ISL 2022-23: It was an equal game, the small details decided the result: Odisha FC head coach Josep Gombau

Odisha FC head coach Josep Gombau feels it was an equal game and believes the small details decided the result after his team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday.

Odisha took a total of nine shots, out of which three were on target. Furthermore, the Kalinga Warriors had 52% of the possession.

However, Shubham scored an own goal in the 50th minute, and then Bipin Singh put the game to bed as he found the back of the net in the 90th minute.

“It was a very good game between two sides who like to play with the ball, “ Josep Gombau said in the post-match press conference.

“It was an equal game and the small details decided the result. The second goal arrived in extra time when we were trying to change the result (in the final stages). We had our chances and they had their chances (too). In some moments, Mumbai City FC had control of the game and in other moments, we had more control. It was a nice game of football,” he added.

Odisha was a bit unlucky when they conceded the first goal as the ball ricocheted off Shubham’s leg. However, Gombau feels they conceded because of their lack of pressing.

“Both sides wanted to play a certain way of football, trying to attack and build from the back,” the Spaniard said on the broadcast after the game. “I told my players at half-time that the game will be decided by small details. One of the small details during their first goal was that we didn’t press them in the moment where it was needed to. These are individual mistakes and after that we got punished. But the good thing is that we know what mistakes we made and we will learn from them.”

Gombau went on to reveal that the goal of the team is to qualify for the playoff stages as they have a better team. Odisha has won one and lost one so far in the tournament.

“The league has grown a lot and there are many good teams,” he said. “It’s true that Odisha FC is in better shape and we have a better team. We have brought in players with more experience but other teams also have more quality. Anybody can beat anybody and it will be an equal league. We want to take it game by game and at least finish in the playoffs.”

“The boys are working hard and they are doing well. We lost the game (to Mumbai City FC) and we were playing away. But now we’re excited to go to the Kalinga Stadium and play in front of our fans,” he concluded.

Odisha FC will play against Kerala Blasters at the Kalinga Stadium on 23rd October.