ISL 2022-23: Second half show against Mumbai City FC was embarrassing – Bengaluru FC’s Javi Hernandez

Bengaluru FC midfielder Javi Hernandez admitted that the team’s second-half performance against Mumbai City FC was embarrassing. The Blues were beaten 0-4 by the Islanders last week on Thursday at the Mumbai Football Arena.

The visitors conceded two goals in the first half and as many in the next 45 minutes. Simon Grayson’s team could only take a total of three shots on target.

While speaking to the official website of the Hero ISL, Herandez feels they created good chances in the first half but they were not up to the mark in the second half.

Hernandez said, “I think we created some good chances in the first half against Mumbai City FC. We played well in the first half an hour of that game but the second-half performance was embarrassing. We can’t play like that. I want to apologize to the fans who had come to Mumbai and those who were watching the match at home. We will come stronger in the next match.”

The Spaniard feels the team can not afford to play the way they played and they need to bounce back stronger in the next match.

He said, “I don’t think it is about the fighting (spirit) because everyone wants to win the match but I don’t know what is happening. We cannot play like that. We have to play much better and as I said we have to come stronger in the next match.”

The Blues have veterans like Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna in their squad but they have managed a solitary win out of the six matches they have played. Hernandez reckons the team is lacking confidence.

He continued, “As I said, we have very good players like Roy (Krishna) and (Sunil) Chhetri but I don’t know why we aren’t playing well this season. It could be due to a lack of confidence. So we need to train hard and try to play better.”

Bengaluru FC will look to get back to winning ways and they will next face FC Goa on Saturday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa.