ISL 2023-24: FC Goa secures narrow 1-0 win over East Bengal FC: Manolo Marquez highlights missed chances
FC Goa's head coach, Manolo Marquez, reflects on a hard-fought 1-0 victory against East Bengal FC in the ISL, emphasizing the team's missed goal-scoring opportunities. Despite the win breaking a five-match winless streak, Marquez identifies room for improvement.
FollowFC Goa's Coach Manolo Marquez expressed his thoughts following a narrow 1-0 victory against East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). Despite securing the win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, Marquez believes there is room for improvement. The Gaurs dominated from the start, launching numerous attacks through both flanks. Noah Sadaoui eventually broke the deadlock in the dying minutes of the first half with a powerful right-footed strike. Throughout the game, FC Goa maintained ball dominance, taking 26 shots, seven of which were on target. Despite the potential for a more significant victory, the efforts were denied by the crossbar and East Bengal FC goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill.
Marquez expressed satisfaction with the team's win, breaking a five-match winless streak. However, he voiced dissatisfaction with the players' inability to capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities, pointing out missed chances from Sadaoui, Carlos Martinez, and Udanta Singh.
Reflecting on the match, Marquez lamented the team's finishing struggles and the missed opportunities to score three or four goals. He acknowledged the element of bad luck with substitutions made in the second half, emphasizing the impact of Carlos Martinez's departure on their plans.
The coach praised Martinez and Sadaoui for their offensive contributions but stressed the need for improvement in finishing. While Sadaoui scored the crucial goal, Marquez urged him to work on refining his finishing skills. Despite the narrow margin, Marquez emphasised the importance of both players in the team's overall performance beyond just goal-scoring contributions.
“I’m very happy because we won, and this is the most important thing in football,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“But if today we don’t score three or four goals, when will we score? I know that after a couple of bad results, it’s difficult. But, sometimes, when you have suffered in terms of finishing, you can win a game easily,” he asserted.
