PRE-MATCH QUIPS:Materazzi says fans play an important role; Habas expecting a tough Chennaiyin challenge
CHENNAIYIN FC HOST FC PUNE CITY in a crucial game for both teams to get closer to the top four.
Materazzi knows what a fan's presence can do to the home team. So he shared
"We’ll keep on fighting and we will do anything we can for Chennaiyin but maybe you can help out as well by turning up as 30,000 in the crowd can help as well. I have been a fan as well when I was a kid but a good fan is one who is there when the team is in need. It is easy to cheer us when we are winning but we need them to cheer for us when we are in a bad moment”
Pune has been recently seen a good run after a spending a long time at the bottom of the points table. Habas aware that good results late in the league can turn around the table even for the bottom most team. On tonight's game,Habas said,
“It is difficult for coaches to gel a team together in just one and half months and make them a strong team. Every team wants to make the semi-finals and win in the last four games, same with Chennai. It will be a tough game tomorrow because there are chances for all teams in the last four games and we are expecting a very strong Chennai team”
On his side's defensive problems, Coach Materazzi shared his view saying,
"Last game we lost 3-1, where the first goal we thought was a foul. The second was a mistake by the keeper and the third was a counter attack. To summarise, we’ve conceded seven against Delhi but others have been either from free-kicks or like against Mumbai City FC, it was a 25-yard shot. We’re not that inconsistent but you can’t predict these things. More importantly, I wanted Dudu to score the second goal against Mumbai and Kerala, but as I said in football you cannot predict these things”
Talking about problems facing his team, the FC Pune City said,
"When we started this season, I was banned for the first four games. So, to get the team with new players organised was difficult but now we our adapting to the high intensity attacking game and it will be a good game to play Marco Materazzi’s Chennai. We hope that after tomorrow’s game everyone talks only about football.”
Chennayin's last game against Kerala saw two late goals being conceded by Chennaiyin. If Materazzi saw this as a problem replied,
"We have always used our substitutions well so I don’t think fitness is an issue. And regarding conceding late, we have to be smarter and not concede free-kicks or set pieces towards the end because that’s where we’ve conceded the goals.”
With Lyngdoh being added in the squad, Habas commented on how he could saw the versatile player's contribution in the team saying,
"Eugene is a big player but for me, he is one of the players at my disposal. I give certain responsibilities to all the players on the pitch. He is a big player and he will give more but he is one important player in our squad. That’s it.”
Being defending champions, Chennaiyin were expected to win and keep their hopes alive of playoff qualification. But with their recent form, how he saw the team's chance to finish in the top four said,
"In Kolkata, we saw some inexperience shown in that drawn game. In Pune, we conceded a free-kick that changed the whole game which we were dominating. In the Mumbai game, we didn’t close the game and the shot came from 25-yards. But yes, we have shown that we can fight with every team in the ISL like in Kerala for the first 15 minutes, Kerala did not cross the half way line and did not have a shot on goal and we were dominating and that shows we still have the quality to make it,”
Accompanying Habas was Eduardo who responded to the question of how his experience has been in the Indian Super League so far, saying,
"It has been good here and I like it, enjoying it. We have good players and every game is tight and the quality is good. We are working hard and I am very happy to be in Pune City.”
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