Stay Focussed, Boys!

While what we have achieved with Bengaluru FC is PHENOMENAL, the job is far from done. Yes, we have made history, but I don’t see why we should be satisfied with that. We have a final to look forward to and possibly have the chance to add another chapter in the history books if things go our way.

For those who don’t know me well enough, the amount of time I spend re-flecting on the result of the game I had last been involved in is the same as I would need to slip on a pair of football boots. Then whether it is a win, loss or a 4-4 draw is immaterial. However, that Wednesday, the 19th of October, changed that just a little bit. Bengaluru FC became the first club from the country to make the final of the AFC Cup. And it is more than just the feat that went into making me feel the way I did, even a good two days after the result.

We came back from Malaysia with a 1-1 result against the reigning champions, Johor Darul Ta’zim, and though it wasn’t a win, it strangely felt like one simply because of the way we battled on that night at the Larkin Stadium. To put a few things into perspective, Johor were crowned champions of the Malaysian Super League for the third time on the bounce, just before they played us. As if that wasn’t a big enough injection of confidence, they achieved the feat without being beaten all season. Their home stadium packed in excess of 20,000 very loud fans, who wouldn’t stop singing. In short, everything was against us. So, for Bengaluru FC to claw back into the game after going a goal down said so much about us as a team.