ISL 2022-23: ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Hugo Boumous gave his goal to the crowd as his team beat East Bengal FC 2-0 in the first match of the 2022-23 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season .
ATK Mohun Bagan defeated their opponents in the inaugural Kolkata derby played in front of spectators on Hero ISL thanks to goals from Boumous and Manvir Singh in the second half. With the victory, the Mariners won the Kolkata Derby for the seventh time in a row at the Hero ISL, which pleased Boumous.
The following are excerpts from his post-game press conference: Your take on the win? For us, it is a great victory. After enjoying tonight, we should recover properly and take the next day off. We should relax, as the instructor advised. Work will resume early next week. Our confidence is boosted by this win as we now have three more points in our pocket. But if we want to beat Mumbai City FC and win three points, we have to play better and harder than tonight.
If you achieved a long-term goal, did you intend to achieve it or did you jump at the opportunity when it presented itself? Yes, I noticed that there was no one in front of me, so I made the decision to haggle because I knew I had the opportunity and I was free. I made a good shot on goal, which the goalkeeper couldn’t stop. Given how often it’s happened, I think I should make an effort to take advantage of opportunities like this more often throughout the game. I could score a lot more goals this season if I could repeat my previous effort.
ISL 2022-23: Should Atk Mohun Bagan’s decisions in the attacking third be improved, in your opinion?
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We have to improve in many aspects, the coach remarked. I think we have the talent, and the national team is represented by a lot of great players. Since the competition in Hero ISL is so fierce every season, we as a team must work hard and improve our performance every day to stay competitive. No matter where the team is at the table, you have to play your best as every team in the league is great and you can’t take any team in the league for granted.
We have improved from the previous season when the coach was here to play a better style of possession and attacking football, but of course we created a lot of chances and sometimes we failed to convert them, whether it was a shooting opportunity, converting crosses or playing . the decisive last pass, so we have to be more clinical, either offensively or defensively, because even today we could have scored more. In our last game, we scored five goals, but we lost to Chennayin FC, so these mismatches are the reason.
Who would you like to honor with your achievement? I owe my success to my followers. Playing in the inaugural Kolkata Derby at home in the Hero ISL was fantastic. The atmosphere was fantastic. You have my sincerest thanks, and I hope to see you again when the stadium is completely full. not only against East Bengal but also on Hero ISL against the other teams.
How is playing with Dimitri Petratos different from playing with Roy Krishna and David Williams? Roy and David had completely different backgrounds. Like David, Dimi has a similar profile. Roy fights for the ball and the duel, as is natural for a player. He could combine more if there were David and Dimi. Dimi must prove his considerable talent. It’s fantastic to play with these kinds of guys, as that’s how I like to play football. Not only Dimi, but also the other members of the team.
You were a member of the team that previously faced Mumbai City FC. What strategy do you use for games like these?
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We had a tremendous season, winning the League Winners Shield and the ISL Hero Championship during the only season I played there. However, to me, it’s just another game. When I go out on the field, I make an effort to have fun and give everything so that the team wins and gets the three points.
The most significant factor is that. Our team, ATK Mohun Bagan, is successful. Both the game and the league are goals for us. Although it may be easy to say, we must work hard, work together and be careful not to make too many mistakes if we want to be successful.
What is it like to win at VYBK? The emotion of scoring this goal is incredible. I haven’t scored in front of 62,000 people in a long time. This was the first home derby in this magnificent stadium (after two seasons). I want to express my gratitude to everyone in Kolkata who helped us to be successful. Most importantly, we appreciate the victory.
I was lucky enough to score and while it’s always vital to contribute to the team’s success, goals or assists aren’t particularly important to me. My goal is to work for the team and help the team succeed. I’m not trying to win any awards. I have to put in a lot of effort on the pitch, have fun, play good football, support my teammates and thank the fans.
