Kerala Blasters FC’s head coach Ivan Vukomanovic has stated that he won’t be counting the one-goal advantage and they will take the second-leg semifinal against Jamshedpur FC as the new game altogether. The Southerners were able to take a 1-0 advantage after Sahal Samad had scored for them on Friday.
However, it is expected that Jamshedpur FC will come out all guns blazing against Kerala Blasters and Vukomanovic doesn’t want his team to be complacent in the second leg.
Vukomanovic stated that they will look to take it as a fresh match and they will aim to be positive in their approach in the second leg.
He said in the pre-match press conference, “Well, we won’t even look anymore at the last game, even that result 1-0. It doesn’t give us any guarantee, no security for tomorrow’s game. Tomorrow’s game is a new game. It’s a new day. We have to play with full concentration and focus on all the things that we want to achieve and show on the pitch. Tomorrow we are starting our game 0-0, like playing finals, actually, every game since we started this competition, it was like that because we don’t expect anybody to help us. We have to enter the fight, it will be a physical fight, it will be even harder and more difficult than the last one.”
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters FC players were on cloud nine after they had won their previous match against Jamshedpur FC and they had celebrated in style. Jamshedpur FC coach Owen Coyle had said that the opposition celebrated like they had won the World Cup. Speaking on the same, Vukomanovic said that they celebrate after winning every game and it was a big win for them against a top team.
Vukomanovic added, “Actually, we celebrate every game. Seeing our spot in the playoffs, we are the underdogs. We are not the favourites. And, of course, seeing the fact that we have won against the team who had seven victories in the row and then won the league, for us , it is a good achievement. We celebrate every game, every victory, because we know that nothing we achieve was offered to us, nothing was given to us just like that, we had to fight for them. And of course, when you fight for those things and you achieve victories, I think you have to celebrate. So even tomorrow we know that our opponents are the favourites. We’ll try to play a solid game, try to be a tough opponent.”
Speaking on his message to his players before the big clash, the gaffer added, “Every boy is working so hard to achieve. And it must be a pleasure. Of course, being concentrated, being humble, being focused on your game, being focused on the things that you have to do, to perform on the pitch, these kinds of things are important too. Our message will be like that, with certain things that we want to try on the pitch tomorrow with certain movements, and all these things, like the small parts of preparation for one big puzzle that you want to complete.”
The second-leg semifinal between Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters FC will take place at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Tuesday.
