FC Goa’s Coach Manolo Marquez Reflects on Draw Against Mohammedan SC in ISL

FC Goa’s head coach Manolo Marquez acknowledged in a post-match press conference that his team was not at its best after a 1-1 draw against Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) in the Indian Super League (ISL) in Kolkata.

Match Highlights

Alexis Gomez opened the scoring for Mohammedan SC with a penalty, putting the home side in a strong position. However, Armando Sadiku’s late equalizer dashed those hopes, leaving both teams to share the points. This match marked the first points of the league season for both teams.

Coach Marquez’s Reflections

Reflecting on the performance, Marquez expressed uncertainty about whether his team truly deserved the draw given their lackluster display. He mentioned that the team seemed mentally tired and admitted possible mistakes in lineup and substitutions.

“We are not in a good moment, especially mentally. It’s not a problem physically or technically because we know the kind of players that we have. But the team seems tired. Even in some moments, we don’t know what to do. Maybe even I don’t know, maybe I was wrong with the lineup and the substitutions. It’s not about finding who is guilty. The positive thing is playing in this way. We got one point in injury time which I’m not sure we deserved,” Marquez said.

Praise for Mohammedan SC

Marquez also praised Mohammedan SC’s performance, noting their strong play despite a short pre-season. He highlighted standout players like Alexis Gomez and Franca, who were instrumental in the match.

“They played a good game, same like the other day. I think they are still dealing with this physical problem because the pre-season was short or maybe in a similar situation than Punjab FC in the beginning of last season. They are still adapting to the ISL, because two games and lost points in injury times in both games. It’s tough, but I think that the supporters can be proud of this team because they played very well. They have a clear style with a lot of continuity in the players. It was a very difficult game for us. It’s not only because we are in a bad moment, the credit goes to Mohammedan SC also,” Marquez said.

Standout Performers

Mohammedan SC brought off Alexis Gomez and Franca, both of whom were standout performers in their attack against FC Goa. Brazilian forward Franca was a constant threat to the FC Goa defense, testing keeper Laxmikant Kattimani on multiple occasions and earning the penalty that led to Gomez’s goal.

When asked if the substitutions of the duo made a difference in the final score, Marquez praised the entire Mohammedan SC squad. “They have very good players. Not only these two foreigners, but they have very good Indian players too. The winger, left footer, Bikash (Sangolsem Singh) I like a lot. I think he is a very good player. Kasimov played a fantastic game. In my opinion he was the best player on the pitch. It was difficult to control them. Both full-backs are strong, fast. I think Mohammedan SC has a good team. The other day Juan Pedro Benali, the NorthEast United FC coach, more or less said that not too many teams will beat Mohammedan SC at home and I agree with him,” Marquez said.