Winning here is a big success for us" - Chennaiyin FC head coach on his side's comeback against ATK Mohun Bagan in their ISL 2022-23 opener
Chennaiyin FC made a comeback from a goal down to edge past ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 in their ISL 2022-23 season opener on Monday (October 10).
Marina Machans started on the back foot and ended up conceding in the first half. However, a rejuvenated performance in the second half that saw goals from Kwame Karikari and Rahim Ali became a turning point for Thomas Brdaric's men.
The former converted a penalty just after the hour mark and the latter scored the winner for Chennaiyin in the 82nd minute.
The Chennaiyin FC head coach shared his views at the post-match press conference. The Marina Machans custodian Debjit Majumder had a great game between the sticks. But the German coach chose to shower praise on his entire team rather than a single player. He said:
"Taking one player's name would be unfair to the rest. The players were able to implement what I asked of them. ATK Mohun Bagan is not a bad team. They have some good players and a good coach. Winning here is a big success for us."
Karikari's introduction in the second half played a big role in changing the course of the game. However, the Ghanaian made his way onto the pitch at the expense of defender Fallou Diagne. Shedding light on the change, Brdaric said:
"Fallou is a very important player for us irrespective of the number of minutes he plays. We have to protect him. I felt that the game could change in the second half and spoke to the players during half-time. The injuries aren't too extreme, so I hope to have the same for our next game."
"I think we can change the situation"- ATK Mohun Bagan head coach after his side's loss against Chennaiyin FC
The Mariners looked the brighter side in the opening exchanges. The Kolkata giants managed to dominate proceedings in the first half but fell behind in keeping their momentum intact in the second half. Sharing his views on the loss, Juan Ferrando said:
"When the team concedes a goal, the players are automatically under stress. This affects the momentum of the game. Players start making mistakes and are unable to convert opportunities. I think we can change the situation."
Ferrando added that his players lost focus after a brief pause in the second half. He felt that became a turning point and the penalty conceded added to the problems for his side.