Tato insistent on playing the Goa way, Ferrando eyes silverware

Quarter-final three of the Hero Super Cup 2019 will see Hero Indian Super League (Hero SL) 2018-19 finalist FC Goa clash with Jamshedpur FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

At the pre-match press conference, Goa assistant coach, Jesus Tato, weighed in with his views on the team’s preparation for the match. "We are really looking forward to doing well in this competition, especially after the disappointing ending in the Hero ISL. All the staff and the players have been working really hard for this competition and everyone could see it the way we performed against Indian Arrows. As I said before, we have been working hard to get ready for this Hero Super Cup," he said.

Asked about his views the opponents, Tato responded, "We already know that Jamshedpur are a very good side. Tactically they are very good, very organized. It will be a very tough game. But we also know that if we give our 100%, we have some chances there. But if we are not at our 100%, it will really be a tough game."

"We are aware of the quality of the players on both sides. It's true that they have a good defensive system. We are focusing on ourselves, figuring what we have to do. We know exactly the kind of football we want to display on the ground and we don’t want to be distracted from our idea of playing football. We want to keep with the same idea and keep displaying the same football in order to reach the final of this competition," the Spaniard added.

From Jamshedpur's end, head coach Cesar Ferrando was accompanied by veteran goalkeeper Subrata Paul. Shedding some light on his team's preparations to counter the Gaurs, Ferrando stated, "It is a difficult match for us because in the last month we have not competed with any Hero ISL team. This match is very important. We are going to play the runners-up from the Hero ISL. They are a good team. They play very well. They create a lot of goals. I think we are ready to play as well. I hope we can demonstrate the kind of football we want."

The 59-year-old was, however, confident in his team's ability to deliver and win the trophy. "I think the level of my team is very high. Tomorrow is a tough match. The team that will play tomorrow has shown a lot of fight in training. At this moment, the team is training very hard. We can try to clinch the trophy. We want to show our respect for this cup. We are doing our best to win the trophy. For that, we need to train every day and try hard," he added.

Subrata, too, echoed his gaffer's views and said, "First of all, Goa are a very good side. They played the Hero ISL final. Unfortunately, they couldn’t win. For me, FC Goa are one of the best teams in the country right now. But we are ready to play. We had a very good preparation after the Hero ISL. We couldn’t qualify for the semis but for the Hero Super Cup, we came here to win the trophy. It is very important for us. We want to win something."

Read the Match Preview here.

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