Chennai take on resurgent Blasters in a crucial tie

Kochi:Kerala Blasters will welcome their Southern rivals Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi and the home side will look to extend their unbeaten run to five matches, with one eye on the remote possibility of making the Hero Indian Super League playoffs. 

Chennaiyin are not yet assured of qualification for the semifinals but even a loss will keep them among the top four. However, both teams have only two matches left. The previous match between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw after goals in the 89th and 90th minutes from Rene Mihelic and CK Vineeth respectively. But tomorrow, neither would be happy except a win and full points from this encounter.

"It was a tough schedule for us to play games and then recover for a day before jumping onto the plane again. We're delighted with the amount of points we've got from these last four matches. I didn't change the team that much so it has been a huge workload for them and says everything about my squad. We're where we are because of our work ethic. Now we come into this game with an unusual four-five days of rest and we are in very good shape," Chennaiyin head coach John Gregory said -- almost as if sounding a warning shot for Kerala.

But this is hardly the same Kerala side that they faced early on.

"They were struggling when we played them last time, individually and as a team. But with the new coach (David James) coming in with a positive attitude and has totally transformed the team," he said. 

James himself sounded pretty confident, and said that there were initial question marks when he joined Kerala for the second time in his career.

"The experience I had as a head coach was also a matter of question but from day one it was always about how Kerala Blasters is about everyone involved with the club and not just the players and the head coach. So without wanting to make it sound too easy, it was still easy to instill confidence in everyone with a support staff like mine," he said.

On the upcoming game, a crucial one at that, James said that he expected an energetic match.

"We expect them to win the game and get over the line. For us, we have to win the game and aim for six points (out of two games)," he said, intending that both sides will certainly go on an all out attack. 

Bengaluru look to turn the tables on Chennai

Chennai:It’s the showdown between two teams that have set the pace this season in the Hero Indian Super League. Even though both Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC are comfortably settled in the top two positions in the league standing, there still will be a lot to play for when they square off at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday. 

Second placed Chennaiyin FC are currently four points behind table toppers Bengaluru FC but John Gregory's men have played one game less than their southern rivals. Chennayin had defeated Bengaluru 2-1 at their home and a win tomorrow will see the Chennai team cut the lead to just one point. But, it will not be easy. Bengaluru FC come into this game with three consecutive wins under their belt. And this time, Bengaluru will look to turn the tables on Chennai.

Mindful of the task at hand, Chennaiyin FC coach John Gregory told reporters at the pre-match press conference that for him, the season actually starts now.

"For me, the season starts tomorrow. This is when you find how good you are. Everything has just been jostling for positions. It just like practice lap in Formula 1. We are second in the grid and the race actually starts tomorrow. We have five games in 17 days that will determine if we make it to the play-offs," he added.  

Talking about the team selection for tomorrow's big game, Gregory said, he has the complete squad to choose from but he'll make that decision only before the game.  "Everyone is fit and healthy for this crucial period. I'm fortunate to have a good medical staff that has taken good care of the players," he added.

Though Chennaiyin FC have the advantage of a 2-1 win over BFC in the last game, the Bengaluru head coach Albert Roca believes that their loss to Chennai in the previous encounter will have no effect on his players when they face Chennaiyin for the second time in the season.

"I don't think it will play on our mind. Losing to Chennaiyin FC wasn't disastrous. Obviously, we want to win all games. Tomorrow, we need to be brave and try and get all three points," he said at the pre-match press conference. 

Bengaluru FC have been enjoying a great debut season in the ISL. Roca’s men have adapted to the new league with ease and are looking like title contenders. The Spanish tactician, however, feels it's too early for such claims.

"It's not finished yet. First, we have to finish all our games, perhaps we can talk a little about it and even then we also have to go through playoffs. At the moment it's a pack of six teams looking to get into top four. So the first goal is to be in top four. If we take all three points tomorrow, we'll be close," he concluded.

Leaders Chennaiyin add to ATK’s woes

Kolkata: Change in coach brought no change in fortunes for ATK as the defending champions succumbed to Chennaiyin FC 1-2 in the Hero Indian Super League clash at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata, on Thursday.

The departure of Teddy Sheringham meant technical director Ashley Westwood was handed charge as interim chief coach. The man who took Bengaluru FC to the top of Indian football in the I-League and Federation Cup started his ISL career on a losing note, despite his team surging ahead through debutant Martin Paterson in the 44th minute.

Chennaiyin FC struck back in the second session as Mailson Alves scored his first ever goal in the ISL to bring Chennaiyin on level terms in the 51st minute and then Jeje Lalpekhlua scored his seventh goal of the season to give visitors all three points in the 64th minute.

Jeje Lalpekhlua of Chennaiyin FC celebrates after scoring the winner against ATK 
The victory took Chennaiyin FC to the top of the table, jumping two places with 23 points from 12 matches. ATK are still not out of the race but with just 12 points from 11 matches, they have left themselves with too much to do for the rest of their campaign.

ATK interim coach Ashley Westwood tried to inject freshness into the team. He left Zequinha on the bench for the first time in this campaign. That Zequinha was needed in the first half itself because Ryan Taylor was injured, and Zequinha got injured in the second session tossed up home team’s plans.

Expectedly, both teams played safe at the start and hardly took any risk. Both tried their luck from a distance and it was not until the 35th minute that any of the team had a shot on goal. It were Chennaiyin FC who tested the rival goalkeeper with attempts but Debjit Majumder didn’t have to do much when Raphael Augusto and Anirudh Thapa tried to break the deadlock.

The deadlock was broken in the 44th minute but it was ATK who got the first success, despite Chennaiyin FC doing most of the attacking. Debutant Martin Paterson scored for ATK as he headed Paterson’s cross which goalkeeper Karanjit Singh saved but the rebound struck Paterson and hurried into the goal. It was the 150th goal of the league this season.

Chennaiyin FC got their rewards in the second session. Anirudh Thapa did well to float a corner-kick into the middle and an unmarked Alves headed it past the goalkeeper into the back of the net. 

Chennaiyin’s winner came through a lucky Jeje as he benefitted most when Inigo Calderon played the ball towards the near post and goalkeeper Debjit Majumder palmed it onto Jeje

Excitement in air as ATK face Chennaiyin FC

Kolkata: ATK interim coach Ashley Westwood is confident that his team can still defend their title in the Hero Indian Super League. ATK are the most successful team in the Hero ISL winning the trophy twice in three years. 

This year, the defending champions have stuttered and are placed eighth with 12 points from 10 matches. The lacklustre showing led to the mutual parting of ways between ATK and chief coach Teddy Sheringham but Westwood believes their season is far from over.

The challenge for ATK would be to improve on their victories this season; they have won just three of their 10 matches and Westwood will have his task cut out against Chennaiyin FC at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata, on Thursday.

 
“We don’t have lot of time to instil massive difference. Hope we can inject a little bit of freshness, new faces can change things a bit,” said Westwood.

Westwood needs no introduction and remains a popular figure in Indian football due to his successful three-year stint with Bengaluru FC. Taking charge of an ISL team, although temporarily, is a new experience for him but he is ready for the challenge.

“Temporarily, I am in charge. I’ve been a head coach before, coached for four years; three years full time in India, so I don’t see any difficulty. I am confident in what I do and confident in the team. This is part and parcel of football. It's not difficult at all,” said Westwood, who confirmed that star striker Robbie Keane is unavailable for this match due to injury. 

It will be baptism by fire for Westwood in the ISL as ATK face Chennaiyin FC, who are placed second with 20 points from 11 matches and have already won more than double the matches what ATK did.

Chennaiyin FC coach John Gregory returns to take charge of the team after serving a three-match ban. The visitors lost their last match against NorthEast United FC and Gregory is hoping that there is no revival at ATK with Ashley taking charge.

“Sometimes these kind of things happen. New guy comes in and suddenly everything changes. We saw what happened at NorthEast couple of weeks ago. My good friend Avram Grant came in and they got an amazing victory against FC Goa. Sometimes it works and sometimes doesn’t. I just have to make sure it doesn’t work (for ATK),” said Gregory.

Gregory was full of praise for ATK’s achievements since the start of the season and was looking forward to the huge clash.

“To me and all my players, we look at ATK like the Manchester United of India. It’s a huge club. Obviously, they have been champions twice. We have been champions once (but) we still look up to ATK. 25 players want to play tomorrow night because it’s ATK. They are fired up. At the start of season when the fixtures come out, the first thing I did was ‘when do we play ATK’. That’s what they do in England; ‘when do we play Manchester United’,” said the Chennaiyin FC coach.

When the teams met in the first leg at home, Chennaiyin FC won 3-2 in a match that has been described by the former England midfielder and Premier League manager as “one of the most exciting game of my complete career.”

Chennaiyin, Pune grapple with coach suspension

Chennai:FC Pune City got four points from their last two matches while coach Ranko Popovic was serving a four-match ban. However the visitors will now have to overcome the absence of not just their coach at the touchline but also their talisman Marcelinho for a crucial Hero Indian Super League encounter against Chennaiyin FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on Saturday. 

The Brazilian is Pune City’s leading goal scorer with six strikes, including a hat-trick, and has four assists to boot. He will, however, remain suspended for the next clash after accumulating four bookings. He has missed a match before – against Bengaluru FC – when he was not fully fit and was left on the bench, and it showed as Bengaluru FC walked away with full points. 

“Marcelinho is one of the best player in the league. We will miss him surely but I know our team has quality. If a team cannot play without one player, it’s no team. We know his importance, he is a strong player but we know how (good) is our team,” Pune City Assistant Coach Vladica Grujic said during the pre-match media interaction.

With 16 points from nine matches, Pune City are placed third, just below Chennaiyin FC who have an extra point. This puts them in a good position to push for a play-off place, though the assistant coach warned that they still have plenty to do.

“We have achieved nothing yet because you can be first, fourth or last. Now, it’s time to try to win points to come as close as possible to first four. This is our aim to come in the first four teams,” he said.

Chennaiyin FC are among the more impressive teams in this edition of ISL and are second only to Bengaluru FC. The home team, however, must shake off the absence of their coach John Gregory, who curiously also remains suspended, just like their rivals.

“Both of them are really good coaches and they are working here for the betterment of the game. I hope to see both of them back in the dugout soon,” said Grujic. 

Gregory’s absence should not impact Chennaiyin FC on the field and they should be encouraged with the return of their captain Henrique Soreno who completed serving a one-match suspension of his own.

“We know Pune is strong in attack. They look threatening. We know they are a good attacking side and will come hard at us. We are lucky that our best player, captain (Soreno) is behind. It will be a good contest,” said Assistant Coach Syed Sabir Pasha.

Chennaiyin FC have conceded goals at the death in their last two matches at home against Delhi Dynamos (2-2) and Kerala Blasters (1-1). That has cost them dearly and Pasha called for focus till the final whistle. 

“It hurts us, hurts the players. It’s just lack of focus. We have to play as a team in those last moments. Players also understand I think. It will not happen in the matches to come,” assures Pasha.