Kerala Blasters FC seems to have finally got the winning touch, as it beat Hyderabad FC 2-0 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 on Sunday. The win hardly affected the two's positions in the table, with both staying on ninth and eighth, respectively.
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It all started with Abdul Nediyodath's header to the centre, from a similar position, as Facundo Pereyra came up with the assist from the corner, in the 28th minute. Meanwhile, Jordan Murray's right-footed strike to the bottom-left corner from the centre in the 87th minute sealed the Blasters' deal.
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Following the win, Blasters' head coach, Kibu Vicuna, expressed his delight, while crediting the change in tactics, that did work in its favour. "I am happy with the win. We performed well. We switched [style of play] because of the players we had in the XI. I am happy with Sandeep and Hakku's performances and Jeakson. We changed a little bit. It was a practical approach," he said.
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"Let us enjoy this win and think tomorrow. For me, there is no difference between foreign and Indian players. When a train is coming, you take the bag and take the train. That's what these players did," he added, on if he would stick with the youngsters for the next tie.
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Meanwhile, Hyderabad head coach, Manolo Marquez, expressed his disappointment and rued the missed chances. "I am very disappointed. Not only for the scoreline, but we had clear chances before the goals. Fran had a chance I am not happy with performance. Players are very tired. Maybe, we are now playing all games with same players and some are not fresh. Liston arrived at the last moment to play this game. They deserved to win. We had our chances too. I don't know, I am not satisfied about how we start the game. We both had same foreigners and Indian players," he said.
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"They are close to playing. Now, we play on Wednesday, which could be too soon for both to play. One can, maybe, get some minutes. Let's see if we can sign another foreigner. Fran will be an important player. Two successive defeats now we are ready for Wednesday [vs Goa]," he added, on Chianese, Sastre and others returning in January.
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Meanwhile, goal-scorer Murray, too, expressed his joy, as he said, "Over the moon. Difficult start for us. Confidence was missing after the results earlier. Obviously, me and Gary are good friends. He is a terrific player. We push each other. It's a competition, but we are pushing each other. We are crossing and defending to exploit Hyderabad. Sahal, Facundo and Rahul did well. Football is more of a group game."
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Furthermore, Blasters midfielder, Jeakson Singh, is already focusing on the next game. "This win was really important for us. Important three points. Now, focus for next game. It's about getting better day-by-day, which I am doing. This will boost our energy and confidence," he concluded.
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