Pratyusha Jana:

Wednesday’s win at Kalyani was special for Oscar Bruzon as he celebrated his anniversary in the team with an IFA Shield win.

While addressing the media about fielding a full-strength squad against a comparatively weaker opponent, the East Bengal FC head coach remarked, “The IFA Shield is no easy tournament. We are also preparing for the upcoming Super Cup, so these matches serve as ideal preparation opportunities for everyone. That’s why we’re giving the entire squad a chance to play.”

Reflecting on the previous season, he added, “Last year, we couldn’t dominate games — we were more of a reactive side. This year, my objective is to control every match and play a more dominant brand of football.”

On the other side, the coach of Sreenidi Deccan FC Alvaro Engrossa Mota seemed to accept the difference and took a much more optimistic view towards his team. During the post-match conference, the head coach took an optimistic view, stating, “There is no doubt that the team will bounce back in the future. The upcoming matches might be in our favour.”

While talking about their horrendous defeat, Mota stated, “It’s a clear difference between the two experienced teams. They are very experienced players, they have played various big tournaments while we are rookie. Our team consists of players in the 18-year-old quota, whereas our opponents are in the 22-year-old quota. So they are much more experienced.”

However, Mota turned into a much affirmative side, stating, “These are the competitions that we seek to make the team stronger. We are practicing hard, and I believe the future match results will be on our side.”