Sree Kanteerava Stadium witnessed an Indian Super League classic as Jamshedpur FC snatched a last-gasp equalizer to draw 2 - 2 against Bengaluru FC.
The match was iconic in many ways for Cesar Ferrando's side as it marked the much-awaited debut of Tim Cahill and a league debut goal for none other than the local hero, Gourav Mukhi.
With the club accumulating 4 points from their first two tricky away fixtures, the head coach, Cesar Ferrando had a lot to say on his side's start to the new season. Here are the excerpts from his interaction with the media after the match against Bengaluru FC:
On the performance against BFC...
We had a big challenge to play against Bengaluru FC. I think BFC is a big team with good players. In the first half, we tried to control the game and in the second half we had to risk more to get back into the game. Overall, I think the result is good for us. I am happy with the performance of my team because we played against a good team.
On the team's defending...
No, I am not happy with the way my team defended. We could have been three goals down but that’s football. For the second goal, the cross was far away from the goal and we had to jump better to stop the ball over the top. For the first goal, we defended set pieces very well but, in that instance, we weren’t ready for the second ball and the opposition capitalized.
On Cahill's performance...
We need Tim for the big matches and we need to improve his performance. He needs to play every game he can for us. We suffered a lot in the game. We played a high line and our center-backs suffered from the balls over the top or in behind them.
On the other hand, we have Gourav who is a good player and quicker in short spaces. We need these kinds of players to complement Tim. I think Gourav played well today on his debut, I am very happy for him and the team.
Along with Ferrando, Gourav Mukhi also interacted with the media after his stunning goal that helped Jamshedpur FC salvage a draw. The youngster talked about a range of issues from his goal celebration to Tim Cahill's influence on his game play...
On scoring his first goal for the club...
I am feeling very good. I hope to have made my family and the people of Jamshedpur proud. My father always used to tell me that don’t always focus on scoring goals, help the team in every way you can. I want to remain focused and give my all for the team.
On his goal celebration...
I have been doing that celebration since I’ve been a kid. When I played in the Jamshedpur League, I have done this celebration a lot of times.
On the team's mentality after conceding the second goal...
The team took a lot of pressure after conceding the second goal as they were very few minutes remaining in the match. I was thinking I just needed one chance to score a goal and help my team. And I was glad that my team equalized.
On Tim Cahill's influence...
Tim helps me a lot in training and is always telling me where I can improve my game. I generally tend to smile a lot during practice but Tim always tells me to focus during training sessions. I feel that he always has an eye on me.
