“I said after the Kolkata game (which Chennaiyin FC lost 2-1), everything depended on us. Our guys did well in creating chances (after winning against Kerala and Delhi). And now that they’ve learned a lesson, they’ll go for the third chance tomorrow,"Marco Materazzi, Chennaiyin head coach
Agencies
Chennai
Chennaiyin FC head coach Marco Materazzi hopes the Super Machans continue their rich vein of form in their 2015 Hero Indian Super League encounter against Mumbai City FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Chennai, who dispatched Kerala Blasters FC (4-1) and Delhi Dynamos FC (4-0) in their last two matches, will take an encouraging step forward towards the semis if they beat Nicolas Anelka’s men on Tuesday.
“I said after the Kolkata game (which Chennaiyin FC lost 2-1), everything depended on us. Our guys did well in creating chances (after winning against Kerala and Delhi). And now that they’ve learned a lesson, they’ll go for the third chance tomorrow. In the end, it’s all up to the players. I can help them on the outside but on the field, it’s all them,” Materazzi told reporters on Monday.
The Italian also revealed as to why marquee player Elano didn’t play against Kerala and featured against Delhi only in the second half. “Elano was always good. My decision not to make him play after the Kolkata game was due to an injury to his ankle. He’s a smart guy, knows what’s the best for the team. However, what’s important here is to shift the focus from a single player to the entire team,” Materazzi said.
Chennai played Delhi on last Tuesday and consequently have had plenty of rest ahead of their 13th game of the league stage. Speaking on their long rest, Materazzi said: “Two of these days were kept aside for recovery. The rest of them were kept for training. Since we’re treating this game as a final, we’ve been training hard for this.”
