GUWAHATI: There is no doubt it is going to be a tough game for both the teams as NorthEast United FC gets ready for a face-off with Bengaluru FC on Wednesday at Sarusujai Stadium here in Guwahati. Both the teams are super-charged and the fans are going to have a gala Wednesday evening.
At the pre-match press conference Head Coach Eelco Schattorie of NorthEast United FC spoke briefly about some major issues and the game play.
Thoughts on Bengaluru FC - the undefeated
It is probably going to be a similar game like Jamshedpur because they are similarly organised, both born to play football. I am talking from a position that we are winning and we are number 2 and I am not talking from a position of losing. This schedule can kick-in fatigue. We all now have three games in a row -- Bengaluru, two days later ATK and right away Goa. It is going to be a very important period where we have less rest. I have to repeat it that the two teams that we are facing up now both of them don’t have a schedule like we have from the beginning of this season, till now. I think Bengaluru till now is in an advantage but we have enough fitness and enough spirit and technical training to face Bengaluru. In the same time, Bengaluru faces a problem, they are missing their top scorer, their top guy. The last two or three games he is not playing and they are still winning so that expresses exactly that it is going to be a very tough match. They have only six goals conceded, so to break them open would be a very tough one.
NEUFC defenders and Bengaluru wingers
Last week of last game I put in Lakra, I did that on purpose regarding and to freshen up in this but I think Lakra is a little bit more tougher in defending and he eliminated the left winger of Jamshedpur. He did it very well for his first time, it was a little bit of a risk but at the same time I had the confidence he would. So tomorrow it will be probably the same, he needs to eliminate the top scorer of Bengaluru, Sunil Chhetri. In all cases, when you play any team with good wingers you need to be tough with them, you need to not give them too much space, get out crosses but if you have wingers who know to change the directions that’s a tough game. You need to work together as a team to close spaces. These are not secrets and these are things we try to do and hopefully we can eliminate.
On close scheduling of matches which had resulted in fatigue and tiredness
There is one team worst than us and that is Delhi, seven games in a row! Where they had three days’ rest or four days’ rest only and that was like a tight schedule. You see where Delhi is now and we are on top at number 2. After Delhi, we have the worst schedule, and that schedule has arrived and I said it before, we are going into a tough period and we go through these next three games and get out of it without injuries and properly rested. This is not an excuse to say, oh! if we lose tomorrow it is because of that. I think, you sincerely should look at it because it has an influence, hundred per cent.
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About injuries and worries
We have a few worries, they are not serious injuries, but it could be a problem if they could play or not play, we will see on the training. A part that I want to talk is not about injuries, but for our supporters. Till now we are in the second position and I hope, we have a bigger turn up of supporters because in the last game, there were pretty well supporters, but there should be more. To supporters, my humble request is to get more people to the stadium and support us.