MARGAO
Goa fought hard but ultimately lost 2-3 to Assam in their opening football match at the ongoing National Games in Uttarakhand, on Thursday.
Clencio Pinto gave Goa an early lead scoring two goals in the 10th and 16th minutes.
Although Goa had their fair share of chances, their forwards were unable to capitalize on them. Despite dominating the game from the start, Goa's defense was sloppy, allowing Assam to take advantage, equalizing the score.
After the break, Goa continued to attack but struggled to break down Assam’s defense. With their offensive play losing momentum, Assam found the match-winner. Goa had a chance to level the score when Sachu's attempt went wide, sealing the defeat.
Head coach Charles Dias was visibly frustrated following his team's loss
“I don’t know what went wrong during the match. I am very unhappy with this result,” said Dias.
“We started well and played decently for the first 30 minutes. But it just wasn’t our day. We’ll analyze the mistakes and aim to do better in the next match,” he added.
The situation was made worse by a head injury to Clencio Pinto in the first half, who had to be rushed to the hospital. After undergoing a CT scan, Pinto was discharged following treatment.
“We have two games left, and we need to create chances, score, and win,” Dias emphasized. “My players must capitalise on the opportunities they get to score,” he concluded.
