ISL 2020-21: Kerala Blasters to meet fellow-struggler East Bengal
ISL newcomer East Bengal, after four losses and a draw, is at the bottom of the 11-team table with just one point while the Blasters is in the ninth rung with two points.
Published : Dec 19, 2020 22:53 IST
Five games without a win and one of the poorest starts in the last few seasons.
When Kerala Blasters take on fellow-struggler SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League at Bambolin's GMC Stadium on Sunday, they will be hoping that things change for the better.
At least on paper, the match – the sixth for both – should offer a nice opportunity for the Blasters. ISL newcomer East Bengal, after four losses and a draw, is at the bottom of the 11-team table with just one point while the Blasters is in the ninth rung with two points.
READ|
The Blasters head coach Kibu Vicuna said since his team and East Bengal are in a similar situation, the match should be an interesting one.
“Every match is a new challenge. Now, we will be playing East Bengal and we are in a similar situation. Both teams want to get their three points tomorrow. They are very important for us. We are training well, preparing as well as possible,” said the Spaniard.
“We have confidence in the team and the players and, hopefully, we will play a good match. We played against East Bengal in the pre-season. I watched their first five games, they are playing three central defenders. When the results are not good you try to change, they are experimenting. They have good foreign players.”
READ|
The Blasters have a huge fan following but Vicuna did not think that the pressure of expectation was pulling the team down.
“In football, it always happens like that. When you don't have good results, you are slowly losing confidence but the best medicine is to get a good result. Then you get your confidence back, you have confidence in the way you are training.
“It happens in all the leagues, what we have to do is to keep up the fighting spirit to change the situation. Train harder and better and then, hopefully, the results will come.”
Vicuna felt that the team has to improve the defence.
“We have to improve our defensive part and concede lesser goals because we conceded many in the last game (against Bengaluru FC). We have to defend better and also improve our offensive play.”
He said that the young and promising Sahal Abdul Samad was not fully fit and that was the reason why he was missing from the action.
“Sahal is a very good player, one of the most talented players. Am sure he is going to play very good. He has some physical problems that's why he is not playing but he will be helping us in the next games.”