East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon lamented his team's missed opportunities in their 1-0 defeat to FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) at Fatorda Stadium on Sunday. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he admitted his side lacked the effectiveness required to capitalize on their chances but remained optimistic about their progress despite a difficult phase this season.

The only goal of the game came in the 13th minute when Brison Fernandes scored with a superbly timed header off a Borja Herrera cross. Despite the early setback, East Bengal FC pushed forward relentlessly in the second half, creating multiple chances but failing to convert, with FC Goa’s backline standing tall to preserve their lead.

FT | We tried our best, but the result didn't go our way. 💔#ISL #FCGEBFC pic.twitter.com/9tkvZr0VLO

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) January 19, 2025

"First of all, congratulations to FC Goa because they were more effective than us," Bruzon began. "I wouldn’t say we were unfortunate because it’s something that has been happening in the last weeks. I think that at some points we have full control of the game, but these games is always decided in the boxes."

"Today one cross behind our centre-back and in front of our goalkeeper. We conceded, and we created a lot of chances, especially in the second half, but we could not capitalize. So the result is just a consequence of being effective or ineffective in both boxes," he added reflecting on the lone goal that gave FC Goa their win.

East Bengal FC had spells of dominance but failed to find the back of the net. Despite generating more shots on goal than FC Goa, that included forcing keeper Hrithik Tiwari into five saves, they failed to convert.

When asked about the team talk after trailing at half-time, Bruzon revealed: "Well, the motivation is always there. We are going through a very difficult situation on the table. We are playing good games, and we don’t have the feeling that the rivals are better than us, but the results are not coming… I think that in the second half, Mahesh [Naorem] especially was linking up very well with the upfront players…. So it was just a slight modification on how to press their centre-backs with our two strikers. I think it clicked because we provoked the situation that we wanted, but we could not convert," he said.

Bruzon also addressed the impact of injuries and suspensions on his team’s performance.

"I said yesterday that in every battle we need to shape all the ingredients and all the resources. We need to find positions of players that they are not used to playing.. .So no doubt the injuries are penalizing us a lot, but again there are some positives in the game of today. Some players are about to come out from injuries, and I’m sure that in the last part of the season if we have the full strength and the full force, I think that we can end the season very well.” he stated

“We have also the AFC Cup in March, so it's a moment to recompose and try to finish the season not in the way that it's going nowadays," he added.

With this defeat, East Bengal FC remains in the 11th position on the table just outside of playoff hopes with 14 points. East Bengal FC will next face Kerala Blasters FC on 24th January hoping to reignite their playoff dreams.

Looking ahead, Bruzon highlighted the challenges and the team’s focus on maintaining hope for a top-six finish. He said, "It’s a very optimistic objective for us… The first thing is trying to win three consecutive games. If we perform like this, it’s not going to be difficult, but we need to be more effective.”