Hero Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters FC endured a disappointing start in the Toyota Yaris La Liga World 2018 tournament, going down 6-0 to A-League side Melbourne City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Tuesday. A flurry of goals in the second half inflicted the final damage on the Blasters after they initially trailed by two goals at halftime.

The head coach of Kerala, David James was present at the post-match press conference to address questions from the media. The Englishman expressed his disappointment with the final score but did have a few positives to take away from the game. “I am happy the players were giving their best efforts until the 92nd minute. We made a lot of changes. Because it was pre-season, we wanted to protect our players from injuries. We put some young players on, who had a really good go, so I was encouraged by that. It is a mixed feeling at the moment because the scoreline is not very good and the players are not very happy.”

James also shed light on the challenges faced by his players, which includes debutants Slavisa Stojanovic and Matej Poplatnik, while also reinforcing the need for raising the level of his team. “Players have come and played their first game in India. It was tough for them because they are not used to it. When you are playing quality opposition, if you are not on top of your game then you will be punished. I am not happy about a 6-0 defeat but I am glad that we played such a good opposition. As a manager and coaching staff, we have now got to work on mending our flaws and make sure we bring the players to a level that we know they are capable of.”

The 47-year-old concluded by stressing on the importance of playing teams outside India and not on the final outcome. “The opportunity to play Melbourne and Girona is a magnificent thing, irrespective of the result. It gives my players the opportunity to play against very technically gifted players and to understand what they need to do to improve.”

Warren Joyce, the head coach of Melbourne City FC, was present from the opposition dugout to take questions from the media. The coach of the winning team was pleased with his side’s result but maintained that there was still room for improvement. “There are some good things. We have had to integrate new players. We want to get a style of play and a pattern. I thought the kids in the second half showed a good intent for 30-35 minutes and a desire to play and enjoy the experience. All in all, it was a good workout for us. But there are plenty of things which we need to improve and get better at. The crowd was fantastic and the pitch was also in good condition.”