Delhi Dynamos FC head coach Harm Van Veldhoven feels that his team have acquitted themselves decently in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), although they lacked sharpness in the last stages of their previous game against FC Goa. In that game they conceded two quick goals in the closing stages and surrendered their unbeaten status in the tournament.Speaking at a press conference on the eve of Delhi’s fixture against a resurgent Mumbai City FC at the DY Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the Dutch gaffer said, “I thought we played okay. We were in the driver’s seat until we shipped those late goals. I think we have played pretty decently in the ISL so far. Football is a funny old game. I thought we lacked some sharpness leading into the final stages in the game against Goa. Some of the players were slightly fatigued because of the last game that they had played. A couple of mistakes were enough for us to lose the game.”The Delhi official also suggested that he was not much concerned about the improvement in Mumbai’s defending, as evinced in their last outing; rather, he was confident in his side’s own abilities. “Yes, Mumbai were very good defensively, but you must remember that they have been not that consistent,” he observed. “Having said that, I am here to concentrate on my own squad first. With all due respect to Mumbai, I am interested in how my lads perform and I am confident in their ability to deliver.”Van Veldhoven also provided an update on Delhi’s hardworking Dutch midfielder Hans Mulder who had picked up a head injury in the previous game. “Hans is not fully fit. He is undergoing treatment and we will assess him before the game tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be in a better position to judge whether he will be able to play then. It’s touch and go,” he said.Delhi’s marquee player Alessandro Del Piero, who was also present at the media interaction along with Indian winger Steven Dias, was all smiles when asked to comment on the difficulty level of the ISL as compared to the other leagues that he had played in.“Every league has its own challenges” he replied, grinning. “The years that I had in Juventus posed different challenges every season. When I played in Sydney for a couple of years it had its own unique flavour and competitiveness. I am very happy to see that the ISL is quite competitive. All the teams are playing to win and I am sure that the quality will improve in subsequent seasons.” Dias highlighted the fact that the impressive organisation of the ISL was one of the main factors that was influencing the league’s growing fan base. “It is so well-organised. From the stadiums to the arrangements, everything is top class. I feel lucky being a part of the ISL’s inaugural season,” he stated.When asked about the key takeaways for him from the tournament, the Mumbai-born player replied, “Football basics! That is what I have strengthened. Playing and training with the international players has shown me that their footballing fundamentals are very strong. I am trying to achieve the same for myself.”
