Ahead of the clash against FC Goa, Odisha FC head coach Kiko Ramirez wants his side to push for more points before the halfway point of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is reached and also feels that his team need to start keeping clean sheets.

Odisha FC are yet to gather a point from this fixture as FC Goa have emerged victorious on all four previous occasions.

Head Coach Kiko Ramirez and striker Aridai Cabrera attended the pre-match press conference along with Assistant Coach and Head of Football Development Kino Garcia.

Here are the excerpts from Ramirez and Garcia’s press conference:

Six matches, only one clean sheet. Do you think the team needs to improve defensively?

Ramirez: As a coach, I want that. One of the objectives for coaches is that we don’t concede any goal. Every day it's good for a show because there are always a lot of goals in the matches. So it's something that maybe is not good for coaches, but good for the people that are watching the games.

The team has managed nine points in six matches. What is your assessment of the team’s performance?

Ramirez: In a general aspect, counting points is okay but I am not happy with the last few matches. If we can make another nine points before the first part of the Hero ISL, it will be really good.

What do you think about FC Goa as an opponent?

Garcia: We know they have a clear style of play and it's absolute. That is something that the staff was working on during the whole week thinking that they like the possession game. Let's see what we can find now that they have changed the coach. We know that they will keep the style, but we'll see if they change some aspects during the match.

Do you think the change in coach would have taken FC Goa aback mentally and there is a chance for Odisha FC to cash in on that opportunity?

Garcia: We cannot assure you that this can be good for us. Of course, it's going to be a difficult time for them, but maybe they want to push and they want to. They didn't start with the competition well even though they won the last (two) matches. So they were still adapting. So, for us, it is the same facing Goa that we know with a coach or without one and all the staff is prepared. So we have our chances for the day.

Odisha FC’s attacker Aridai Cabrera was also present at the press conference and addressed the questions put forth:

You started the season very well. How do you describe your performance in this season so far?

Cabrera: I am happy with my performance at the starting of the season. I was able to score goals in the matches and when I scored the team won. So, it is a good point. I want to keep improving and cutting this about the last few matches when we didn’t win. And I happy in my personal way but we want to change the results.

Do you have any personal objectives this season?

Cabrera: My personal objective is trying to reach the top four and play a playoff with the team. This is the main objective.

How does it feel to play for Odisha FC and under coach Kiko?

Cabrera: It was easy for me because, since the first day, everything was in a good situation for me. And I have trained with Kiko in the past in another team. So we knew each other. It was easy for me to adapt to Odisha.

What is your opinion on the Indian youngsters and how do you look to motivate them?

Cabrera: We have a lot of champ players in the squad. They have talent, but still, they need to adapt to the new players, and also they have to adapt to them. So it's step by step. My advice for the young is that keep working hard and keep training.