FC Goa head coach Derrick Pereira believes his players need to be more confident in front of the goal as they go up against Bengaluru FC in match 69 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 at Athletic Stadium, Bambolim on Sunday.

FC Goa are ranked ninth in the points table with 13 points in 12 matches. They have only managed to win three games till now. The club is level on points with Bengaluru FC and a couple of points behind Chennaiyin FC, both of whom have played a game less.

FC Goa lost 2-1 to SC East Bengal in their last match. They had 12 shots at goal compared to SCEB four. In addition, they had more than twice the number of passes than their opponents.

Ahead of FC Goa’s clash with Bengaluru FC, coach Pereira and forward Jorge Ortiz addressed the media during the official pre-match press conference.

Here are the excerpts from Pereira’s press conference.

FC Goa has missed the chance of climbing up the table several times, so how are you going to deal with it mentally also keeping in mind the current circumstances?

This season hasn’t been good for us right from the beginning. I think we need to change our approach for the remaining games. Our focus was to qualify for the semi-finals, maybe that put us under a lot of pressure. The players were giving their best. Now we have to get out of all the things that haven’t gone our way. Referees decisions or lack of preparation which were not possible in the circumstances. We owe it to our fans.

Bengaluru FC have put in good performances off late, are you concerned?

They are in good form right now. They have changed their style of play. We have to go there believing everything is possible in football. Yes right now we are low on confidence but we have to overcome it. We need to put in more than 100% effort and play our hearts out. If we do that then we will do well.

You had mentioned it’s about preparing the team for the long term, so can we expect to see more youngsters coming in the squad?

We believe in all the players we have right now. We will analyse which players are needed in Sunday’s match and accordingly we will decide. When I said prepare for the long term, I meant figuring out what we require to get results and make the team stronger, especially in front of the goal, where we are lacking.

Here are the excerpts from Ortiz’s press conference.

Do you think FC Goa can still make it into the top four?

Yes the numbers say that it’s not impossible but it all comes down to us. If we believe in each other then it’s possible. First, we need to think about the next game and try to win the three points.

Are you happy with your performances so far?

No, I think I can improve. I try to give 100% every game. I understand that the team needs goals and it’s my job. But it’s not about one or two players. It’s about the collective effort. I feel we have improved in 2022 but we need to score more goals.