Coming off the back of an impressive 4-0 win against Delhi Dynamos, the Islanders would have hoped to continue that form notch a third win on the trot. Jamshedpur FC Mumbai City FC played out a pulsating 2-2 draw after braces from Thiago Santos and Izu Azuka at The Furnace.
Last night’s opponent, Jamshedpur FC had conceded only 2 goals prior to this game the Islanders scored twice against Steve Coppell’s team. It was a hard fought game an important point away from home. Head coach Alexandre Guimaraes was content with the one point with a late equaliser from Thiago Santos doing the trick. The Brazilian opened the scoring before JFC’s Izu Azuka scored two goals in the closing minutes of the first half.
In his post-match press conference, Guimaraes shared his thoughts on the game. “Like I mentioned yesterday, this was going to be a tough game. We came here undoubtedly for the win but the last 7-8 minutes of the first-half made all the difference”, said the Islanders’ head coach. He added, “I'm happy to see the way the boys reacted after the two quick goals that we received. For now, we are still alive and we are happy to take a point home. The focus for us now is to recover well and prepare for two important home games (against Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru)”.
Having to deal with an injury to Raju Gaikwad in the first half, Guimaraes had to tinker his side very carefully in the second. “We made some modifications in the second half and they made the difference for us. It wasn't easy for the boys after going down so quickly but to respond the way they did in the second period was immense. Very brave.”
The pitch at the JRD Tata Sports Complex has been a major talking point and a cause of concern. “We’ve seen the games played at this stadium on the TV. The pitch definitely was much better than the previous games”, said Guimaraes.
The Islanders take on Kerala Blasters FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on 14th January, 2018 in one of the two successive home games for Mumbai City FC. Book your tickets here.
