Delhi Dynamos FC played out an absorbing 3-3 draw against Kerala Blasters FC in their 2015 Hero Indian Super League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. It looked like Delhi were about to be handed their first loss of the season at home when Sehnaj Singh unleashed a stunning shot from about 35 yards to equalise for the hosts late into injury time. Florent Malouda, who made his seventh assist of the season during the game, spoke to indiansuperleague.com shortly after the match and shared his thoughts on the Lions’ defensive performance on Thursday while also looking ahead to the remainder of the season. Here are the excerpts from the interview.A goal in the last minute! What do you make of the team’s performance tonight?I’m very disappointed because we had a chance to be first [in the standings] after this game. We started well, but later on, we became a bit sloppy. We gave them quite a lot of confidence by giving them a chance to come back. It’s good that we did not lose this game but a win was what we were seeking tonight.Do you think Kerala were more motivated initially?That could also be attributed to our bad performance. For the semi-finals, we’ll have to learn from what happened tonight, especially in our next game against FC Goa. We cannot afford to make any mistakes in the semis.How important is it to end the league phase with a win against Goa?It’s very important for our confidence, we need that for the semi-final stage. Goa is a strong team; we have lost an away game against them [this season]. I think we must have that feeling of revenge against Goa."I consider myself a playmaker and thus, I need to be in control of the game."Florent MaloudaDo you think Delhi’s defence has faltered a bit in the last few games?Yes. After tonight’s performance, as well as the one against Chennai, we need to ask ourselves a few questions about our defensive performance. It’s been poor, and we need to correct that.Having played every game for Delhi this season, do you feel the same motivation now as you did while playing in Europe?Yes, I do. I work a lot on my fitness. I consider myself a playmaker and thus, I need to be in control of the game. Accordingly, I have to take care of my fitness levels on and off the field. Which is why the coach [Roberto Carlos] decided to give me some rest tonight so that I could play a better role in the semi-finals.
