Laszlo rues missed chances after goalless draw
Chennaiyin FC were held to a goalless draw by Odisha FC in Match 53 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Sunday.


Chennaiyin FC were held to a goalless draw by Odisha FC in Match 53 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Sunday. The Marina Machans created a couple of very good chances but failed to make them count and head coach Csaba Laszlo bemoaned his side’s finishing during the post-match press conference.
“From the beginning of the season till this match we are the team that has created the most goal-scoring chances. We cannot miss such goal-scoring chances if we want to move higher in the table,” said Laszlo. “We know that Rafa [Rafael Crivellaro] is out so we reorganized the team. We had to find new shape and a new tactic,” he added.
Chennaiyin managed 11 shots against Odisha but only two of them were on target. The absence of Crivellaro did affect the team’s performance up front. Laszlo was disappointed at not being able to win a game which, he believes, his side dominated especially in the final third.
“I am upset because I know that this was a game where the three points were in the pocket. We played against a team that was flying high after scoring four goals in the last game. We dominated the team but we could not score so this is bothering me,” said the Chennaiyin head coach.
Watch Csaba Laszlo's Post-Match Press conference here:
Meanwhile, Odisha head coach Stuart Baxter was pleased with the defensive showing of his team against the Marina Machans. It was Odisha’s first clean sheet of the season. “All teams can go goalless for a game. We have made massive mistakes [in previous games] that have presented the opposition with at least one goal. I'm pleased with the defensive performance tonight, especially in the second half. The players worked very hard in hot and humid conditions,” he said.
Odisha’s main goal-scoring threat this season has been Diego Mauricio, with the Brazilian scoring five of Odisha’s 10 goals so far. “Diego is a goal-scorer so whenever you have a goal-scorer in the team, you expect to be among the goals. At the moment, we have not been going through a great spell in terms of goalscoring and results. We try hard to spread the ball and to get the goals from different angles,” Baxter said.
Watch Stuart Baxter's Post-Match Press conference here: