TG Purushothaman and his team made history in the Marina Arena, winning the club’s first game there. Not only did Kerala Blasters win, but they also dominated the hosts, who were down to 10 men after Jordan’s dismissal. Here’s what the interim head coach had to say about the victory.
TG Purushothaman on the victory:
To travel to a venue where they had never won before and put on such a show, the Blasters accomplished an outstanding job on the pitch. The visitors took the lead early in the first half thanks to Jimenez, then Korou Singh increased the lead in stoppage time. Peprah tripled the advantage before Vincy scored a constellation goal late in the game. While giving his players credit, Purushothaman said they needed to put in extra effort in the remaining games.
“All credit goes to the players. They did an excellent job. Whatever we were planning, they implemented it in a great way. Hats off to their performance. We tried to make it positive. We realized that it’s the players’ job to come up. They have to feel it from the inside. They have to play for the badge and for themselves. We deserve happiness. That’s the important thing. We have to maintain it throughout the season. We are planning for the next match.”
TG Purushothaman on the incident between Noah and Luna:
In one of the strangest instances ever, teammates Adrian Luna and Noah Sadaoui were spotted pushing and fighting on the pitch. The incident began when Noah, feeling a little selfish, tried to score instead of passing the ball to an unmarked Ishan Pandita. Purushothaman went on to say that similar incidents do occur, but the players are now okay.
“That’s quite natural in football. That’s not an issue. they are professionals. Sometimes it happens.”
TG Purushothaman on Kerala fans:
One of the things that is always prevalent in Indian football is Kerala and its unique supporter culture. The Blasters travel to away games in large numbers in addition to their home games and today was no exception. The players and supporters were ecstatic at the finale, doing Viking claps. Purushothaman expressed gratitude to the supporters for their amazing support.
“How much ever we need to thank them, I don’t know. They always support us. No matter what situation we are in. That’s the most important thing for us. Hats off to them. All the fans. We grow up together. We lose together. We grow together. We are all together”
TG Purushothaman on the incident with Owen Coyle:
Following the final whistle, Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle was having intense discussions with the Blasters’ interim head coach in the center of the pitch. Purushothaman explained that it was a misunderstanding created by his not shaking hands with the coach and instead focusing on celebrating the significant win.
“It was my bad. He came to shake hands with me. I was with my players. Maybe he misunderstood something. It was my bad. All respect to the coach. He has been here for a long time. It’s nothing regarding anything. It’s only a misunderstanding.”
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