Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was proud of the effort displayed by his team as they lifted the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup on Saturday.

In the thrilling ISL Grand final, Mohun Bagan Super Giant claimed glory, defeating Bengaluru FC 2-1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium on Saturday. To become only the second team in history to win both the Shield and ISL Cup in the same season.

The match began with BFC dominating the first half, showcasing their attacking prowess. MBSG found themselves under constant pressure, struggling to keep the ball in their opponent's half. Despite their best efforts to hold the fort, MBSG conceded early in the second half when a miscued clearance from centre-back Alberto Rodriguez led to an own goal, handing BFC a surprising 1-0 lead.

However, MBSG refused to be rattled, the tides turned when head coach Jose Molina made two crucial substitutions that sparked life into the match. With the introduction of Ashique Kuruniyan, Greg Stewart and Sahal Abdul Samad, MBSG regained their momentum and started to take control of the game. A pivotal moment arrived when a handball from BFC led to a penalty for MBSG, leveling the score, before the end of 90 minutes.

The game entered additional time. With renewed vigor, Jamie Maclaren, MBSG's lead goal-scorer of the season, became the hero of the night, netting the winning goal and sending the stadium into raptures.

Initially MBSG was losing and chasing the game, yet remained calm. Molina talked about the two substitutions that changed everything. And how crucial was it to get those left-side charged up.

"I think Liston and Thapa were doing a good job. In my opinion. Today's match was not easy because we got a really good team. But at that moment I felt that it was getting a little bit tight for both," he said during the post-match presser.

"And then I have players on the bench, really great players. They had their moment. And today was the moment for Ashique and Sahal, they did great. Ashique was amazing in attacking. In the end, maybe he was forced more to defend, controlling the match. And Sahal helped us to create something more," he continued.

The Spaniard talked about his tactical thinking in the moment, which changed the whole tempo of the match and helped them take control of the game, and over their opponents.

He said, "After that, some more substitutions came, we were looking for more control. Even if we had to take any risk, we had more control and more options to score. And to be honest, after we scored the second one, we were more calm. More compact. No risk. Trying to finish the match. If we could score one more. We tried and we had some options. But overall, don't take risks. Control in defence. And the team did great in those moments."

Reflecting on the season,Molina emphasized his unwavering trust in his work and the process. He recalled initial doubts but affirmed his belief in the process, which ultimately yielded historic results for MBSG.

He shared, "I trust in my work, I trust in myself, I trust in the work I'm doing. I remember in the beginning some doubts... But I believed in the process. And this is a result of the process, Two titles, the first time in MBSG history, winning the shield and the cup. But if you believe in the process and you have the tools, the players, the staff, the fans, you know, everything we have here in MBSG, then finally the results come."

Finally, Molina believes he's currently at his best, citing continuous learning and improvement as the reason. He added that while this is his peak moment now, he anticipates further growth and even better moments in the future.

He stated, "To be honest, I always think that every day I'm a better coach, because every day I'm learning, I'm trying things, I'm making mistakes. I'm learning, I keep working and every day I'm better as a coach."

"Then thinking that today is my best moment as a coach. It's the best Jose Molina as a coach. But I hope tomorrow I can be better. Then I always expect that my best as a coach is still to come. I hope in the future I can have better moments, still better moments. But right now, I'm absolutely happy. He stated as he concluded.




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Mohun Bagan Super GiantBengaluru FC2024-2025 Jose Francisco Molina