Vasco: Two in-form teams in Jamshedpur FC (JFC) and Odisha FC (OFC) will look to outdo one another in what could be a battle of attrition in the Indian Super League (ISL) here Tuesday. Odisha have got off to a flying start this season, winning three of their four games so far. They are placed second, three points adrift of table leaders Mumbai City FC.
The Kiko Ramirez-coached side beat NorthEast United FC in their last outing. It was a game where they showed their defensive solidity as well, besides possessing a collection of good attackers.
The likes of Hector Rodas, Victor Mongil, Javi Hernandez, Aridai Suarez, and Jonathas have underlined Odisha’s excellent foreign recruitment this time as they have all fired so far in their respective departments.
Odisha FC had signed six new players from abroad ahead of the season. The move has worked well for the team. Nine of the 11 league goals scored by the club have come from new foreign signings.
“Our players have to be committed to the task and have to concentrate for the entire duration of the match as it is going to be a tough one,” Odisha FC boss Kiko Ramirez said.
Jamshedpur lost to Mumbai City 2-4 in a thrilling game but showed grit of the highest order as they came back from 0-3 down inside 24 minutes to make it 3-2 in the second half. The ‘Men of Steel’ sit fourth on the table with eight points from five matches.
“The only way to recover from the last game is to go out and get the three points against Odisha, who have signed some good players and played some good football. We have made some individual mistakes. If we cut that out, it gives us a platform to try and go win games,” said Jamshedpur head coach Owen Coyle.
Lithuanian striker Nerijus Valskis has scored four goals in four games against Odisha FC and Coyle would hope he can start on Tuesday.
Greg Stewart has been a significant addition to the Jamshedpur team quality-wise. In his four appearances in the league, Stewart has scored one goal and made three assists with his link-up play as the second striker in Coyle’s 4-4-2 system.
