Jamshedpur, Odisha keen to open their account
Jamshedpur FC will get its third Indian Super League (ISL) campaign underway with a clash against new entrant Odisha FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here on Tuesday.
Jamshedpur had two head coaches over the last couple of seasons and both of them employed their own style of play at the club. Now as Spaniard Antonio Iriondo takes over, supporters can expect an attacking philosophy. “We will try to defend when it (Odisha) attacks us. But our goal is to have the ball more than our opposition. For us, the most important thing is to make our fans happy with our gameplay,” said Iriondo.
Jamshedpur had departures to deal with as the Spanish duo of Mario Arques and Sergio Cidoncha joined Kerala Blasters FC. However, it has boosted its strike force with CK Vineeth, who is the third-highest Indian goal scorer in the ISL. JFC also replaced the outgoing foreigners with Francisco ‘Piti’ Luna and Noe Acosta while managing to retain star players Memo Moura and Tiri.
“The first match is obviously the most nervous one. The players are working hard and are ready to make decisions (on the field). They understand the way we want to play,” he added. Josep Gombau’s Delhi Dynamos only managed an eighth-place finish in the fifth edition, but his team had a certain vigour and excitement in its football. Delhi Dynamos has now moved to Bhubaneshwar and has rebranded itself as Odisha FC.
Gombau will be looking to continue his project with the young squad as he looks for better results on the pitch. Winger Lallianzuala Chhangte has left for Chennaiyin FC, but the presence of Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Jerry Mawhmingthanga and Nandhakumar Sekar in the forward line will help Odisha pose a threat on the break. “Last season is over. Now we start a journey, at a new club in a new city. A lot of players are the same and I think we have a good squad. I think we have a complete team,” Gombau told reporters in the pre-match presser. Gombau’s side likes to keep the ball, and against Jamshedpur, it will be up against a team that also loves to hog possession.
It should make for an intriguing battle in midfield where the likes of Vinit Rai and the seasoned Marcos Tebar will play key roles for the tourist. “We are excited, want to do a good job. The football is for us to enjoy. We are here with this mentality,” he remarked.