Chennai, Oct 20 (IANS): As Chennaiyin FC gear up for their second home game of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 against FC Goa on Friday, head coach Thomas Brdaric urged his players to take the field with the same intensity and energy as in their first two games of the campaign.
After kickstarting their campaign in style with a win over ATK Mohun Bagan, a spirited Chennaiyin team made Bengaluru work hard in a drawn game on their return to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
"The result of the last match [against Bengaluru] could have been in all directions but we took a point. Having four points from two games is not bad. Pursuing our targets with this energy and intensity is what we want," Brdaric said while addressing the media during a pre-match press conference ahead of the FC Goa clash on Thursday.
The first two games have seen Brdaric's men shifting gears quite impressively and fighting back hard after their slow initial starts.
"We are in the process of team building. I have told players that it's a long road from the beginning till the end. We have to fulfill our strengths, abilities and the desire to learn from our experiences. We need to deny opponent spaces to score goals. They must be attentive. When the whistle starts, you have to give 100 percent," the 47-year-old German coach explained.
Defender Narayan Das, who accompanied the coach, further emphasized the importance of reacting on time on the field. "It is important for players to make decisions on the field because when you are on the ground, playing against the opposition, you have to think according to the situation."