FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena expressed that the team conceded due to their own mistakes but made the comeback in the second half as the Gaurs scored the equaliser in the 89th minute to share the spoils against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur in the latest fixture of the Hero Indian Super league (ISL) 2022-23.

A brace from Iker Guarrotxena helped the visitors to secure the draw as an owl goal by the Goan talisman himself had given Jamshedpur FC the lead in the first half. Guarrotxena then pulled one back for the Gaurs before Ishan Pandita gave the lead to Men of Steel in the 50th minute only for Guarrotxena to score in the dying minutes of the match and help the team gain a point. Pena added that Guarrotxena is not only important for scoring the goals but for his character is crucial for the team as well.

Match Report: FC Goa snatch late draw against Jamshedpur FC in four-goal thriller

Addressing the media at the post-match conference, Pena talked about how the team changed the match in the second half, how he was surprised by Jamshedpur FC’s approach to the team with a back three and the result was fair for both teams.

Here are the excerpts from Pena’s press conference:

What changes were made in the second half and what are your thoughts on the game?

The second half was completely for us, we even conceded the goal because of our mistake and we tried to attack, to create chances, we had the chances and we didn’t give up and scored in the 90th minute and we could’ve another goal in the added time. I’m not happy because we wanted to get the three points here but at least the team showed character, we got one point after making the comeback twice, I think it’s fair on both teams.

In the home game you won 3-0 against Jamshedpur FC and today it was a different game. What were the changes that you saw in Jamshedpur FC in the match?

Jamshedpur FC were much more aggressive in approaching us in the first half. They created problems with pressure which we were not able to keep the continuity to play in their own half and we conceded too many corners, throw-ins and we left too much space in our own half and we knew if this would happen then it will create problems for us and it happened but in the second half the team started to play in Jamshedpur FC’s half, players started using the wings, taking opponents one-on-one and playing crosses in the box, trying to create chances and the result was fair for both teams.

Iker Guarrotxena scored two goals for the team today. Few words on his performance today and throughout the season as well?

Iker (Guarrotxena) gives a lot of things to the team, not only the goals. Till now he hasn’t been scoring a lot of goals but now he’s finding success in front of the goal. His character, his soul, he has a lot of things that help the team, his defensive work is amazing, also the way he works for the team. So happy for his performance, his two goals and so happy for him that his goals helped the team.

Jamshedpur FC were playing with three at the back today, was that something that surprised you today?

Yes, we were not expecting that they are going to play that way because they have changed their formation a lot of times in the first half of the season. We had some doubts about how they could start today, when we saw the defence today we knew they were going to play 3-5-2, they played more directly, long balls to the wing-backs and strikers and that way they created problems in the first half. In the second half we read the situation better, we could’ve had more share of the possession and the second half was completely for us.