"This was a very important one point"- Chennaiyin FC coach Csaba Laszlo after draw with Mumbai City
Chennaiyin FC ascended to the fifth spot in the points table after sharing spoils with Mumbai City FC in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) encounter.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw with Esmael Goncalves scoring the equalizer after Bartholomew Ogbeche gave the opposition the lead.
Ahmed Jahouh conceded a cheap penalty in the 76th minute by bringing down Chennaiyin FC's Jakub Sylvestyr. And, Esmael Goncalves made no mistake in converting his penalty.
Speaking to the media after the match, Chennaiyin FC coach Csaba Laszlo said:
"After the goal which we scored, we had the possibility to score one goal. But, at the end of the day, we must be satisfied with one point. This was a very important one point. We came with the hope of winning three points. I put a very offensive team in the pitch with two strikers. Sometimes Esma(el Goncalves) and Jakub Sylvestyr played very similar and they didn't have harmony. The team pushed forward definitively to score more goals. We scored one goal. I think the one point is deserved. It could be more, but we are not unsatisfied."
Chennaiyin FC pressed high in the midfield to win balls and create chances. The combination of Jerry Lalrinzuala and Lallianzuala Chhangte in the left flank and, Reagan Singh and Thoi Singh in the right flank also troubled the opposition.
When asked about their new tactics to create opportunities, the Chennaiyin FC gaffer replied:
"We have Rafa(el Crivellaro) and (Anirudh) Thapa out, so we had to repair the team and tactics. We don't have a full league to train, we generally have two days or three days. I know my team and my football. If you want to win games, you need to have more legs in the midfield. You have to control the game a bit more. I have these types of player and I have to make a winning team out of it. Many teams are fighting for the third or fourth place. For us, it's important to have spirit and score goals. It is important to play with what I have. I can't change the team."
I think we had the capability to score more goals: Chennaiyin FC coach Csaba Laszlo
Chennaiyin FC forayed forward with more zeal after scoring the equalizer and looked threatening to score another goal. However, the team scuffed their lines in the final third.
"I had the feeling after the goal, we are capable to score goals. We had one or two possibilities. I had Fatkhulo (Fatkhulloev) and (Rahim) Ali and Edwin (Vanspaul). The players shifted to being offensive. My aim was to win the game," Laszlo said.
Chennaiyin FC's striker Jakub Sylvestyr once again failed to score a goal.
It has been ten games since the last time the Slovakian found the back of the net.
"I am tired this time with strikers. It's not like I have a pocket full of confidence and I can give confidence to these players. Oh you wan't confidence, please take it. You have to build confidence to score goals. I think that also from their attitude, I can't say they don't try. But, every striker is measured by how many goals he scores and not by how many metres he is running. Yes, I am a little bit critical. He has to prove that with his goals, he can make the team move forward," Laszlo concluded.