Panaji: FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC played to an exciting 2-2 draw in their Indian Super League (ISL) match on Thursday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The result leaves FC Goa in eighth place in the league standings with six points and only one win from six matches.
Goa’s head coach, Manolo Marquez, made one change to the starting lineup from their previous game against Mumbai City FC, bringing in Dejan Drazic for Armando Sadiku. The match saw FC Goa initially take the lead, but Chennaiyin FC managed to equalize and then draw level after falling behind.
Post-match, Coach Marquez expressed his thoughts on the game, stating, "In terms of effort, we cannot say anything negative. We played a good game, but we are still struggling defensively. We managed the game well before conceding the first goal to Chennaiyin."
Marquez noted that despite his team's good performance, they faced a strong opponent. "We were controlling the game well, but Chennaiyin is a very good team. After they equalized, we had to fight to keep the point," he added.
When asked about the controversial second goal that led to Chennaiyin's equalizer, Marquez commented on the difficulty of judging such situations from the bench. "The reaction of Kattimani (the goalkeeper) was strange. Usually, he is calm. The referees told us the goal didn’t count, but these mistakes can happen both ways."
He continued, "It's true that we managed most of the game, but we suffered after their equalizer. I have no complaints about the team's effort."
Marquez acknowledged the challenges of injuries affecting his squad, especially with players like Borja and Sandesh unavailable. "We took a risk at the start of the season, and now we are recovering players. Yasir played 20 to 25 minutes, and Iker is already in action. Sandesh is close to returning," he said.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, he remarked, "Sandesh is a very good player, and while his presence could change things, we can't predict outcomes based solely on one player’s participation."
Discussing the past season, where FC Goa defeated Chennaiyin four times, Marquez emphasized that every season is different. "Chennaiyin is now a very different team under Owen Coyle. I believe they will qualify for the playoffs. The competition will be tight until the end."
On Borja’s injury situation, Marquez explained, "Borja was injured earlier in the week, and we decided to start him but had to substitute him after 30 minutes due to muscle problems. We don't know yet if he will be out for one week or one month."
When asked about any frustrations in the dressing room regarding the refereeing decisions, Marquez humorously stated, "If this were in Spain, we’d protest strongly. But here, Kattimani was the only one visibly upset, saying the ball didn't cross the line."
He concluded, "Football is unpredictable, and while we have had some decisions go against us, I understand the difficulty of refereeing. We love this sport because of its unpredictability."
