Odisha FC head coach Kino Garcia amplified on the importance to work on their strengths and also mend their weaknesses after a heavy loss, as they gear up to take on Chennaiyin FC in their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 match at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa on Wednesday.

The Bhubaneswar-based team are now placed seventh in the league table, having collected 21 points from 16 matches. A win for them in the upcoming match will rekindle their slim hopes of a top-four finish.

Garcia addressed the pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s game.

Here are the excerpts from the press conference:

A tough loss against Mumbai City FC in the previous game, how do you come back from that?

Yeah, of course it was a tough loss because we received four goals. But in the end, the good thing is that we don't have time to complain about that. We play a match on Wednesday, so we cannot be thinking (about the loss). Of course, we need to improve things.

We talked with the players about things that we need to do. But, in other ways, we saw that it was too big a punishment for what we saw in the game. Anyway, I think the result was too hard. We didn't play that bad. So, we’ll try to focus on good things and try to fix things that are not working.

Your team has conceded the second most number of goals this season. Do you think that the defence needs to be addressed?

But it’s not about the defence when we receive a goal it is the whole team. When we receive our goal is not only defence, it's the whole team, maybe we need to improve some aspects.

So I cannot blame the defenders solely for something like that. And, from me and from the staff, we need to work more and try to adjust some things, we have to understand the competition. We changed the coach in the middle of the session. I think for instance, we improved in how many goals we are receiving from set pieces. We're improving in that.

I think that we received four goals against Mumbai City FC, but if you see the other matches, we didn't receive goals against ATK Mohun Bagan, NorthEast United FC, only one against FC Goa, one against SC East Bengal, so the team is improving of course. So, we just need to work more and work harder and players be focused.

Chennaiyin FC are coming after a 0-5 defeat against FC Goa and they have a new coach. How are you trying to exploit their shaky defence and bag three points from the game?

Of course, but we are going up for three points against any team. We were going for three points against Mumbai City FC, but we couldn't (grab three points), but we are always going into a match for the three points. But you know, after a loss, the mood can be down.

But they changed the coach. The mood will change because every player wants to be on the XI. And every player is motivated to impress the new coach, train and get into the playing XI. So I think that this is going to give them energy and the thing is that they have more days of rest than us. But anyway, I think that the team is prepared and we can beat them.

Here are the excerpts from Jerry Mawihmingthanga's press conference:

The team played well in the first half in the previous game, what went wrong in the second half?

We tried our best I think, but luck was not on our side. If it was our day, we would have gone 2-0 up in the first half itself. In football, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. So, it’s a matter of luck I think.

You have been one of the most consistent Indian players in the league. Do you think call-up to the national team is on the cards?

I hope that (national selection). It’s everyone's dream to play for the country. It is a big dream to represent my nation and to wear the blue jersey is always one of my dreams. So, I hope for the best.