CHENNAI: Two-time Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC begin their campaign with three away games on the trot, beginning with a tough test against FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Saturday. Then, they travel for another tough test at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on (Oct 17), before concluding their away trip against Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Oct 26). Their first home game — at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here — is against southern rivals Kerala Blasters FC on October 31.
In their journey to finishing 13th place – one spot above relegation – in the truncated 25/26 ISL season, Clifford Miranda’s men began their campaign with three away games. They lost two of them and drew one game. This season, the team appears rejuvenated with new signings and the players seem to have bought into coach Miranda’s ideas with a seven-week long pre-season. But games like these test not only the preparations, but the mental tenacity to perform in hostile environments. “First of all, it's the mentality. To get something out of the game, a positive mentality is crucial. Secondly, we need to be a bit realistic and pragmatic to manage the games. We don't change the way we want to play, but we should manage the game for 90 minutes, make less mistakes, and not give the opponent opportunities to hurt us,” Miranda said in the pre-match press conference here on Thursday.
It was individual errors that cost Chennaiyin FC points in away games last season. Miranda believed that this time they would be sharp. "We need to make less mistakes, especially when you play against the three best teams in the league in the three most difficult venues,” he explained.
The two-time winners played the Gaurs in a pre-season friendly which they lost 0-1. Their pre-season began earlier as they had to prepare for the AFC Challenge League, qualifying through the AIFF Super Cup last year. “If you start early, it gives you an advantage but it also works the other way because then you start too early. In terms of the friendly, no matter who they have, what, what coach they have, Goa are always a good team and they still carry traits from Manolo Marquez's time. We analyzed them in the friendly and some of the games that they have played earlier, and they played in a similar way,” he said.