ISL: Odisha deserved to win against Goa, believes Kiko Ramirez
Dec 25, 2021
Panaji (Goa) [India], December 25 : Odisha FC head coach Kiko Ramirez was pleased with his team's performance in their 1-1 draw against FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Goa on Friday.
Ivan Gonzalez (42') gave the Gaurs lead in the first half but they were quickly pegged back as Jonathas (53') equalised early in the second period. There were chances for both teams to clinch the game but they couldn't do so.
In the post-match press conference, Kiko said: "Yes, of course, I am happy. The team deserves to win the match after the second half. There are some things that we cannot control. Somebody just explain, how it's possible that they don't whistle, it was a clear penalty. We understand that everybody can make a mistake, but it's something that is so clear that we cannot understand. The penalty decision was harsh on us."
Courtesy of the draw, FC Goa extended their unbeaten run to four matches. However, there was no change in the league table for either side. Odisha FC remain 7th with 10 points, whereas FC Goa are stranded at 8th with eight points.
Asked about the possible tactical changes after a three-game winless streak, the coach replied: "No, we are really happy with the performance of the team today, we thought that we deserved to win the match. We are still building the team, as we're the youngest squad in the league. We need to follow the process, we are still making the players play together properly."
Odisha will next clash with Hyderabad FC on Tuesday.