What about Mumbai? The defending champions have a new coach in Des Buckingham but the same philosophy that Sergio Lobera instilled and helped them win a rare double. “It’s too tiring,” said one of the senior players. Last season’s finalists were forced to go from south to north in search of accommodation and cancelled training on the eve of the opener due to the long travel. Others like ATK Mohun Bagan are just as strong, never mind the departure of defender Sandesh Jhingan to Croatia or their off-field travails. Bambolim: Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC will look for morale-boosting wins when they meet in the Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa later on Thursday. No wonder Ferrando, now into his second season at the club with the same set of players, is being backed to do even better than last season’s semifinal appearance when they lost against eventual champions Mumbai City on penalties. These are teams who can all qualify.” In a league where teams habitually change players and coaches, Goa have managed to buck the trend. “When I see the players, in my point of view, this is going to be very competitive. “It’s not like before where three or four teams are high-performing,” said FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando. Coyle’s own Jamshedpur have made heads turn with success in pre-season friendlies, while even SC East Bengal, despite the limited time that they had due to a tussle between club and investor, are looking good enough to give others a run for the points. They now look stronger than ever with an attacking lineup as good as anyone else. They finished at the bottom last season winning just two of their 20 matches but have responded by signing the second most expensive player in Brazilian striker Jonathas de Jesus Kerala Blasters made it to two finals in the first three years but have not tasted playoff success for the last four editions. Accountants do find a way past that cap, but this season the gap between the top teams and those at the bottom is likely to be narrow. I truly believe that.” Part of the reason for its “competitiveness” is the salary cap which does not permit clubs to spend more than Rs 16.5 crore on player salaries. “There is not going to be a lot between them. Odisha have pumped in nine goals in two matches, while Blasters have found the back of the net only thrice in. While Blasters are winless in three matches, Odisha have won both their games so far. “This is going to be very exciting because of the quality of the teams,” Jamshedpur FC coach Owen Coyle told TOI. Vasco: Odisha FC will look to continue their winning run when they face a struggling Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL) here on Sunday.
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