Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], September 14 : Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera expressed disappointment with his team's performance following their 3-2 defeat to Chennaiyin FC in their opening fixture of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The match began well for Lobera's side, with Diego Mauricio scoring from the penalty spot to give them an early lead. However, Odisha FC lost both Saviour Gama and Carlos Delgado to injuries within the first half-hour, allowing Chennaiyin FC to gradually gain momentum.
The Marina Machans started the second half strongly, with Farukh Choudhary equalising in the 48th minute and then scoring again four minutes later. Debutant Daniel Chima Chukwu then added to the scoreline for Chennaiyin FC. Roy Krishna pulled one back for Odisha FC in stoppage time, but it wasn't enough as the Kalinga Warriors succumbed to defeat at home after scoring first in 15 matches.
"I don't think we need to make excuses about the injuries. I don't think injuries were the reason we lost the game. Obviously, losing two players in the first half is difficult for us. I had only one window left for the (remaining) substitutions and I have a long time ahead (remaining in the game)," Lobera stated in the post-match press conference, according to ISL release.
"We were not loyal to our style of play, we were losing the ball easily, using a lot of long balls, and playing against a team who is comfortable playing like this. We showed last season we are mentally strong, and we can come back in difficult situations but today during some periods of the game we lost focus, the concentration and allowed the opponent team to kill us," he added.
This was far from the start Odisha FC envisioned for the season. Lobera wants his team to make significant improvements before their upcoming match against Punjab FC in Delhi.
"We need to learn and improve, starting with myself as the coach. We need to analyze many things, but the players need to put their focus on the next game. We need to improve a lot of things if we want to be competitive and secure top positions in the ISL," Lobera stated.
Spanish centre-back Carlos Delgado was a key defensive presence throughout last season, helping Odisha FC maintain their impressive unbeaten home record. His injury is likely to be a major concern for the coach.
"Delgado's injury seems serious, but we need to check. He needs to go to the hospital, but now he's in a lot of pain. Let's see what happens, but most probably we are going to lose two players (Delgado and Gama) for some period," he commented.
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