The Spaniard mentioned that his side had practiced defending set-pieces ahead of the game against Bengaluru FC.
FC Goa failed to pick three points at the Kanteerava Stadium once again as they suffered a 2-1 defeat on Friday evening.
Assistant coach Jesus Tato expressed his disappointment over the fact that his side couldn’t convert the chances which came their way in the first half.
“The first half was very good, I think that we played very good football. But we also need to finish our chances. Bengaluru pushed well in the second half and played well. We were not able to hold the ball well. Then we conceded from a set-piece.
“I think my players bounced back well. Then we had one mistake and one of the best players in the league (Sunil Chhetri) punished us. I’m going with mixed feelings – happy with the football but not the result,” said Tato.
Goa looked shaky at the back especially in the second half each time Bengaluru took a corner-kick. Interestingly, this was the case after Goa had practices defending set-pieces ahead of the game.
“Everybody knows that Bengaluru are strong on set-pieces. Last season we suffered because of that. We worked a lot, We tried not to concede many chances. But in football, one mistake can change the game. They have good players who can make the difference.
“We have to also look at the good things. We played well and are in a good position in the table. I think the team showed good character,” reasoned Tato.
This was their fifth defeat against Bengaluru FC in seven matches and Tato mentioned that his side will be able to extract their revenge at some point in future.
“Four wins in a row (before the defeat to Bengaluru) was not easy. We have to face good teams again. So we need to recover. We can have our revenge some other day. This is what I like about football. We will get the victory, we need to continue being at the top of the table,” he said.
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Tato was questioned if FC Goa players have some sort of a mental block when they face Bengaluru FC as some of their stars such as Ferran Corominas or Mourtada Fall just struggle to produce their best.
“Everybody knows Lobera is unbelievable and the players trust him a lot. We tried to give our best to support the players and make them feel comfortable. In the next match, Lobera will be with us.
“I don’t think it was a mental thing. The players cannot play this type of football with a mental block. I think that the supporters made a difference. I think two strong teams played good football today. Anyone could win it but unfortunately for us, it was Bengaluru,” signed off the former FC Pune City striker.
