I think we showed a completely different face of Mumbai City vs Goa, says coach Guimaraes

MUMBAI CITY FC won their first ISL match against FC Goa at home after losing the opening game against BFC.

Coach Alexandre Guimaraes was happy with his team's performance especially after Goa equalising in the 84th minute.

"I think today we showed a completely different face of Mumbai City FC, and we fight very hard to get this win. The game was as we thought it would be – a tough game, but I also think it was the type of game that ISL needs for the promotion of football here in India. These types of games are what fans come to the stadiums for. It stimulates the football, and is very satisfying. I am very proud of my players, because they never lost faith. It’s hard to take a draw in the last minute, but they get up again and still fight to get a chance, and we got it. We did what we spoke to the players about, in terms of winning our first game at home, and that’s why I am very satisfied with the performance of the team today."

He talks about what was the half-time talk like,

"Well, first of all, I think the teams were closer to each other in the second half than they were in the first half. We were not well synchronised, so they passed our pressure with ease. In the second half, we just got back a little bit and closed the spaces they were finding. The team improved, and of course, we told the players that there were 45 minutes more to play and to go for it and to be more aggressive."

Talking further about his team's performance he said,

"It’s difficult to compare teams, because there are different players now. We are trying to get this balance to attack, but when we are attacking, to continue to defend well, to be well positioned, and not allowing the other team to cause damage. I think that we managed better today than the last game, and of course, winning always brings more courage, enthusiasm, belief, and I know for sure, that with this belief and the way we won, it will help us to improve in all departments."

He also spoke of the importance to recover well for the next match,

"What we have to work upon now is to recover from this battle. Players by the end of the game were exhausted, so, we have tomorrow and day after tomorrow to recover. And then on Tuesday, we will see what we do for our next game."

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.