Naushad Moosa rues his side's poor finishing in loss to East Bengal
Bengaluru FC's losing spree in the 2020-21 season of Indian Super League (ISL) continued as they succumbed to a 0-1 defeat at the hands of SC East Bengal at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao. The Blues remain in the sixth spot on the points table, with 12 points from 10 matches.
Bengaluru FC had 11 shots in the game, but six of them were off-target. Assistant coach Naushad Moosa rued his side's missed opportunities.
"No one wants to miss chances. We were attacking more. We created a lot of opportunities. Yes, we need to work on the finishing. It was not easy giving that goal. But, the way we played, I am very happy with the boys," said Bengaluru FC's assistant coach Naushad Moosa.
"I don't think they were lacking at all. We wanted to rotate and keep the ball. We created a lot of scoring opportunities in the second half. So, somewhere we need to work on our finishing. We have not been scoring, and the problem is we don't have enough time. We are playing after two days. So, it won't be easy," he further added.
Bengaluru FC assistant coach Naushad Moosa satisfied with Parag Shrivas and Ajith Kumar's performance
Before the match, Naushad Moosa said that he would give Bengaluru FC's young players opportunities to start the game against SC East Bengal. This is probably why Parag Shrivas and Ajith Kumar started the match as full-backs, as Pratik Chaudhari and Harmanjot Khabra were left out. And both youngsters impressed the assistant coach.
"The way Parag (Shrivas) played was very good. He shocked me. He was moving so well on the wings, dribbling well, and moving around with the ball. I am happy with his performance. Ajith (Kumar) is a young lad and was playing a big match. It was not easy for him. Of course, we have to be more positive as he will only improve," Moosa said.
Udanta Singh was substituted at half-time to make way for Kristian Opseth. Moosa explained that Singh wasn't getting space to run, and the substitution was purely for tactical reasons.
"It was nothing that he was playing bad. The only tactical reason was that Udanta (Singh) is a player who needs space to make his run. And, the way East Bengal was playing, he was left more deep. So, there was not much space for him. He isn't that kind of player that will dribble past and go. So, that's why I got Cleiton (Silva) on the right and brought in Kristian (Opseth)," said the former Air India coach.
Bengaluru FC next take on NorthEast United FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Tuesday. They will be desperate to end their winless streak against a side that hasn't tasted victory in their last six matches.