Draw against Mohun Bagan SG would've been a fair result: FC Goa’s Manolo Marquez
FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez shared his thoughts after his side suffered their first ISL defeat of the campaign.
FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez feels that a draw would have been a fair result after his side suffered their first defeat of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023–24 season against Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Wednesday.
Australian forward Dimitri Petratos broke the deadlock in the 74th minute, which ended up being the only difference between both sides. The Mariners became the first team to beat the Gaurs in the ISL, bringing an end to their 12-match unbeaten run. Petratos' goal came from FC Goa custodian Arshdeep Singh’s unforced error when his wayward clearance made it way towards Petratos, whose opportunist strike opened the goal bound for the visitors.
Marquez acknowledged the challenges of remaining unbeaten for a long period, but he wants to see how his team will respond in their upcoming matches after suffering their first loss of the season.
“In football, it's very difficult to win or draw every game. One day you have to lose, which was today,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“For me, they are good teams. You can see both teams after the defeats. How we will react is important. If we react as a competitive team, it means that we are a good team now; if we lose two or three consecutive games, it means that we don't deserve to be on top or second in the table,” he added.
Our unbeaten run in the ISL comes to an end.#FCGMBSG pic.twitter.com/aEmJU9qRgN
— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) February 14, 2024
In the first half, FC Goa displayed superiority, creating more clear-cut opportunities than their opponents. However, they yielded to the pressure exerted by the opposition in the second half, ultimately conceding a goal.
Despite enjoying a greater share of ball possession and registering more shots, the Gaurs struggled to capitalize on their goal-scoring chances, failing to secure an equaliser. Marquez expressed the opinion that his team deserved a point based on their overall performance throughout the game.
Speaking in context, he commented, “We know that one day we will lose. My feeling is that in other games that we won, maybe we didn't deserve it. And today was even because the goal was not a chance. I think that a draw would have been a fair (result).”
