ISL 2023-24: FC Goa deserved the three points – Carles Cuadrat after 1-0 loss

East Bengal FC’s head coach Carles Cuadrat feels FC Goa deserved three points after their 1-0 loss in the 18th match week of the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Wednesday.

Moroccan striker Noah Sadaoui scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute to give three crucial points to the Gaurs. FC Goa dominated the possession with 57.7% and took a total of 17 shots, seven of them on target.

The Spanish tactician reckons a lot of things went wrong for his team and the opposition was the superior team.

“A lot of things (went wrong). FC Goa has been superior. Also, they deserved the three points. We have been trying to make a match plan before the match to try to catch them (in the table). It’s true that they have been winning the physical game and then it’s very difficult to be competitive if they are winning the duels, if they are anticipating (what we will do) with the ball, then it’s very difficult,” he stated in the post-match press conference.

“We had been trying to take advantage of more players in the center of the pitch. We were playing a system of 4-3-3, against a system of 4-4-2, so it means that in the (middle) half of the pitch, we should have three players against two of them. But we were losing the ball too easily. In the first half, we didnt take advantage of that. They were putting us under pressure and finally, in a physical action, they scored (to make it) 1-0,” he added.

Cuadrat admitted that the players have been giving their all despite the tight schedule of the tournament. The Kolkata-based club has played eight matches in the last one month.

“I’m understanding the effort that the players are putting in all these weeks. It’s been eight games in just four weeks. So it means that a lot of them have been without a lot of games which they are not having during the season. Two games in October, two games in November and now suddenly eight games (since the last month),” he explained.

“Unfortunately, we have some injuries like Saul (Crespo) or (Jose) Pardo that have made us change our plans in February. The players that were coming here just to help like Felicio (Forbes), Victor Vazquez or (Aleksandar) Pantic, they were trying to understand our tactics (before being eased into action). Trying to play maybe (for) 15, 20, 30 minutes and suddenly they are in the middle of action. Unfortunately, I’m demanding a lot of effort from them and they cannot deliver every time. It’s also things that happens in football, where sometimes you have a plan and suddenly everything changes because of injuries. We have to keep going,” he explained.

East Bengal FC will next take on derby rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, Kolkata on Sunday.