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FC Goa, taken aback by a defeat against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Indian Super League, will want to come back strongly when they take on NorthEast United FC in Fatorda on Wednesday.
That defeat to the Mariners was Goa's first of the season. They have now slipped to third position in the league table with 28 points from 13 games.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, head coach Manolo Marquez said that his team are prepared for the challenge about to be posed to them by the Highlanders.
“Whenever a team goes on an unbeaten run of matches, a defeat is getting closer and closer. I know it’s a negative statement, but that’s how it is. I don’t know a single player or coach who has not suffered a single loss in his or her career. Hence, what matters more is how a team reacts after such a result,” said Marquez.
“In the past week, after the game against Mohun Bagan, the team has trained well, with the right attitude. That isn’t all, though, as training well doesn’t automatically equate to winning a match. But I’m sure that we will remain a competitive side as we’ve been so far," he added.
"Every game is different. We play against NorthEast tomorrow, and later against Kerala and Mumbai. All these matches will be different, and we’ll look to finish tomorrow with a positive result first before moving on to the next one,” he elaborated.
“NorthEast United are a good team with a good coach" - FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez
Manolo Marquez was quick to give a lot of praise to NorthEast for the way they have regrouped after the Kalinga Super Cup in January and come into the second phase of the ISL as a completely different team.
The visiting side are ranked seventh in the standings at the moment. They are almost on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs as the tournament inches towards its business end.
“NorthEast United are a good team with a good coach. The team is better than what they were in the first leg of the season. But we need to remember that we are FC Goa, and that we need to enter the pitch tomorrow with complete focus and confidence in ourselves," said Marquez.
“It’s not going to be an all-attack contest, but we will see what we can do best to get the three points. We will face them with a strong mentality,” he concluded.
