FC Goa head coach Zico is hoping for a turnaround in fortunes ahead of their 2016 Hero Indian Super League encounter against hosts Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Friday evening. The Gaurs lost their first three matches of the season before registering their first point with a 1-1 draw against Atlético de Kolkata in their last match.

“Something happened during the formation of our team, because of the deadline and all the things that happened last season…I feel that the team is playing well. Even though we lost three games it was quite clear that in two games we could have had a completely different result. We lost two games because of our mistakes, not because the opposition played better,” Zico told reporters on Thursday.

Mumbai, who are presently second in the league with eight points from five matches, too haven't had a good time in their last three outings with two draws and one loss. In their last match against Delhi Dynamos FC, they gave away their two-goal advantage twice as it ended all square at 3-3. Zico, however, exonerated Mumbai's defenders. “I think Mumbai City FC played very well. I don't think they lost because of the lack of defence or anything like that. If you see the two goals… one was offside and the other, I would say, was not a penalty. So I feel the referee's decision cost them,” he said.

The Gaurs have conceded seven goals in their four matches so far. When asked what he thought of his team's defending, the Brazilian said: “I don't differentiate between defence and midfield or attack. For me, it's the entire team not defending well. I feel most of the goals that we have conceded are because of our mistakes. We have to improve as a team to defend and attack better.”

Zico also reiterated that the Hero Indian Super League will be better off if it allows seven Indians and four foreigners to make up a playing XI, instead of six foreigners and five Indians. “You need to see what is right, what works for you. In rest of the high-level leagues in Asia, they play seven players from the same country, one from Asia and three from the rest of the world. I think we will have to follow the same thing to further the players' development. As you can see in the ISL, the Indian players struggle a lot as there are few opportunities to play for them. Goal-keepers get more opportunities but we need to have more options for Indian players to play in key positions so they can develop further,” the 63-year-old said.