Confident TRAU play Aizawl, hope to make it four wins in a row

A hat-trick of wins under their belt, confident TRAU FC would look to continue their winning momentum when they host Aizawl FC in a Hero I-League match on Saturday.   Placed third in the standings with 11 points in their kitty from eight games, TRAU are on a winning spree since their historic victory in the Imphal derby which set their run in motion.  Since then, TRAU have defeated the Indian Arrows 2-0 and Churchill Brothers FC Goa 2-1 respectively, all of which came after the arrival of head coach Dimitris Dimitriou.

Speaking before the match, the TRAU FC coach Dimitriou, said, "We are delighted that we have three wins in a row against very good opponents and we are unbeaten in the last five games. 

"The results are coming because of the hard and discipline of the players. My boys have started believing in themselves again and in their teammates.

"At the moment, my only worry is that we have a lot of young players in the squad and they must keep their feet on the ground. With the help of the experienced players, foreigners and locals, we are trying to keep their feet on the ground because it is easy to reach high but hard to stay there," he added.

TRAU coach, however, said it won't be easy for them against a big team like Aizawl. 

"Our next opponent Aizawl is a club with four or five times bigger budget than my team. They have good players and a solid team. They have also made a few additions during this transfer window and being former champions, they are a well-organised club," Dimitriou said. 

"It is going to be a hard game against them but I hope my players will overcome all the difficulties and we will get three valuable points and stay in the top half of the league."

Aizawl FC, on the other hand, will be playing after a gap of two weeks. The same seems to have given a much-needed breather to the team to rethink their strategy.  The former champions lie ninth on the table at the moment with eight points from seven games, out which they have only lost a solitary match and drawn five games.  A win in this match will ensure Aizawl's first win after a continuous streak of four draws.

Aizawl head coach Stanley Rozario looked at the positive side of the break and said, "We got a two-week break and we have built up our team in all the games related to aspects like transition in attacking and defending, converting goal-scoring chances and more focused on avoiding silly mistakes.  "We have also played a friendly match with the Mizoram state team and won it. Now my team is ready and my players are confident and looking forward to taking on TRAU FC. We will try hard to get three points," he said. Rozario also praised TRAU FC and said: "TRAU FC started the league very poorly by losing three matches and they were at the bottom of the table but now it is totally different. The team has transformed under coach Dimitriou."