In a thrilling match filled with opportunities for both teams, FC Goa and Hyderabad FC played out an intense 1-1 draw, a match that saw its fair share of drama. The Gaurs managed to open the scoring in the 52nd minute with a precise finish. However, things changed for the hosts when Borja Herrera was shown a straight red card in the 59th minute, reducing FC Goa to ten players. It was a roller coaster affair with Hyderabad captain Alex Saji also seeing red after receiving his second yellow card in the 71st minute, thus leaving both teams one player down.
Although FC Goa displayed a formidable offensive strategy, registering 36 touches inside the opponent’s box—a record this season in the ISL—they were unable to fully capitalize on their dominance. The Yellow and Blacks staged a late comeback, with Allan Paulista scoring an equalizer in injury time, saving a point for the visitors.
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FC Goa coach Carlos Marquez reflected on the match with a mixture of pride and disappointment. He acknowledged that the team had played better at times, but lamented their inability to maintain that momentum, which ultimately cost them two valuable points. “I think we had the best minutes of FC Goa in this match. Even we could have scored the second goal at that moment. But, you know, at 10 against 10, in the last minutes, the draw can always be there. Because if you’re only leading by one goal, the options are there,” he said in the post-match press conference, as reported by the ISL official website.
Despite the draw, which extended their unbeaten run to nine matches, Marquez stressed the need to stay positive, reflecting on their position third in the table with 26 points after 14 matches. “One more point, and that’s it. Self-criticism is necessary, even for me regarding my substitutions. If you win 1-0, everything seems fantastic. Now it seems that maybe there were some things that didn’t work,” he admitted.
The match also saw Carl McHugh playing as a central defender alongside Sandesh Jhingan due to the suspension of captain Odei Onaindia. Asked about McHugh’s deployment in defense, Marquez clarified, “No, obviously Carl is a defensive midfielder, but we thought having an outsider on each line would help control the game better, but that wasn’t the case. “
As the match progressed, Marquez focused on revitalizing the midfield by bringing in Sahil Tavora and Ayush Chhetri alongside Borja Herrera. However, he was disappointed that his team failed to maintain control despite looking strong. “I think we didn’t play a smooth game. We weren’t very good apart from a few minutes. And especially when we seemed to be in control of the game, suddenly, in the last minutes, we lost that control,” said -he reflected.
In conclusion, Marquez expressed regret over his tactical changes which led to a late equalizer for the visitors. “Maybe that’s why I wanted to put Carl as a midfielder. It turned out worse in the end as we conceded the equalizer, and the coach made a mistake in his substitution,” said -he concluded, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of football.
