FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez voiced his frustration following their 2-1 defeat to Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here in Goa on Tuesday night.
The Gaurs began the match with high energy, launching a series of attacks down both wings and registering several shots on goal within the opening ten minutes. However, their attacking prowess waned as the game progressed. Despite this, FC Goa went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Armando Sadiku’s goal in stoppage time.
Jamshedpur FC made impactful attacking substitutions in the second half, which began to test FC Goa’s defence. Javier Siverio equalized for the visitors from the penalty spot, and Jordan Murray delivered the decisive blow with a curling shot from the edge of the box in the 93rd minute.
Marquez reflected on his team’s performance, highlighting the areas where they fell short.
“Except for the first 20 minutes, even when we scored, the wrong (problem) was (there) throughout the game,” Marquez stated in the post-match press conference.
“We cannot allow one performance like the one we had today, especially from the foreigners. The foreigners were walking on the pitch throughout the game. The Indian players need them, and if the foreigners are walking on the pitch and playing their own game, we will have problems,” he opined.
FC Goa performed exceptionally well during the pre-season, clinching the Bandodkar Trophy with a victory over Odisha FC in the final.
The Gaurs displayed glimpses of their potential in the first half but were unable to maintain that level of play throughout the game.
Despite the setback, Marquez remained optimistic about bouncing back and is looking forward to their next match against Mohammedan SC on Saturday.
“We spent all pre-season trying to play good football, but when we arrived in the league, some players… For instance, if I have to mention one player who performed well today, it was Brison (Fernandes),” he said.
“But speaking well about someone is difficult because we performed very, very badly. I think that it’s okay. Maybe you don’t believe me, but when it was 1-1, I mentioned on the bench ‘If we lose the game it will be positive for us.’
“Even when we won with Hyderabad FC, we lost the first game against Chennaiyin FC, and the team responded very well. Let’s see the character of the team now. If we lack character, we won’t react, but I feel that we will react after today’s defeat,” Marquez commented.
