Stijn Houben cut a disappointed figure after his side were dramatically beaten by FC Goa in the dying minutes of a thrilling encounter on Saturday in the latter’s backyard. Speaking exclusively to www.indiansuperleague.com post-game, the Delhi Dynamos FC defender acknowledged that Goa’s intense pressing had disturbed his side’s rhythm as the game wore on.“Goa were really pressing us whenever we had the ball and it was difficult for us to come back in the game. That led us to create mistakes and give the ball away. We also had a few chances but we didn’t take them. In games such as this, the tiniest errors can cost you heavily and we paid heavily for two of them.”Playing his first game in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), Houben declared that he had enjoyed the atmosphere and the experience immensely but was quick to add that the defeat meant it was all inconsequential, “The atmosphere was fantastic and the crowd here is really amazing. Unfortunately, we lost the game. Otherwise, I would have completely enjoyed my outing.” The Dutchman also expressed his dissatisfaction at the fact that Delhi had now surrendered their unbeaten streak. “It is very disappointing. We came here with an intention to win but we could not achieve our goal. But we cannot wallow in this for too long. We are one of the better teams in this competition and we shall look to put this defeat behind us and bounce back in the next game,” he said.An alumnus of the famous Feyenoord academy in the Netherlands, the 19-year-old centre back’s stint with the Rotterdam-based club acted as the catalyst in him being summoned to New Delhi. Touted as a potential star in the making, Houben will be looking to make an impact in the ISL with his performances.When asked about how it felt to play alongside the legendary Alessandro Del Piero, the youngster’s eyes immediately lit up, “It is a privilege to play alongside such a great player, especially for someone of my age. He is someone who does not hesitate to share his vast experience with you.”
