Kochi: Kerala Blasters head coach Peter Taylor said that his men are expecting a difficult game against Mumbai City when the two teams meet in an ISL match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
Blasters won their opening match against NorthEast United 3-1 here on Tuesday, while Mumbai lost the Maharashtra derby to Pune City by the same margin on Monday.
However, Taylor insisted that the Nicolas Anelka-led side is a strong one and very much capable of bouncing back.
"The reason most top players reach a good level is because they have good character. When a team is beaten, they become more determined to win the next match. Mumbai will be keen to make things harder for us tomorrow, and we respect that. They have top quality attacking players. We just need to make sure we get our act together," the 62-year-old said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
The former England U-21 boss also reflected on the match against NorthEast, stating that though he was delighted to win the opener, he expects a better performance from his team against Mumbai.
"I've been working with the team for a month. I'm sure we can do a little bit better. We could have scored a lot more goals the other day. I'm hopeful of an improved showing tomorrow."
Taylor will be without the services of marquee player Carlos Marchena and midfielder Peter Carvalho on Saturday, though the gaffer is confident that the former will be available from next week.
"We've got one injury. Peter Carvalho is not fit for the match. Marchena was on the bench against NorthEast. He trained on Thursday and Friday. He is not 100 per cent fit, but he is getting there. Tomorrow might be a bit too early for him though," Taylor pointed out.
Mumbai, on the other hand, suffered a setback against Pune. The team created plenty of chances in the first half, but failed to convert them and eventually paid the price.
Assistant coach Oscar Bruzon, however, said he was not worried about the lack of goals and stressed that his immediate concern was how the defence leaked three goals.
“We had an excellent first half, but Pune made a couple of tactical changes and that was enough to take all three points. We lost not because of our attack, but because of our defence. The full-backs didn't get enough support from the wingers. We have been working on that and I'm sure it won't happen again,” Bruzon said.
Speaking of the test that awaits them on Saturday, the Spanish tactician said that he was aware of the Blasters' game plan and insisted his players are more than prepared to counter it.
"Kerala play with with just one man wide on each flank. Everyone else will be tucked inside. They play what you call British football or direct football. We are aware of their strong points."
Mumbai have no fresh injury worries heading into the match. Brandon Fernandes remains sidelined, while fellow Indian midfielder Sampath Kuttymani will have a late fitness test to determine his participation. Otherwise, Anelka has a full squad to choose from.
Dynamos beat Chennaiyin, notch up maiden win
New Delhi: Delhi Dynamos rebounded from their opening match failure to notch up the first victory of their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign in a 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC here on Thursday.
Dynamos lead 1-0 at the breather in front of a disappointing crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Defender Chicao netted the match-winning goal from a penalty in the eighth minute.
Dynamos lost their first match of the tournament away against FC Goa 0-2 while Chennaiyin were beaten 2-3 at home by title holders Atletico de Kolkata. The home team now has three points from two matches while their opponents are yet to get a point after two defeats.
Dynamos identified the need to get a quick start in their first home match and began in right earnest.
They plotted their attacks predominantly from the left side where their nippy Brazilian Gustavo Dos Santos, one of the few positives in their otherwise disappointing inaugural campaign last year, was lively.
He danced his way to the left byline after evading couple of defenders and created the first goal in the eighth minute.
His cut-back pass initially found no one inside the box, but was met with a strong shot by an advancing Hans Mulder whose shot was blocked by Manuele Blasi. Referee Tejas Nagvenkar promptly directed to the spot from where Cardoso scored.
They could have doubled their lead on 31 minutes had Ghanaian forward Richard Gadze’s forceful shot, after beating three defenders on the run, not saved by goalkeeper Edel Bete Apoula, diving to his left on the near post.
But just when it looked the home team, would build on from the initial ascendancy, Chennaiyin reminded them of staying true at the back, three minutes later.
A momentary lapse of concentration by defender Anas Edathodika, who lost control of the ball, just outside the penalty area, allowed Colombian forward Steven Mendoza to unleash a left-footer that thundered off the cross bar, in what was a big relief for the hosts.
Chennaiyin’s attackers, which hadn’t quite performed as a unit in the first session, showed signs of learning from their mistakes after the play resumed. They began to stitch together meaningful moves and tried utilising their wingers looking to stretch the opposition defenders.
Their ploy could have yielded instant gratification had the home-grown Balwant Singh headed into the net from six yards, off a right-sided centre, on 52 minutes. But an unmarked Balwant directed his effort wide.
Both teams tried to go on the offensive, but the second half action never really got going as the ball mostly rolled around in the midfield zone.
Chennaiyin had more possession but couldn’t convert that supremacy into clear-cut chances as time went by, against a Dynamos defence that kept its shape, unlike the match against FC Goa.
Chennayin manager, Italian World Cup winning defender Marco Materazzi, tried to infuse more energy and purpose to their offensive play, bringing in Brazilian midfielder Bruno Pelissari in place marquee man Elano Blumer, but it didn’t prove to be an inspired change.
Carlos, another celebrated defender in his heydays, identified the rearguard mistakes committed by his team in the previous match and got enough players behind the ball determined not be caught off-guard.
They were successful in that, which would make Carlos glad and give him confidence ahead of four consecutive away matches.
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