KOCHI: Kerala Blasters and SC East Bengal are two sides struggling for form and results at the moment as they languish in the lower half of the table.
Both sides are winless after five games each and they will be desperate to change that as the two face each other on Sunday at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim. For Blasters, it is their worst start to an ISL campaign till date.
They have struggled for goals while generously conceding it at the other end. East Bengal find themselves in a similar situation as they’ve conceded ten goals, scoring just two in the process. Those two goals were scored by Jack Maghouma in a losing cause against Hyderabad FC.
Neither team would want to look at the table right now and judging by Blasters coach Kibu Vicuna’s pre-match thoughts, they are ready to try anything to arrest the slide. Blasters come into the game on the back of a 4-2 defeat against Bengaluru FC. What will be of particular concern for them is Gary Hooper, their principal striker, has found the net only once.
“In football, when you don’t have good results, you lose confidence. The best way is to get a good result. We have a Plan A, B and C. According to the match, we change that. If we have to play long, we will. It depends on the possibilities,” said Vicuna. The Spanish tactician’s words come as a surprise as he has been sticking to his mantra of possession football.
But with his players struggling to implement his tactics which had worked brilliantly at Mohun Bagan last season, Vicuna is ready to adapt. Both teams are familiar to each other as they had played a friendly game prior to the season with Robbie Fowler’s team running out 3-1 winners. However, Fowler suggested that the upcoming league encounter would be a whole new game.
“Yes, we had a good result against them, but it means nothing in the grand scheme of things. It’s a fresh game for both sides and we both want to win. It’s as simple as that,” said Fowler. Both teams will welcome back key players with Blasters skipper Costa Nhamoinesu returning after his suspension.