ISL 2023-24: I feel disappointed for the supporters – East Bengal FC’s Carles Cuadrat after loss against Punjab FC

East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat expressed his disappointment after his team suffered a 4-1 loss against Punjab FC in the 21st match week of the ongoing Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday.

Cuadrat said he feels disappointed for the club’s supporters after they were knocked out of the playoffs race. Wilmar Jordan was able to put the hosts in front in the 19th minute but Sayan Banerjee equalized for the Red and Gold in the 25th minute.

Subsequently, Madih Talal was able to once again put the Shers in front as he scored at the stroke of halftime. In the second half, Jordan scored his second of the evening to strengthen the home team’s lead. Luka Majcen then put the game to bed as he found the back of the net in the 70th minute.

“We started the game well and created some chances or half chances. We tried to score first against them (Punjab FC) and get the result. After they scored the first goal, the reaction was good to get 1-1. But the second goal that we conceded was really an unfortunate one,” Cuadrat said in the post-match press conference.

“I think that (conceding the second goal) makes things very difficult for us. We made some substitutions because we needed fresh legs. We were suffering physically because it had been three games in seven days,” he added.

The Spaniard feels they were competitive for one hour but veered off the track in the last 30 minutes of the game as Punjab FC took advantage.

“We also started the second half well and got a clear chance with Aman CK, and it could be 2-2 there,” he said.

“We were in the game until the 60th minute. We were competitive for an hour. From there, I really saw that the players were very tired. We brought in Felicio (Brown Forbes) and made other changes. But when they scored the third goal, it was sure that we were going to struggle in the last minutes of the game, unfortunately,” he continued.
“I feel disappointed for the supporters and the people who love the club. But we have been fighting until the last game of the season, trying to reach the playoffs, and we were very close to getting it,” he commented.