ISL 2023-24: Coyle praises Chennaiyin FC as win over Jamshedpur FC keeps playoff hopes alive (WATCH)
Chennaiyin FC broke into the top-six with a terrific 2-1 victory against Jamshedpur FC where they came from behind to strike twice in the second half at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 on Thursday.
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FollowOwen Coyle, the head coach of Chennaiyin FC, expressed immense satisfaction with his team's resilience as they secured a come-from-behind victory against Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League clash held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
In a pivotal encounter with playoff implications for both sides, Jamshedpur FC initially surged ahead courtesy of Rei Tachikawa's first-half strike. However, Chennaiyin FC orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the latter half, with goals from Rafael Crivellaro and Rahim Ali propelling them into the lead. Despite opportunities for both teams to add to the scoreline, Chennaiyin FC successfully defended their advantage until the final whistle.
This crucial triumph revitalized Chennaiyin FC's playoff aspirations, propelling them to the sixth spot in the league standings. Notably, it marked their third victory in the last four outings. Conversely, Jamshedpur FC's hopes for a playoff berth were extinguished with their tenth defeat of the season, effectively eliminating them from contention.
“We never lost the belief. I spoke to them at half-time, to remain claim and focused. You know how hard we press. If you see that tonight, it would be easy in those conditions to think, ‘Oh, I'll just stay off the ball’. We don't play like that. We go after teams.. We go to win games. We have the least draws in the league. And because my intent and my mentality while building teams is to play with the intent to win,” Coyle stated in the post-match press conference.
“You are going to lose games because the intent is to try to go and win. I dont want a team where the intent is sitting there, trying to keep somebody tight and try to sneak a goal. That’s not how we play. And I am pleased for the fans. They were outstanding tonight again. It’s nice to reward them and put a smile on their faces (while they are) leaving again. I sense some optimism because we have two big games ahead of us. We know it’s in our own hands, but we have got to replicate those performances that we had against Odisha FC, Mohun Bagan SG. Tonight the character and even the quality, that’s what we need to replicate again,” he added.
Chennaiyin FC's impressive win over Jamshedpur FC marked their second consecutive comeback victory, echoing their earlier triumph against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Kolkata, despite conceding the first goal.
While Chennaiyin FC did manage to secure the lead against Jamshedpur FC, there were moments in the second half where the visitors threatened to level the score. Despite maintaining greater possession and unleashing a total of 14 shots, with nine off target, Jamshedpur FC couldn't capitalize on their opportunities. Coach Coyle expressed satisfaction with his team's resilience in mounting comebacks but also acknowledged the need for improvement in certain aspects of their game.
“Tonight, again coming from behind, against a very good side, to show those characteristics, that desire (was pleasing). You can see how strong we looked in the second half. We should have added to our score if truth be told. We gave a dangerous free-kick a bit later on when there was no need and that’s the little bit where we need to do better. When you are leading in an end-to-end game, you need to do better.. We have to have better game management,” he explained.
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