Long break before playoffs a bit strange, but no excuses: Carl McHugh

Panaji: Carl McHugh has already won the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy, twice, so he knows what it feels like to win the final.
His last trophy was in 2022-23 when ATK Mohun Bagan put it across Bengaluru FC on penalties in the final. It was a closely-fought encounter at Fatorda with the Kolkata giants keeping their cool in tiebreaker. Since that triumph, McHugh moved to FC Goa and is now determined to end the club’s trophy drought.
“In football, you always want success, always want to win the biggest prizes in whatever league you're playing, and the two biggest prizes are the ISL Shield and Trophy,” McHugh told TOI during the pre-match media interaction on Monday. “Obviously we came up short in the race for the Shield, so now we are fully motivated to try and win this trophy. We have had a great season, but I think now we just need to focus on the playoffs. Everyone’s very motivated.”
Goa finished second best in the race for the ISL Shield with Mohun Bagan Super Giant emerging triumphant. Manolo Marquez’s side sealed a direct spot in the semifinals and will now take on the might of Bengaluru FC, with the first leg scheduled to be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday.
“We have had a really good season. We are feeling positive going into the game. We need to be strong mentally over the two games. That's going to be crucial. It’s important to focus on what's in front of us now and that is the game on Wednesday. We know Bengaluru are a good team. They've had a good result, a good season, but we are confident going into the first leg,” said the Ireland midfielder.
Bengaluru have momentum on their side after sweeping aside the challenge of defending champions Mumbai City 5-0 in the playoff. Goa, on the other hand, have not played a competitive game since March 8 when they lost the concluding league clash against Mohun Bagan 2-0.
The league was then paused for the national team’s international commitments during the FIFA window, and even though Goa have been out of action for long, McHugh believes the weeks of training will hold them in good stead.
“It’s a bit strange,” said McHugh, an automatic choice in midfield for Manolo’s team. “In the years I've been here, I've never seen a break after the regular season before the playoffs, so it’s going to be a bit different. As a player, when you are in the flow of playing games, you want to continue playing. But it is what it is. We've had some really good weeks of training and preparation for this. We are fully focused on the game, no excuses.”
Goa and FC have faced each other 17 times in ISL history. The Gaurs have won five encounters, while the Blues have emerged victorious on seven occasions. Five matches have ended in draws, including the last clash.
When the teams met during the league stage in Bengaluru, Goa took a 2-0 lead before the home team fought back with two late goals to tie the game 2-2.
“Obviously we were disappointed to not win the game. We've been 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go, so maybe that's something we can learn from. We know they are a good team, they’ve got a lot of players in the national team, they've got good foreigners. But we are good team as well and looking forward to the game,” said McHugh.