Opening their campaign with a goalless draw at home against debutants Inter Kashi, Odisha FC will look to clinch their first win of the season when they take on a struggling Chennaiyin FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) tie at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.While the hosts will hope to log three points in front of the home crowd, the visitors will try to arrest the slide and take home at least a point after suffering back-to-back losses in the first two rounds against former champions Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The Chennai club has failed to score in both games and in the last game against the defending champions, they could not register a single shot on target.Odisha FC, too, had their share of problems in the attacking third. However, reflecting on his side’s defensive resilience, new head coach TG Purushottaman told the media ahead of the clash, “The players stuck to the structure and gave everything for the team. We created several chances in our first game but lacked the final touch. It doesn’t matter if the opponents have won or lost. What matters is how we manage space – how we create it, how we deny it, and how we press. Consistency is what we are building.”At the pre-match press conference on Saturday, captain and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh highlighted the importance of communication in a backline featuring a mix of veterans, like Carlos Delgado, and youngsters.“I try to stay calm in the goal because everyone looks at my face. If they see me under pressure, they lose confidence. Defence can be organized quickly, but attack needs time. Now we’ve had more sessions, and we’re ready to improve going forward,” Amrinder said, expressing immense pride in the boys’ ability to secure a clean sheet in the opening tie after training together for only three-four days ahead of the start of the season.Meanwhile, it was under Clifford Miranda – the Chennaiyin coach this season – that the Juggernauts secured their first-ever and only silverware till date, the 2023 Super Cup. Asked about the challenge of facing a team headed by a former coach, Amrinder said, “It’s football; today you play against them, tomorrow with them. We must focus on ourselves and stick to our coach’s plan.”Ahead of coming back to the Kalinga, Miranda focused on the positives his team showed in defeats. “We have faced two very tough opponents in our first two games, and we need a bit of time to cope with the pressure and intensity of our new system. The team is constantly evolving and improving. It has only been two matches. We must remain positive, stick together, and be at our very best to compete and try to secure a positive result against Odisha,” said the former Odisha FC interim boss.As Odisha sit on the ninth spot with one point and CFC two rungs below having none, the match promises to be a closely-fought encounter with three points at stake.
