Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
Related Articles
Third-placed Tiddim Road Union Athletic (TRAU) will clash swords against ninth-placed RoundGlass Punjab FC, in a bid to score vital points for each contingent when the two teams meet at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium tomorrow, January 4.
The kick-off is slated for 7pm and the match will be streamed on 1Sports’ Facebook page.
TRAU have been the dark horses of the I-League season so far. The Manipur outfit is undefeated in the league and has grabbed seven points out in five matches, albeit winning only once. It has possibly been a dream start to the season for head coach Nandakumar’s team and he believes that the contingent has to keep this momentum alive.
Speaking at the official pre-match press conference, Nandakumar said, “We have the potential and the ability to maintain this momentum and keep going forward. Thus it is very important to keep this momentum alive and aim for nothing short of a win tomorrow.”
“During the course of the season, we have shown that we can attack as well as defend. We have shown that we can come from behind as well. We just need to take our chances in front of goal and the draws will convert to wins.”
“We respect our opponents and they have a very strong side with some of the best players in the league. At the same time, we trust our abilities but it will be a very tough match for us,” he added.
Forward Bidyashagar Singh said, “It will be a good test for us tomorrow as they (RoundGlass Punjab FC) are very good on the counter. We will have to be defensively solid and would have to take our chances if we are to get a positive result from the match. However, we trust that we are ready and will aim for all three points.”
RoundGlass Punjab FC were held to a goalless draw by Sudeva Delhi FC in their last match. The Punjab based club has garnered five points from as many matches and need a win to propel themselves out of the bottom half of the table.
Speaking at the virtual pre-match meet, coach Curtis Fleming said, “Every game is very very difficult in the I-League. TRAU are having a fantastic season and it will be a very difficult game for us but we look forward to it.”
“We respect every team. An individual does not win the game alone and thus we have no plans for individual players of TRAU. However, we know they are going to cause us problems but we are sure that we will be able to handle them.”
“We want to win every game, we want to be at the top of the I-League and we dominated possession in the last two games. It is only a matter of time before results come our way,” he added.
Defender Bikash Yumnam said, “I am looking forward to giving my best on the field this season for RoundGlass Punjab FC. We are apprehensive of the quality TRAU possess and we are ready for them. As a defensive unit, we will have to be on our toes and have to defend compactly.”
