Mumbai City FC was handed their first defeat in the Indian Super League this season as they went down to Kerala Blasters by a solitary goal scored by Michael Chopra in the 58th minute of the match.
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Mumbai City FC went into the game without their marquee star Diego Forlan and midfield dynamo Pronoy Halder who had picked up a red card in the last game. Unlike their other matches they have played this season, the Maharashtra outfit were outmatched in every aspect of the game by the Blasters.
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“We have to understand that in this situation you got to make some adjustments like we did, so I took a chance to make the initial starting eleven with players who played there in Dubai in the pre-season but in the first half we didn’t get a touch. We lost too many balls and we didn’t create many chances and they profited by controlling the game” Mumbai City FC coach Alexandre Guimaraes said when asked whether the absence of key players was the reason behind their loss.
“We made some adjustments during the half-time and I think we came back better in the second half and even better in the last thirty minutes. We put the ball on the ground and started to play, also we had our chances but they defended very well.” he continued.
Mumbai City take on the Delhi Dynamos next, and the Costa Rican is already looking towards that game. “Now it is the matter to continue. We have in four days Delhi there, we have to watch tomorrow and the day after as to who recovers and who all we have. I mean Diego is injured, Boithang also felt a little heavy, something with his leg, but we have to manage.”
When asked why Sena Ralte was missing from the lineup, the manager replied “We have started rotating some players, especially in our defensive department because we need them fresh. Ralte has been doing very well, I agree, but if I continue to push him to play then there can be some damage. Hence, Facundo Cardozo played and he did very well. Now we had the opportunity to rest Ralte a little bit and have him ready for Delhi.”
Mumbai City played with a false number nine in the last two games without Diego Forlan, and the tactic didn’t bear fruit as in the first half against Atletico de Kolkata. When a journalist suggested that Kerala defence had an easy day, he was quick to cut in “I don’t think they had an easy day, I think that in the first half they are much more like at ease but in the second half not that much. We had before the start of the season the injury of Gaston and after the first two games injury to Diego so we have to manage and we are waiting for what will happen in Bengaluru with Sunil” he said.
When asked when marquee player Diego Forlan will be fit to play for the Mumbai City, Guimaraes quoted- “We expect that he will be back in the Goa game in Mumbai when we return from Delhi.”
Mumbai City FC will take on Delhi Dynamos at Delhi’s backyard next on 18th October.
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