Will try to control emotions so that I don't get booked, says Petr Kratky after Odisha triumph

Mumbai City FC boss Petr Kratky also spoke about adapting to the current weather conditions.

Mumbai City FC defeated the formidable Odisha FC in what was indeed a thrilling game between the two. With this, the Islanders have reached match point and will have only Mohun Bagan to face in the next week.

Petr Kratky’s men opened the scoring, thanks to Jorge Pereyra Diaz, but an error from Phurba Lachenpa gifted Odisha the equaliser. But, in the second half, the Islanders again put themselves on top after Chhangte scored a contentious goal.

Petr Kratky discussed about a plethora of topics. Here’s a look on the same:

Odisha’s goal

Odisha equalised minutes after Mumbai scored. When asked how does he think for the same, the coach replied, “If put into context, we basically gifted them the goal. If Odisha are good and they scored a good goal, then we had to fix something in defence. But actually we gifted them the goal.”

He also added what he injected to his approach in the second half. He said, “Just keep going. At half-time we needed to fix a little bit of this and that. We just believed in the process and kept going and worked it out. This group stayed together, worked hard and got rewarded.”

Lots of emotions

There were a lot of emotions on display by the head coach himself. Petr Kratky in a light manner explained the same.

“I am emotional person, I am showing my emotions and this is just me. I want the team to be successful, to win. I just want them to do well, they deserve it. So I let emotions come in. I will try to control it a little bit so that I don’t get any card,” he compounded.

Chhangte-Diaz combination

The duo of Lallianzuala Chhangte and Jorge Pereyra Diaz have been on fire in recent games. Kratky highlighted, “They are fantastic players. Ever since Diaz came back, he worked very hard for the team. He is a very good player. It was him who scored the goal, that’s very good for a striker. Chhangte is quality. We just need to keep him positive, because he has the quality in cases of 1v1 and getting into the box. He gave a fantastic assist too. Vikram (Partap) and Bipin (Singh) on the other side, are also doing very well. They are all quality players.”

The mentor also shed light on his team’s performance. “They are fighters – the blue army. Everyone worked very well on what the opposition threw. If the game becomes physical, you stand your ground the positive way. This is what makes us strong as a team. If they have counter attacks, we know how to stop them. If they go very physical, we know how to deal with it. So this is one of the strengths of our team that I like very much.”

He also spoke about the team talk at half-time. “Keep working, working together. They did that. I told them, that we will score the goal and win the game. I said, you have got the power, just do it. Stay together.”

Too Hot?

The temperature in India has been quite high in the past few days. The tactician highlighted how his team cope up with the same. “We tried to adapt. The local guys, they adapt, because they are born here and live here. But, I am telling you one difference. Last week, it was very hot compared to this week. It was five or six degrees different. To adapt, we need nutrition, sleep. There are few strategies on how you can deal with that. But at the end of the day, it’s the same for both the teams.”

Next up Mohun Bagan

Petr Kratky also described the preparations to face Mohun Bagan next week. “The same preparation as Odisha. It’s the same cycle, the same preparation. It’s Monday to Monday, so we know what we are doing already and how to prepare for the next game. The week cycle is better for the players. Mohun Bagan play very well, but we need to focus on us; how to prepare and try to win.”

He added, “Just play the way how we play. The game starts at 0-0. So, the game is open and we have to do things right defensively and offensively. Stick to the process, results will come.”

Phurba’s mistake

Phurba Lachenpa made quite an error which led to Odisha FC’s equaliser. Kratky defended his goalkeeper, as he said, “Look, Phurba is very good goalkeeper. He is a part of us. It’s not about him alone, it’s about the team, how we deal with the decision making, why we play that pass, why we get in that situation. It’s a team sport. It’s not always one person.

“Phurba is a very good goalkeeper, and what he showed me today, he moves forward, he keeps going. This is the mentality I want from the players who are successful. Mistakes happen, you need to keep moving forward. He deserves little bit more recognition in India, because he is really good and he will become better. We support him,” he concluded.

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