Due to lack of consistency in performance, Churchill Brothers has suffered a loss in the I-League football tournament and dropped to the ninth position. In the next match, they will face a tough challenge from Hyderabad's Sreenidi Deccan, who have won three matches in a row. The match will be played on Monday at Kalyani in West Bengal.
Churchill Brothers have improved their fortunes a bit by beating Aizawl FC in the previous match. The Goa-based football club currently has seven points after seven fights. In the last five matches, they have lost three and won two.
With the edge of attack and accurate shooting, the former I-League winners will be able to take the game to their opponents. But Sreenidi Deccan would be arriving for the game tonight with high morale on the back of three consecutive victories.
"We have to contribute at the team level. Coordination among the players is improving day by day. It's important for us to be on the field and keep up the momentum, "said Mates Costa, an assistant coach at Churchill Brothers. "Even though the Sreenidi Deccan team is technically strong, we have to focus on three points in the planned game," Costa said.
It would be interesting to see Sreenidi Deccan's Spanish coach Fernando Santiago's tactics against his former side, who under his guidance won the runner-up spot in the previous campaign. Santiago is currently guiding the Hyderabad-based team in the I-League, earning 13 points from seven matches and finishing third.
Top-ranked Mohammedan Sporting has 16 points, while previous winner Gokulam Kerala has 14 points. Sreenidi Deccan beat Musandi by winning the last three matches in a row. In the previous match, they lost to Indian Arrows. If the Churchill Brothers are defeated, the Hyderabad team will have a chance to win the top spot.
At a glance ...
- Sreenidi Deccan's David Munoz's 6 goals and Churchill Brothers' Kenneth Ikechukwu's 5 goals
- 12 goals for Sreenidi Deccan so far in the tournament, compared to 6 goals for Churchill Brothers
- Sreenidi Deccan has 4 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses
- Churchill Brothers 2 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses