KOCHI: The Viva Kerala players are sweating it out at the FACT Ground, Eloor, to find themselves a niche in the I-League this season.
With the ignominious demotion from the nation's top flight football competition in 2007 still rankling, the team is determined to stay in the top bracket in its second turn.
"The team is shaping up really well," said coach A M Sreedharan. "The youngsters are working hard. We will give the top teams a run for their money." Practising since July 6 unmindful of the monsoon weather, the team is into tactical training to get their combinations right. Viva's Player of Indian Origin, Patrick Raman Sisupalan joined the side early this month and the two new Ghanaian signings, striker Reuben Senyo and defender Charles Dzisah, along with Nigerian Bello Rasaq, who has extended his stay at Viva, are expected to arrive by next week.
Sreedharan said they are preparing for different strategies likely to be employed by the opponents. However, the team will primarily have an attacking formation with the Englishborn Patrick Raman playing as a defensive midfielder. "Patrick is a strong lad and his tactical positioning will allow Sakeer and Sirajuddin to attack," the coach said.
The young and energetic duo of M P Sakeer and C Sirajuddin were instrumental last season in helping the team qualify for the I-League.
Sirajuddin was full of running on the wings while Sakeer kept the passes flowing from central midfield.
"When the Ghanaians join the squad, we will be a very good team," said a confident Sreedharan.
With the presence of Dzisah in tandem with Rasaq expected to bolster the defence, Viva fortunes's will depend much on the Patrick, Sakeer, Senyo combination to find ways to the opposing goal. The immediate assignment for the Kochi side is the IFA Shield beginning in Kolkata on August 28. With top teams such as East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mahindra United, along with a Senegalese team in the fray, the first big tournament of the season is expected to test the young team.