ISL 2022-23: Des Buckingham cherishes Mumbai City FC's League Shield triumph; thanks fans for support
Mumbai City FC faced a brief challenge from FC Goa on Saturday, but fittingly overcame it with a goal-streak to sum up a remarkable season so far, sealing their second Hero ISL League Shield with a 5-3 win.
FollowMumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham praised the club's work over the past 18 months after their decisive 5-3 victory over FC Goa on Saturday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa earned them the League Winners' Shield.
With the victory in Goa, the Islanders extended their unbeaten streak to 18 games, setting an all-time league record in the process. The Englishman thanked everyone at the club who helped make this feat possible. The Islanders also broke records for the most scored goals and points in a single Hero ISL season.
"To look back at the 18 games and see the football that we have played, the goals we have scored, the points we have accumulated, the records we have broken and to come here and win the Shield, it's a huge achievement for everyone involved in the football club be it the players, the staff and the fans," he said during the post-match press conference.
"I am incredibly proud of what we have done in these 18 games but we still have two very important games left and we want to finish the season strongly," he added.
After the game, Buckingham was clearly emotional as his club won its second League Shield in three years, but he struggled to put his feelings into words.
"When you are away from family working on a project and you see people buy into it and see it come to fruition, you see the support in the backend that I've had personally and what this group has had, which has allowed us to showcase what we have done and what we have built caught me at full time because it's a big moment," Buckingham said.
"I can't explain the emotion, which probably sums it up. It just shows the feeling of thankfulness that I have for everyone involved for what we have been able to achieve," he added.
Mumbai City FC had to come from behind to take the lead before falling behind once more in this action-packed game. They were finally able to distance themselves from FC Goa and secure the victory in the second half.
“The match sums up the way you want to play. Obviously, you never want to concede three goals but I spoke about bringing in an attacking brand of football to this club and building this style which was on show tonight in parts against a very strong FC Goa side who were fighting for points for the playoff spots. They didn't make it easy for us. But we found a different way to win the game,” the 38-year-old said analysing the game.
Additionally, Buckingham was happy that they could provide the visiting supporters a compelling reason to rejoice for making the trip to support the squad.
“The travelling fans turned up at our hotel to see us off and they were vocal throughout the game. To give them something to celebrate is great and I'm sure they will enjoy themselves in and around Goa. We are thankful to them and we will hopefully see a few around Bengaluru. We now look forward to playing in our final home game against East Bengal FC in front of a sold-out stadium,” he concluded.
