengal, the Gaurs played different foreign players on different occasions. But, now, with Ortiz suspended, Juan Ferrando will need to bring in a change again in his foreign lineup.

When asked about the difficulty in finding the correct balance between the four foreigners, the 40-year-old stated, “In my team, in the initial stage, (Dylan) Fox and Airam (Cabrera) were injured. It was easy for us to choose the foreign players. Then step-by-step Fox was better and now he can participate in the team and play. In case of Airam, after two weeks he has now started training.

"The most important for me this season is to find the balance. It’s difficult because sometimes we have problems with injuries. In this case though, it’s a red card. But, sometimes it’s necessary to think about your plan, prepare the plan and then select the best foreign players. It’s not so easy. For me the most important is firstly, the performance of the foerign players and then prepare the plan about who is possible to help in this plan.”

Injuries

The head coach shed light on the injury concerns of the team ahead of Saturday’s clash. “Brandon (Fernandes) is in the process of recovery. We have some players with some problems. But, we’ll see. Today is the last training. The medical staff is working now. Maybe at the end of training tonight or tomorrow morning we can decide the squad.”

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Facing Hyderabad FC

Aibanbha Dohling assisted the head coach in the pre-match press conference. Here’s what he had to say. Even though the Gaurs have sealed two wins in a row, conceding goals has been a concern for the Goan outfit.

When asked about the difficulty in facing the Nizams, who are coming into this game on the verge of a 5-1 victory, the defender said, “I think in the last two games we played as a team. So, Hyderabad’s result against NorthEast United doesn’t really concern us. But, we are well-prepared for tomorrow’s game. We are prepared for every aspect of the game and we are looking forward for tomorrow. It’s a big a game and we have to be ready. Everyone has to be in their 100% and give our best.”

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