PANJIM: Churchill Brothers take on Sreenidhi Deccan FC in their second I-League match at the GMC Athletic stadium at Bambolim on Sunday, smarting from a 1-2 loss to Rajasthan United FC on Tuesday.
Head coach Antonio Rueda met the press on Saturday and looked back, then forward to Sunday’s encounter and beyond.
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“It was my first game in India. I wasn’t happy with the result. But I was happy with my team’s performance,” said the Spaniard.
“We dominated the game. It was the first game of the season and we have to improve on a few things. I am confident that my team will improve,” he said.
Rueda commented on the league as a whole. “The general impression I get is that the level of the league is quite high. But this season it will be tougher because of the fight for promotion into the Indian Super League,” Rueda said.
“There is a lot of talent around and that is good for football in the country,” he added.
Churchill Brothers played in the Baji Rout tournament in Odisha where they lost in the final on penalties to Rajasthan United.
He was asked whether he changed his approach in the I-League which is a different nature of competition. Rueda replied, saying, “No. We don’t change our game model. But yes, we are open to change a few things in our strategy based on who the opponents are.”
Churchill Brothers will miss forward Manuel Cordero who is recovering from surgery after a hamstring pull against Rajasthan. The match timing has been changed to 4.30 pm from 2pm, ostensibly because of the intense afternoon heat.
