We will try to score goals and win-Molina

The Kolkata manager insists his team will play with the same mentality...

Atlético de Kolkata head coach Jose Molina has vowed to continue to attack in the second leg of the first semi-final of Hero Indian Super League 2016 against Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Tuesday evening. ATK go into the match on the back of a 3-2 win in Kolkata where all three of their goals came in the first half, and speaking to the media ahead of the second leg, Molina made it clear that no way they were going to adopt a defensive strategy tomorrow.

“We are going to play with the same mentality, the way we played in the first match and we will try to score goals and we will try to win and we will see tomorrow how the match goes once it starts. We always try to play the same way and be good in defence and keep the ball and try to score goals,” the Spaniard said.

Molina also dismissed a suggestion if they will be a little bit more cautious in defence having conceded two in the first leg. “We are going to play the same way and nothing is going to change and we will play the same way we have since our first game of the league,” the 46-year-old said.

“We didn’t do anything different against Mumbai and we tried to do what we have been trying to do from day one. [It’s just that] some days you have the blessings to score goals. I think now we are playing better and the players did really well in the last match and it was a great match and as I have told you we will continue playing the same way.”

Coaching ATK for the first time this season, Molina was also effusive in praise of his defence that has been breached only twice this year in terms of losses, but he insisted he wasn’t complacent on that account. “I think to lose only two matches in 15 is incredible but tomorrow’s match is different and what we did in the past is the past. Tomorrow we want to play a good game and I don’t live in the past. I live in the present and we will try to do well in the 90 minutes tomorrow to reach the final in Kochi. What we did in the past is good but we have to work very hard tomorrow during the 90 minutes,” he said.

In the first leg, both the goals ATK conceded came via free-kicks. When asked if he had done anything to put the brakes on that, Molina said: “We didn’t have time to work on that so far. We will have a pre-match training session and we will work on that and I am sure the players will do well and Forlan [serving a suspension on account of a red card] will be out tomorrow as he put in both of those free-kicks but it doesn’t matter, so we will see tomorrow”.

Interestingly, Mumbai haven’t won a single game this season without Forlan. However, Molina also played down Forlan’s absence caused by the Uruguayan legend’s foul on Jewel Raja that earned him a second yellow card of the night. “I focus on my team and my team is most important for me, like who can play or not play. I know that Forlan is a top-class player and it may be good for us or maybe not. Mumbai have a lot of very good players [not just Forlan].

“I think they have confidence in other players, and with or without Forlan, it does not make a difference and it is never easy against Mumbai and you have to fight in every match and tomorrow we will try to do the same and win. I want only one thing and that is to be in the final and win and become the champion. The only thing on my mind now is to play tomorrow to win and nothing else.”

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Report and Photo Courtesy: ISL Media