Jamshedpur FC are in a positive mood heading into their third Hero Indian Super League season, where they start their campaign against Odisha FC on Tuesday. With a new coach in Antonio Iriondo, fans can expect an attacking philosophy from the team.
“We will try to defend when they attack us. But our goal is we would love to have the ball more in 90 minutes than our opposition. For us, the most important thing is to make our fans happy with our style of play,” said Iriondo.
The squad has been boosted with the acquisition of C K Vineeth, the third-highest Indian goalscorer in the ISL. They have also signed foreigners Francisco ‘Piti’ Luna and Noe Acosta while retaining star players Memo and Tiri.
Josep Gombau’s Odisha FC (erstwhile Delhi Dynamos) only managed an eighth-placed finish last season but impressed many with the style of football they played. The team has now moved its base to Bhubaneshwar and has been rebranded as Odisha FC. Gombau is set to keep faith with the young squad at his disposal.
Star winger Lallianzuala Chhangte has left for Chennaiyin FC but the presence of Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Jerry Mawhmingthanga and Nandhakumar Sekar as the front three will help Odisha pose a threat on the break.
“Last season is over. Now we start a journey at a new club in a new city. A lot of players are the same and I think we have a good squad. All the signings are done to improve the squad and I think we have a complete team,” Gombau said.
There will be a huge Spanish influence in this matchup as it’s a battle between two Spanish tacticians, accompanied with a large number of Spanish players in both squads.