Kerala Blasters FC held FC Goa to a 1-1 draw in Match 68 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday. Goals from Jorge Ortiz and Rahul KP either side of the break ensured that the points were shared. At the post-match press conference, Blasters head coach Kibu Vicuna admitted that he wanted the win but respects the point earned by his team against a strong team like FC Goa.

“They played very well in the first half. The strategy was not to defend at the back but they had the ball. They played well and were better while defending and attacking. It’s true that the second half was completely different. We were a better team on the pitch. We had some chances but we missed the final pass.

“We wanted the three points but if you see the complete match … For me, Goa FC is a fantastic team. They are improving and getting better. We were close to the three points, especially at the end of the match but we have to respect the point because they were better than us in the first half,” Vicuna said.

FC Goa were reduced to 10 men after their defender Ivan Gonzalez was sent off in the second half. Vicuna opined that the quality of the players in the Gaurs’ ranks helped them maintain the 1-1 scoreline. “It was very tricky because they have very good players in Alberto Noguera, Igor Angulo and Ortiz. So, we had to control and try to create chances and we did that. We wanted to score a goal but we wanted to defend as well,” he said.

Watch Kibu Vicuna's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando was disappointed with just one point and believes that fouls and injuries stemmed the flow of his team. “Our mentality is to always get the three points. We had a lot of problems during the game but one point is not enough for us. The script of the game is very easy -- we had injuries, red cards. When we had 11 players on the pitch, I think Goa were better than Kerala. We found solutions but in the end, it was difficult,” he said.

Ferrando, however, was pleased with the performance of his team, especially with the new-look defensive line put in place after injury to James Donachie and the red card to Gonzalez. “I am very happy because we ended up playing a completely different defensive line. It was incredible to see Aiban [Dohling] and [Mohamed] Ali playing against a difficult opponent. I am happy with the whole team and it is necessary to improve more,” the Spaniard said.

Watch Juan Ferrando's Post-Match Press conference here: