Zaragoza on Mumbai City FC loss and providing key minutes to young players
Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza shared his views on the game after his side suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Mumbai City FC.
Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza pointed to his team’s sluggish start as a key reason for their 2-0 loss to Mumbai City FC in their final league-phase fixture at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Tuesday.
The Islanders, needing only a point to confirm their playoff berth, came out with intent and struck early through captain Lallianzuala Chhangte, who tapped in from close range in the 8th minute. They continued to dictate play, seeing more of the ball and creating better chances.
Match Report: Bengaluru FC 0-2 Mumbai City FC
Nikolaos Karelis extended the lead before halftime, calmly converting from the penalty spot as Petr Kratky’s men went into the break in control.
Bengaluru FC might have conceded more if not for the efforts of young goalkeeper Sahil Poonia, who produced several crucial saves.
In the post-match press conference, Zaragoza shared his thoughts on the team’s performance and the flow of the game.
"There was one team that was playing for something (tonight), and there was another team that did the job three weeks ago," Zaragoza said at the post-match press conference.
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"It was the same against East Bengal FC. Mumbai City FC started the game stronger because they wanted to win. They needed these points. And we started a little bit more relaxed, and it's something that I didn’t like. It's something that I told the players about against East Bengal FC," he added.
Having already qualified for the playoffs, Zaragoza rested a few of his senior players and handed an opportunity to young players like Poonia and Soham Varshneya, who came on as a substitute to make his ISL debut.
"We are happy because seven of our players were from our reserve team (today). They are coming from below, you know. And that means that the club is working really, really hard and really well. This is what we need to do—to produce more players with a lot of attitude, who are brave. And this is what we need," Zaragoza stated.
With the playoffs in mind, Zaragoza opted to rest Alberto Noguera and Chinglensana Singh, while Ryan Williams, on a yellow card, was taken off at halftime. He later emphasized that his decisions were guided by the bigger picture.
"But the most important thing is to prepare the team for the playoffs. (Alberto) Noguera, one of our main players, was not here."
"Sana (Singh), who is playing an amazing second part of the season, was not here. Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) was on the bench. I changed Ryan (Williams) at halftime because he had a yellow card, and we were thinking more about the playoffs than today," the Spaniard commented.
