It has been a roller-coaster season for Odisha FC in the Indian Super League. But for now, the Kalinga Warriors defeated Northeast United 2-0 and are well placed to put pressure on the top four teams.
It was Daniel Lalhlimpuia who opened the scoring for Odisha FC from a grat Aridai Cabrera cross. Later Aridai Cabrera did the honours himself with a little help from NorthEast United custodian Mirshad Michu to double the scoring. The two first-half strikes were enough for Odisha FC to bag all three points against a short-handed NorthEast United.
Odisha FC has parted ways with their Spanish tactician Kiko Ramirez as Anshul Katiyar, their Indian assistant coach addressed the media after their win. The Indian tactician highlighted how important wins are when the team is going through tough times.
“It’s a good experience. When you win, it’s good, and when you lose, you learn something from it. Coming from a difficult situation, like we are facing few things and when you play like this, the boys did really well,” the tactician began.
This win will surely boost the morale for Odisha FC as they climb to the fifth position in the ISL points table. So that keeps them on the hunt for a position in the playoffs. Katiyar highlights how the club is looking to make a strong base for the future of the Kalinga Warriors.
“It’s a process, and we just started building this team. The process always takes time. We are not building this team only for this year. So it’s just a start. And if we are finishing at the top of the league or top four, we are going to provide a very strong base to the club. This will be very good for the players, for everyone,” Anshul Katiyar stated.
Lastly it was nice to see Daniel Lalhlimpuia scoring a goal after three years in the Indian Super League. Katiyar highlights the importance of Indian strikers scoring goals. He feels it is important for them to prove a point as they do not get opportunities every time.
I would say that Daniel or whoever is playing as a No. 9, it’s very important for Indian strikers to score. This is because these opportunities always go to the strong players, I wouldn’t say the foreigners or something. These players are coming from the bench, and you always expect more from them. It’s a good pressure for them, and when they are on the score sheet, it’s excellent for them,” Katiyar concluded.
