The players who were on the pitch showed good fight, asserts Ivan Vukomanovic

The Kerala Blasters coach also praised Sachin Suresh.

Kerala Blasters walked out victorious against the high flying Mumbai City FC at the jam-packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. The guests were left stunned after an early strike from talisman Dimitrios Dimantakos, and a goal from Peprah just at the end of halftime left the Islanders awestruck. Despite dominating the possession, Petr Kratky’s side was chasing the game throughout. 

Here are the extracts from Ivan Vukomanovic’s comments from the post match press conference after the win on Christmas Eve.

Thoughts on the atmosphere

Jawaharlal Nehru stadium was shaking with drum rolls, the cheers from the fans made it feel like hell to the guests. The atmosphere was electrifying at Kochi. Ivan was straightforward and asked if the win was dedicated to fans as their Christmas gift. 

He answered, “Yes, I hope they’ll enjoy it tonight. Maybe comparing the first game against Bengaluru, today was something special. The fans want to come and support you, it’s really nice. In a situation where we are now every face and voice, for us, is important. The youngsters who are growing, getting these types of experiences have goosebumps. Today we are so pleased, big thank you to the fans for this kind of support.”

On major players missing for the opposition

Four of the Mumbai City FC players were red-carded in their last encounter against Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Consequently, the away side could not field their best eleven. The coach was asked if it was easy for the Blasters to exploit Petr Kratky’s side comfortably because of the fact. 

Ivan replied, “Maybe, it’s a situation we’ll never know. If we speak about players missing, I have mentioned Aiban, Jeakson and Luna. So both the teams were missing some players tonight. But I think the players who were on the pitch showed good fight and good game.” 

“In football when you’re not in the starting eleven and then you get a chance to prove yourself in case of injuries. These are the games when some players can surprise you the most. And actually tonight we were not feeling that something was missing. That’s football and we have to deal with it,” he continued.

On Sachin Suresh performance

The young custodian earned another clean sheet against a tough attack. Ivan Vukomanovic had already praised him for the performances he has had this season. The coach was asked to assess the development he has made.

He asserted, “When you are a young player, the more games you play the better you become. The training process and the practice everyday, this is something like upgrading yourself. You are absorbing new things like a sponge. We recognized Sachin and all other young boys two and half years ago, selected them, started working with them and today they are performing. We hope to continue with them and see them play better day by day.”

Super Cup updates

Before concluding the interaction, Ivan Vukomanovic was asked about the updates on the team’s Super Cup preparations. 

He updated, “We are playing the first game on 10th (January). We are facing some difficulties about accommodation and training ground. Most probably we will be staying in Kolkata and will be travelling every time to play games. So, it’s still a decision to be made with management.”

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