KOCHI: Christmas festivities are firmly in the rearview mirror and New Year’s Eve is fast approaching. But players of Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC have one final challenge ahead of them before they can join in the celebrations and welcome 2018.
Both sets of fans have exchanged blows online ever since the former I-League club joined ISL and tempers are set to flare at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here on Sunday. But the bigger concern for either camp is to guard their stars against distractions and focus their minds on the game in hand.
On the eve of the game, assistant coach Naushad Moosa said Bengaluru had taken special effort to make sure their players are up to the task. “This is something our head coach (Albert Roca) has worked on post-Christmas. We had a three-day break and have conducted meetings to make sure they are focussed on the match,” said Moosa.
“You have an obligation and responsibility to make sure that our fans start the new year in the best possible fashion,” said Blasters head coach Rene Meulensteen. “We are used to playing on these special days in England and I think it is very important to give our all,” he said.
The hosts and visitors have enjoyed over a week’s rest, thanks to a brief break in the ISL fixtures due to Christmas. And the former Manchester United assistant feels the short break will be to his side’s advantage. “I saw it as a welcome break so that everybody could recharge their batteries,” said Meulensteen.
“The games are coming thick and fast and the late goal in Chennai helped everybody leave in good spirits,” he said. Blasters will be without the services of right-back Rino Anto while Dimitar Berbatov is also a doubt with the Bulgarian recovering from a calf injury.
“Berba has had a good week of training and we will assess him again on Sunday. But we are hopeful,” the coach said.
Bengaluru, coming on the back of two successive defeats, will be without vice-captain John Johnson who hasn’t travelled with the squad. Moosa felt other ISL teams have caught up with Bengaluru, now that the season is almost halfway. “We started very early in July as we had AFC competitions. But I think now other teams have gelled and hence, we are having a few difficulties,” he said.
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adwaidh@newindianexpress.com