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"There will be moments in the game where we will have to sit back, and then they will have to sit back. It doesn't mean that only one team will defend," Vukomanovic said. Of course, during every game, you have moments where you have to attack and you have to defend. "We are mostly focused on ourselves on how we will play and what our tasks are. The Blasters have come up against ATK Mohun Bagan twice in their history and lost on both occasions but will look to be on the right end of the result on Friday. On the other hand, Kerala Blaster FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic will not let history bog down his side. In his second managerial stint with the Kolkata-based side, Habas will look to go one step further this season after his team lost in the final to Mumbai City FC last year. Their opponents are a revamped unit and Habas' men will have to bring their 'A' game to the table if they are to start the season with all three points.
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"We absolutely respect the opponent in this case and last season, the season before that, and the season before that, we had to play the fixtures against Kerala," Habas said. On the eve of the tournament opener, ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Habas said his team will play their own game against Kerala Blasters but will go into the field with nothing but respect for their opponents. Over the years, the league has gradually increased the spots for Indian players, with ISL 2017-18 having a minimum six Indian players on the field, which was further increased to seven for this season. The inaugural edition in 2014 had witnessed a playing composition of six foreigners and five Indian players. The changes gave the clubs the leeway to sign a maximum of six foreign players of which one is required to be from an AFC member nation (3+1). The cap on foreign players to a maximum four is in accordance with the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) club competition regulations. Here is our 11th annual preseason ISL/Prep All-Star team consisting of all 16 Independent School League teams as well as Dexter and Pingree of the Evergreen League. The league will witness an increase in local players' on-field participation, thanks to a new set of guidelines that mandates clubs to field a minimum of seven domestic footballers at one time from the previous six.Ī rise in the number of Indian players means one spot less for foreign stars which will now be capped at four.
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#ISL FOOTBALL PREVIEW PLUS#
The season will see teams playing with a minimum of seven local players plus a maximum of four foreigners in the XI.