07 March,2018 08:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Noel D'Souza
BFC skipper Sunil Chhetri
When Bengaluru FC (BFC) stepped into unchartered Indian Super League (ISL) territory this season, pundits and critics were curious to see how the two-time I-League champions would go about their business on the big stage. Two-and-a-half months since their maiden ISL encounter, BFC completed their league-stage campaign finishing on top of the table with 40 points, the first team to reach that tally in a single season.
BFC undoubtedly head into today's semi-final first-leg against FC Pune City as strong favourites and worthy title contenders. Of course, they have beaten every team in the league, but what has been intriguing is the manner in which Albert Roca's boys have consistently delivered the goods on the field.
"It's down to a lot of things, both on the pitch and outside it as well. But mainly, it's the hunger that everyone has at this club to be successful. Everyone is pushing and pulling in the same direction and that matters so much. There are systems in place for everything and every day it's about how we can better what we did yesterday. It's a great atmosphere to walk into," skipper Sunil Chhetri told mid-day.
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That undying hunger could be seen in BFC's 2-0 win over Jamshedpur FC on February 25 in Bhubaneswar, this despite they having already sealing a playoff berth earlier. "It isn't easy for sure, but when you're on a winning run, you start to treasure it. You want to stretch it for one more game, and then another and it just goes on. Also, in our case, it was important because the teams we played after qualifying were teams we could face again in the semi-final, which means we needed to turn up for these games completely prepared," added Chhetri, who has already pocketed 10 goals this season.
The India veteran also stressed on the significance of having a proper system to drive every team: "Having systems has surely worked for us at BFC. But putting a plan and system in place is one half of the task, following it through is what completes it."
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