Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic is confident that his team will do well against Jamshedpur FC in the first leg of the first semifinal, which will be played at PJN Stadium, Fatorda on Friday. Vukomanovic stated they have seen in this edition of the Hero ISL that any team can beat anyone on a particular day.
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters FC had taken each other twice in the league stage and the latter could not beat the former even on one occasion. The first match between them in December ended in a 1-1 draw whereas Jamshedpur FC dominated the second contest as they had by 3-0 in February.
On the other hand, Kerala Blasters FC finished in fourth place in the standings with 34 points from 20 matches. The Southerners played a thrilling 4-4 draw against FC Goa in their last match.
Ivan Vukomanovic said in the pre-match press conference, “Well, I must admit that now I have a better feeling than the moment we started this adventure. We feel good. We think we are on the right path. We think we have improved a lot as a club. I think we can become nothing but better. Seeing that we are standing where nobody expected us to be, it gives us extra motivation and power. We are sorry that we couldn’t perform in front of fans. But hopefully, it will not be the case next year. I am doubly motivated to continue and hopefully, we will achieve better results.”
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC is known for their potent defense, and Kerala Blasters FC strikers will have their work cut against them. However, Vukomanovic expressed optimism that they can do well against Owen Coyle’s men.
He added, “We have seen this year anyone can beat anyone. When you’re facing a tough team in the playoffs you go around small details. Small details that can influence the game and make a difference. You can score from these moments. In these kinds of games, you need to be focused till the extra time. You have to be careful about certain details. We have to try to explore in order to get a good result. We will do our best.”
Speaking on the difficulty of this big match, Vukomanovic said, “They are a physically tough team. It would be an open fight. The 20 games are past now, this is a new chapter. So. it will be different.”
The first leg of the semifinal between Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters will be played at PJN Stadium, Fatorda on Friday.
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