Kolkata: NorthEast United FC, faced a tough 1-0 defeat against East Bengal FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, here, in the latest Indian Super League (ISL) encounter on Friday night.
Dimitrios Diamantakos’ strike in the 23rd minute secured East Bengal’s first win of the season, ending the Highlanders’ promising run.
This was the third defeat of the season for NorthEast United FC, who missed a chance to close the gap with leaders Bengaluru FC.
At the post-match press conference, head coach Juan Pedro Benali expressed frustration with his team’s performance and highlighted areas for improvement.
When asked about the game, Benali didn’t hold back.
“What went wrong? Everything, everything went wrong. Today we were just pushing the ball, you know, just throwing it. Football is a totally different game, man,” he said in the post-match press conference.
He acknowledged the team’s inability to execute their plans effectively, emphasising the importance of maintaining composure under pressure.
“At this moment, it’s exciting. Like I said, we are not used to being up. Normally, we need to be fighting for the game. The problem is, when we feel that we are up, we forget to do the right thing,” he said.
The Highlanders had several opportunities but failed to capitalise. 12 of their shots were off target with East Bengal FC keeper Prabhsukhan Gill making one save all game.
Benali noted, “We had many chances, but we don’t know how (to convert). We just want to go to the ball, send it inside, and we don’t shoot well. Suddenly, when we do something good, we don’t repeat it again.”
Benali also spoke about the team’s mental state, pointing out that anxiety and inexperience were major hurdles.
“During the game, there are a lot of small games, and you need to win. You cannot do silly mistakes,” he explained.
He added, “Call it inexperience. Call it many things. But we believe. The problem is anxiety. Sometimes we try to do more than what we should do. We need to be more calm to score.”
NorthEast United played with ten men in the dying stages of the game after a red card for Mohammed Ali Bemammer. Lalchungnunga was later sent off in the 87th minute.
However, Benali stressed the need for more composure in such situations.
“Even with one red card, we believed we would score. The problem is, we need to be calmer to make it happen,” he said.
Looking ahead, Benali urged his team to reset and refocus. The Highlanders must regroup quickly as they prepare for their next ISL fixture against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on December 8.
