Mohun Bagan SG killed the game in second half: Bengaluru FC’s Gerard Zaragoza
Bengaluru FC suffered a humbling defeat to Mohun Bagan SG in their final league game, which was their first defeat at home this season under Zaragoza.
Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza expressed his disappointment after his team went down to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their final Indian Super League (ISL) fixture at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Both sides had their chances in the first half but it was Mohun Bagan SG who took the lead through Hector Yuste. The Mariners added three more goals to their tally in the second half through Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa and Armando Sadiku. The home team found it hard to recover from that point as Mohun Bagan SG secured their biggest win in the ISL. The result also saw them keep their Shield aspirations alive heading into their final game against Mumbai City FC.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC succumbed to their 10th defeat of the season and their first one at home under head coach Zaragoza. Head coach Gerard Zaragoza began the post-match press conference by giving his first analysis of today's game which was the team’s heaviest defeat under the Spaniard in the current campaign.
"First of all, a tough result. I think it's one mirror of our season. The first half that we competed in was in very good condition. I thought we could at least draw or even win or lead during the first half. But as I always say, Mohun Bagan SG came here to compete and to win the Shield," he said during the post-match press conference.
He continued, "We cannot receive one goal (from Yuste) in one corner (that way). Then we missed one penalty. We had chances. But how we started the second half, it was impossible (to win). We worked exactly on what exactly we needed to do to stop them on the sides. We started and in six, seven minutes, they scored two goals, almost three, and killed the game. That cannot happen. Defensively, I think that the team was much, much better than before. But offensively, the reality is that we only scored 20 goals in 22 games. And here is something that we need to work on next season."
Bengaluru FC enjoyed more possession of the ball against Mohun Bagan SG but fired just two shots on target. Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan SG registered eight attempts on target and were clinical with their chances. There were four different goalscorers involved for the Mariners in Bengaluru.
When asked if the squad depth between the two teams made the difference, Zaragoza said: "No, the reality is that the Indians that we have, we can be proud and we can be happy. Of course we will try to bring, as I always say, 'leaders'. That's the word, (what I’ve been saying) the last two weeks. We need people with presence, people who dominate the games. This is something that we need to work on as a club to bring, to change this momentum that we have."
Finally, Zaragoza shared his message for the club's fans as the club wrapped up their season.
"I only can say to them, sorry. First of all from my side and from the side of the players. They can be sure that we are going to return. We are going to be the Bengaluru FC that all of us love. I will work hard with Albert (Roca), Darren (Caldeira), Parth (Jindal) and all the staff will work hard to return Bengaluru FC where they need to be. And we can say nothing to them (supporters) because they were here today and I'm sure that they will be here again next season. We are going to enjoy,” he expressed.