Manolo Marquez discusses FC Goa's strong first half and current league standing

Margao (Goa) [India], January 26 (ANI): FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez expressed satisfaction with his team's dominant performance in the first half, as they secured a 2-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season, a report from the leagues website said.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Marquez praised the team's cohesion and resilience against a strong opponent, acknowledging both their strengths and areas for improvement.
The game featured first-half goals from Iker Guarrotxena and Aakash Sangwan, which set the tone for FC Goa's commanding performance. Guarrotxena's opener came in the 11th minute, and 15 minutes later, Sangwan doubled the lead with a well-placed strike.
Marquez lauded the team's efforts in the first half and noted the impact of the substitutions.
"Maybe one of the best games especially in the first half. The team played very, very well and in the second half we were playing in front of a very good side and they tried to enter the game again with three substitutions. Despite that we substituted players who performed very, very well," Marquez said as quoted by the ISL official website.
Reflecting on FC Goa's recent form, Marquez praised the squad's ability to recover from a shaky start to the season, highlighting the impact of injured players returning to the lineup. FC Goa remains in second place on the table with 33 points from 17 matches, having lost only two.
"In every game, you can improve in some aspects but I feel that after 12 games unbeaten, another clean sheet, second in the table with four points behind Mohun Bagan SG. I thought that we had a good team and in one moment if something changed and we recovered some very important injured players, the season would be good, let's see where we finish. But the team is very competitive," he added.
The coach also highlighted the camaraderie within the squad, praising players who contributed positively even when not on the pitch.
"It's a pleasure to train this group of players. Armando Sadiku didn't play a single minute, and Mohammad Yasir played only a few minutes, but they were the first to celebrate in the dressing room," he said.
"I think that this is very important. The group is top. We play in Jamshedpur in one week more or less. Eight days. We have these two days off. It's good also that they try to disconnect. And let's go again," he added.
Looking ahead to their next match against Jamshedpur FC on February 2nd, Marquez acknowledged the challenges posed by their upcoming opponent.
"Jamshedpur FC, most of their points have come at home. They are a very strong team, and their style is difficult to play against," he explained.
"For them, it will be a difficult game also because we have some tools to manage the game. Let's see what happens. But obviously, I think both teams are having a very good season," he concluded (ANI)