Hyderabad FC notched their first win against Odisha FC in this season of ISL 2020-21. Starting with 4 foreigners, and maintaining a clean sheet for the first time in the history of Hyderabad FC, the away side netted a single goal which led to the victory.
Manuel Roca said,
“Honestly, I’m really happy. In all the preseason friendlies we conceded 2 goals except with Bengaluru which ended one goal a piece. So considering those results as well, it is my first clean sheet here. Hence, it is of course a reason to be satisfied.”
On how Hyderabad played today and on the long term effects of those, Roca said,
“We have to play according to the style of the players. With the players I have, it’s not right to play long balls and for me to get good results, we should have a control over the game. Sometimes, we may not be too strong physically. So, we must have the possession throughout in order to achieve what we want.
“The idea was to keep passing the ball and to keep the possession and we will score when the chance is right. And with the space that we had in the pitch, Liston is detrimental. That’s why he was the first substitution in the game. So when the opponents are attacking, you must have the back and utilise the space in the back of their defenders.”
On why Liston Colaco didn’t start, considering the impact he made, Roca said,
“Of course, Liston is a very good player and a very good guy. He is a powerful player. As for today, the game was Liston’s since the time we got the lead. He is versatile. Today he played as a second striker and sometimes he can also play as a winger. So, he is a very impactful player and he is a young guy with a great future.”
Akash Mishra caught the eyes of the audience today with his scintillating performance. On him, Roca said,
“We had spoken with him. It was his first ISL game. He is a good player with a very good mentality. And for me, soon enough, he will become the best left back in India. He still has to improve but we’re satisfied with his performance today.”
Roca, on ISL and his upcoming game against Bengaluru, said,
“It’s getting better year after year. This season is different for the whole footballing consortium. Here, I see that players are getting tired after 60-70 minutes of the match. I saw two players getting injured early. But the quality, especially in the younger players, is growing every year. And for the next game against Bengaluru, I would refrain from telling anything because, my friend, Carles Cuadrat might be listening to me. But yes, they will play with a good team and they have a good coach. But I believe our team can win against all the opponents”, Roca signed off.