Atlético de Kolkata head coach Antonio López Habas expressed happiness over the performance of his team as they battled to a goalless draw against Delhi Dynamos FC in the national capital on Tuesday night. The Spaniard praised his side’s commitment and their desire to win and admitted that his team’s failure to convert their chances was a reflection of the pressure the team is facing to reach the semi-finals in the quickest possible time. “I’m very happy with the team’s performance, they were committed, they sacrificed and they tried to win. We could see from the bench that two penalty decisions by the referee for fouls against Fikru were not given. We do not understand why these decisions go against us since the beginning of the league,” he remarked at the post-match press conference. Asked for his impressions about the match, Habas replied, “We created a few chances to score but we didn’t. I feel that we’re under pressure, I can feel it around the team; we want to reach the semi-finals and soon as possible and for that we’re under pressure.” The former Bolivia national coach said that their charismatic marquee player Luis García did not start because they want to conserve him as he cannot play three games a week. “He did warm up with the team (before the start of the game) and at half-time, but after the substitution of (Biswajit) Saha, I had to change the plans,” Habas said. Habas also revealed that the Bengali left-back, who was pulled out early in the second half, has a slight twist in his ankle but will be fine. Third placed Kolkata travel to Navi Mumbai for their next fixture in the Hero Indian Super League against Mumbai City FC on December 7.
