FATORDA: FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez reflected on his team's defensive struggles following a challenging match that ended in a 3-3 draw against NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday evening. While acknowledging the game's entertainment value for fans, Marquez emphasized the urgent need to address the team's defensive frailties.
After the match, FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez reflected on the game, acknowledging both the entertainment value for fans and the defensive struggles his team faced. “Yes, I think for the spectators and on TV, it was a good game. As a coach, we cannot defend worse than today. It’s difficult. We can’t say anything about the attitude of the players; they fought until the last moment,” he said.
Marquez highlighted the team’s defensive issues, stating, “We are defending very badly. We cannot concede 3, 2, 2, 1 goals consistently. If we don’t improve, we risk fighting for nothing.” Despite the poor defensive performance, he expressed confidence that the team could improve. “The quality is there. We still need to recover crucial players, but I’m satisfied with the performance of players like Sahil Tavora, Borja, and Rowllin Borges.”
He took responsibility for the team’s mistakes, noting, “When these mistakes happen every game, the problem lies with the coach. If I don’t solve this situation, it means I’m not a good coach. But we need to work on this.”
Marquez praised his players for their effort, especially in the last moments of the match. “The good thing is that the team fought until the end. We were very close to scoring a fourth goal,” he added.
He also spoke highly of Bryson, a player he believes is developing well. “Bryson is growing. He has faced challenges starting, but technically, he’s the best player I’ve trained in India. He will play better and become an important player for FC Goa,” Marquez said.
When asked about the team’s performance, Marquez admitted the first 70 minutes were lacking. “We started the game poorly. Usually, when you concede a goal early, the team can drop. We created some chances and eventually equalized, but we need more consistency in defense and attack,” he explained.
Despite the late surge, Marquez acknowledged the need for improvement moving forward. “We have to perform better if we want to achieve anything this season,” he asserted.
Looking ahead, Marquez mentioned potential changes to the lineup for the next match, especially with several players set to return from injury. “We have a break of over two weeks, which will allow us to recover players like Yasir and Iker. The team will change completely with their return. They have a lot of character, and when things aren’t working, you need that kind of character,” he explained.
