Impossible to be happy today, says Juan Ferrando after NorthEast loss

The Gaurs are currently languishing at the bottom of the ISL 2021-22 table.

FC Goa extended their winless run in the ISL to three games as they were beaten by NorthEast United by a late winner on Saturday night. The match ended 2-1 in favour of NorthEast United, pushing them up to the eighth position. On the other hand, Juan Ferrando and his squad suffered yet another loss and see themselves rooted to the bottom of the table.

The match was full of end-to-end action with both the teams applying pressure to secure their first victory of the season. The game began with FC Goa looking like the superior side, but to their surprise, the Gaurs suffered a blow in the form of a calm and composed finish from Rochharzela on the 10th minute mark.

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It didn’t take much time however, for the Gaurs to get themselves back on track. Alexander Romario Jesuraj bagged the equalizer for the Gaurs on the 13th minute. At the end, NorthEast's Khassa Camara emerged as the show-stopper when he scored the late winner for the hosts on the 93rd minute. Following the game, FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando interacted in the post-match press conference, speaking about the defeat, the performance and more.

On the defensive performance

It was a last-minute pile-driver from Khassa Camara which led to another defeat for the Gaurs. Juan Ferrando took a bold decision to bench Edu Bedia and give a chance to the former NorthEast defender Dylan Fox.

The decision came back to haunt the Gaurs as Dylan Fox and Ivan Gonzalez didn’t seem convincing enough throughout the match. Fortune favoured the Gaurs from conceding more, as Mathias Coureur was denied twice by the woodwork. But comparatively, the defence looked in a better shape than the previous encounter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAH2CuN5FBc

When asked if the coach was happy about the team’s defensive display on Saturday night, Juan Ferrando replied, “No. Of course, no. It’s impossible to be happy today.”

Unlucky loss?

Throughout the game, the Gaurs dominated possession and even had a better passing accuracy. They could have stolen the show, but somehow, they didn’t manage to clinch the three points.

When asked if this was an unlucky loss for the team, the tactician quipped, “I don’t prefer to think about unlucky, lucky. The truth at the end is that we lost. When the team was thinking of winning the game, because he did all the substitutions. Never wasted the time. We were thinking to win, but the end we lost. This is the truth. Not thinking about unlucky or lucky.”

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Evaluating Dylan Fox’s performance

Dylan Fox made his debut for the Gaurs on Saturday night against his former side. Fox was used mostly as a second-ball specialist, as he is not much of a destroyer like Ivan Gonzalez.

“Today’s game was important for him because NorthEast decided to play large, for the second ball. In this case, we assigned the best players for fighting for the second ball and to control these situations," he asserted.

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What went wrong?

It was FC Goa who created more chances than their oppositions. They registered 22 shots in the game, out of which nine were on target. However, Juan Ferrando is not much of a person to think about the favours provided by fate.

“Thinking about chances, at the end this is football. The most important is win. I am not thinking about the chances or unlucky, lucky. I am thinking today about the team’s loss in the last minute. This is a difficult psychological moment for the team," he remarked.

What is next?

FC Goa now sit at the bottom of the table, waiting to secure their opening point(s). The team will have to work hard for their next match on December 7, as they’ll be facing SC East Bengal who had put on a commendable show in their previous game. The Gaurs also have just two days to get themselves geared up for this encounter. But what will be their next move to assure points at this stage?

“Now, it’s difficult to say. Normally you understand it is confusing for the players, me and the coaching staff. It’s a difficult moment. I think it’s time to take a breath and we’ll see tomorrow," Juan Ferrando concluded.

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