Chennaiyin FC head coach and player Marco Materazzi was very practical about the result after his side netted a stoppage time equaliser against Atlético de Kolkata at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai today and in the process recorded their first draw of the tournament.Asked at the post-match press conference whether Chennai had gained a point or lost two, the Italian quipped, “At the start of the game we wanted maximum points so in that respect it is two dropped, but since we scored so late I think it is a point gained for us overall.”The match had its share of contentious moments, particularly the two red cards dished out by the referee, but Materazzi, who turned out for his side today, steered away from the subject. “I won't comment about the refereeing. All I know is that we showed great character and team spirit to come back in the end,” the 2006 World Cup winner said. “The fans helped us to get back into the game. I hope there is a similar turnout for our next game against NorthEast United FC on November 8.”A direct consequence of the red card for the southern team was the need for Materazzi to change his tactics. "Yes, it is never easy when you are down to ten but we adapted well,” the Inter Milan legend explained. “I felt (Stiven) Mendoza had the energy and pace to last the whole game so I kept him on and replaced (Jean Eudes) Maurice who only recently joined the team.” Midfielder Harmanjot Khabra, who also attended the press conference, admitted that this was one hell of a tough outing. “It was a great challenge to play against world class midfielders like Borja (Fernández) and (Luis) García. But when you have someone like Marco (Materazzi) alongside, you are more confident. We played as a team and got a point in the end,” he stated.The Punjab-born player reserved special praise for the support at the stadium, and credited the crowd for egging them on to score the equaliser: “The crowd kept cheering for us throughout and inspired us to come from behind and earn a point. We are also expecting a great atmosphere against NorthEast United on Saturday.”
