"I am not sad because I saw the team playing good football" - Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis on draw with Hyderabad FC

A late goal from Hyderabad FC denied Punjab FC their first-ever win in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Punjab FC seemed destined to get their first-ever ISL win when Juan Mera managed to beat a lunging Gurmeet Singh to put a goal past Hyderabad FC's famed defence.

However, the tables turned just moments before the final whistle was blown as Hyderabad striker Jonathan Moya managed to head a Mark Zothanpuia cross into the net and level the score.

The game, which could very well have gone Punjab's way 1-0, ended up being 1-1. Punjab, as a result, continue to languish at the bottom of the league table, while Hyderabad retain their position a spot above them. Both these teams have three points to their name and are only separated on goal difference.

Punjab head coach Staikos Vergetis, speaking to the media after the game, seemed pleased with his side's showing, although he was naturally disappointed with the result.

"Of course, the players were very sad because they were waiting for our first victory," Vergetis told media. "We were very near to this (our first ISL victory). But as I told them (the players), if we do the maximum, if we put our maximum effort into every game as we do today, good results will come."

"For me, I am not so sad because I saw the team playing good football in some periods of the game and being very competitive, and I like this. I like that; as the game goes on, the team starts to increase its performance," he added.

---

"It's not an issue that in the last minute, the team loses concentration" - Staikos Vergetis

Staikos Vergetis was questioned, rightly so, on his strategy of protecting the lead that his side got. This worked negatively in their previous game against Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena and backfired yet again against Hyderabad.

However, the Greek seemed nonplussed about it and defended it rather vigorously.

"It's the nature of the sport of football," he continued. "The team that fights to survive and fights to draw when it's back in the score will press more. And automatically, sometimes the team that is in front of the score tries to defend and try to keep what result it has. And it happens automatically in the mentality of the players many times.

"It's not an issue that in the last minute, the team loses concentration or all of this."

Vergetis ended with an appeal to the supporters of Punjab FC to come to the stadium and watch their games.

"I would like to encourage people from Delhi or Punjab to come and watch because the games are very interesting. I enjoy football in India. It features a lot of transitions, fast-paced action, and maintains interest until the last minute, as we witnessed today. I believe that games like this draw people to the stadiums. I call on them to come, support our team, and enjoy the game," he signed off.