Kiko Ramirez reveals why facing SC East Bengal will be tough

The head coach also clarified that the team are not suffering from any injury issues.

Ahead of their second game in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season - against SC East Bengal - Kiko Ramirez, the head coach of Odisha FC and Vinit Rai, one of the team's three captains, attended the pre-match press conference, where they answered questions from the media. The team are high on confidence following the win in their campaign opener against Bengaluru FC and are hopeful of putting up a good show against the Red and Gold on Tuesday.

“The strategy is to keep being competitive. At the end, we cannot live in the last game, that was good. We need to live in the present and think for the future. Our thought is to compete in the best way possible next match,” coach Ramirez began the media interaction by highlighting his team's strategy.

Javi Hernandez - a man in form

When asked about Javi Hernandez’s form in the previous game, the Spanish coach explained, “Javi, of course, has been in a good shape and he scored two goals. But, without his teammates, he will not be able to perform that well. We need to think that football is all about teamwork. Javi is okay, but without the rest of the teammates he cannot scores these goals.”

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Thoughts on SCEB

SC East Bengal, Odisha's opponents, had lost against ATK Mohun Bagan in their last game. Prior to that, the Red and Gold Brigade had started their league campaign with a draw against Jamshedpur FC. They are still searching for their first win of the season, which, in turn makes them tough according to Kiko Ramirez.

"They are a wounded team. They lost the last game and will come with a target to win. It makes the match really tough and difficult,” he asserted.

Thoughts on ISL debut, Odisha players

When asked about his experience being on the sidelines of an Indian Super League game for the first time, the 51-year-old replied, “I am happy at the end. It’s another country, but I am enjoying the competition.”

All the six foreigners made their maiden appearance for Odisha FC and got game-time against Bengaluru FC. Aridai Cabrera, who came in as a substitute in the second half, scored on his debut as well. Speaking about rotating the players, Kiko Ramirez commented, “We want to keep all the players motivated. We know that all the players - both foreigners and Indians - are important because the competition is too short. All of them are going to be important for the team. The work of the staff is difficult in making sure that they go in and out off the bench and are motivated.”

Regarding the team news for Tuesday's match, he said, "Almost everyone is available. Kamaljit (Singh) only suffered a hit, so we will decide if he plays or not, but everybody is available.”

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Vinit Rai's thoughts

One of the three captains of the season for Odisha FC, Vinit Rai led the team when they beat SC East Bengal 6-5 last season. However, he did not want to talk much about that this time around.

“It was a past for us. We won that game, but now we have to look ahead for the remaining matches in the new season. It’s nothing special. It’s about putting the effort on the pitch, giving your all and following the coach’s instructions, whatever he says to do us. Let’s see what result we will get tomorrow,” he opined.

“As I have said many times, there are no individual goals for me this season. Most importantly. I just want to fully dedicate myself to the team because I think this is a very important season for each and everyone of us. The last one, we had a very bad season, but this season we started with a win. I think that everyone is very happy and all are in a positive mindset.

"I just want to thank the coach and all the players for showing this kind of trust and giving me such a responsibility. It is something that gives you extra confidence on the pitch, but on the pitch everyone is a captain. Everyone is in a position where they have to lead themselves to play well in each and every game. For me, it’s normal. I have to give my best and try to win every game,” the India international concluded.

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