Unfamiliarity rules as big names take the field
NEW DELHI: From the highs of winning the Serie A with Juventus to the tough days of Italian second division to an infamous World Cup final, Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet have had many experiences that ran parallel in their long careers. However, on Tuesday, it would be unfamiliarity that welcomes them to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
With a pitch that is smaller than what they are used to and teammates who are yet to learn the right pronunciation of their names, perhaps del Piero, 39, who will play in the ‘hole’ for Delhi Dynamos, and the former French forward, who will lead the charge for FC Pune City could find familiarity in the around them would go through.
The Capital has not had a toplevel football team of ‘their own’ to cheer for ages and the Indian players who would line up alongside the veterans on either side of the pitch would not have had a sizeable crowd backing them outside a few pockets before.
When the Dynamos host Pune in the third fixture of the Indian Super League on Tuesday evening, the city will turn a new leaf.
UNKNOWN ENTITY Dynamos coach Harm van Veldhoven is a typical Dutch football disciple who emphasises on minute details and coherent movement, with or without the ball, of his players.
However, that he is attempting to make a group of players from different countries with adapt to a highly-technical game hardly makes his job easy.
“It is difficult. It’s a new style to most players. I have to start with the basics We also had to midfield and attack,” said van Veldhoven.
For the Belgian, working with the Indian players, who are not used to the style of football he lenging. “The Indian players are not used to high-line defence. As soon as the players lose possession, they surge to the backline. So we had to work with them a lot on the aspect.”
LITTLE KNOWN
In terms of specific match preparation, neither the Dynamos coach nor his counterpart, Franco Colomba, has had a headstart. “We know very little of the opposition. I have no idea of their formation or style of play, but I guess that is the same for everyone,” said van Veldhoven.
Perhaps, that summarises what this match is about. For most, it would hardly matters who would win on Tuesday, because the hope is the city football, and in a larger context Indian football emerge victori