"The players deserve this moment" - SC East Bengal head coach Mario Rivera happy after first win
SC East Bengal pulled off an upset when they defeated FC Goa on Wednesday to claim their first win of the ISL 2021-22. A brace from Naorem Mahesh Singh was enough to take the Red and Golds over the line at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim.
SC East Bengal were without a win in eleven matches before they faced the Gaurs in the return fixture. They had only six points from the six draws, losing the other five matches. With this win, they now have 9 points, same as NorthEast United FC. They are now above NorthEast United FC due to a superior goal difference.
A disappointing night in Bambolim
#ForcaGoa #AmcheGaurs #FCGSCEB #HeroISL https://t.co/ykO5zUXpuA
Things have not gone FC Goa's way this season. With only 13 points from 12 matches, they are 9th on the ISL table. Coach Derrick Pereira spoke about what went wrong for them against East Bengal in their post-match press conference. He said:
"I think we could not break their defense down, especially when we were changing the game. We gave two soft goals, especially after equalizing. When we got the equalizer, we should have been strong at the back, but we made another blunder. We tried our best, which was not good enough for us to get the desired result."
Pereira admitted that recent times have not been a favorable one for FC Goa. He continued:
"I think we should have kept our composure in front of the goal. We hurried in because our mentality is to win matches. So we hurried in and that helped them. They were defending deep so today and like other days, I think it's not our time right now."
The head coach did not hold back his words and expressed that the defense has been casual many times this season which has invariably affected their results. He said:
"We were very casual at the back both the times. I think that has been an issue throughout the season. We concede soft goals and then we start chasing matches which has hampered our position on the table."
Click here to view today's ISL match.
"I cannot highlight only one player" - East Bengal coach Mario Rivera
🟡Goalscorer Naorem Mahesh and skipper Md Rafique share their thoughts after our first win of the season against FC Goa.
#FCGSCEB #JoyEastBengal #WeAreSCEB 🔴🟡 https://t.co/kFrFSv4Llw
In his first match as head coach of SC East Bengal in the ISL, the Spaniard brought about a change of fate for the team. After winning the match, Rivera's excitement was palpable while answering the media's question.
The head coach said:
"It's an amazing moment because the team was fighting for this moment for eleven matches and the mood now is very good. The team is happy, the players are excited and they are enjoying this moment because they deserve it."
Naorem Mahesh Singh was the star of the match as he scored both the goals for SC East Bengal to hand his team all three points. However, the gaffer credited it to the entire ISL team and not just one player. He said:
"I cannot say one player because the attitude and the effort of the players was amazing. We didn't make any mistake, we defended perfectly, we changed the tactic in the dressing room in the half time. We have to enjoy like a team. I cannot highlight one player only."
East Bengal won the match 2-1 against FC Goa.