Every match is supposed to be crucial in ISL season 2. But this one is definitely crucial for Delhi Dynamos and FC Pune City when they meet at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.
Delhi Dynamos, with 15 points, are a notch higher than Pune. Dynamos have, however, netted a mere eight goals compared to 13 by Pune. It has been an area of concern for coach Roberto Carlos that his strikers have been found wanting even as the defence has played its part well.
“The goals will come at the right time,” Carlos said on the eve of the match. “I would have been more worried if we were not performing at all. We have to get on the pitch tomorrow against FC Pune City to win the game. My team is doing the best to win.”
But the Dynamos would have to push on the strength of their defence, which has stood out in the tournament. The team management is convinced that counter-attack is the key and one can expect the competitive flair to be at its best when a compact FC Pune City tries to match their opponents in aggression.
“Delhi may not have scored a lot of goals but they have won considerable points. Their defensive record is better than the other teams and they are difficult to break down. They are very settled team, not too much of rotation,” was how FC Pune City manager David Platt assessed the opposition.
Like Carlos, the Pune City manager was not losing sleep on the team’s average record away from home. Pune City’s anxiety obviously lies in having to deal with the phase when it plays away games. “I don’t think playing away is a huge factor on how we perform. I don’t look at it as a concern, these four games. I just look at it as another game against another opposition. We can win matches between now and the end of the season, so there is no concern,” Platt presented a confident posture.
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