FC Goa enjoyed a fine start to life in the 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) season, going unbeaten for 12 games in a row before suffering a 0-1 loss last week against Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
All that is in the past now, however, and with the ISL League Shield still very much in sight, the Gaurs will look to bounce back when they take on NorthEast United FC on Wednesday.
In what will be the seventh home match of their ongoing league campaign, Manolo Marquez and his boys will take on the Highlanders at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, with the kick-off slated for 7:30 pm IST.
The Gaffer Speaks
At the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez spoke about how important it is for the team to take home all three points against NorthEast United.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“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,” the Spaniard went on.
“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.
“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,” Manolo Marquez concluded.
The Task Ahead
Although placed at third in the league standings currently, FC Goa have games in hand over leaders Odisha FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant in second place, and a win against the Highlanders on Wednesday will take the Gaurs to the summit of the table once again.
In 13 matches so far, the Men in Orange have lost just once, amassing 28 points with eight wins and four draws.
If FC Goa manage to take home all three points against Juan Pedro Benali’s boys, it will also greatly boost their chances of claiming the ISL League Shield after a gap of four seasons, with the likes of Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters FC also trying to catch up with them as the league enters its final stages.
