Playing another final would be great: Bengaluru FC's Suresh Singh Wangjam
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engaluru FC battled their way to the top of Group A of the Super Cup that has seen them earn their third semi-final appearance in the 2022-23 season - Durand Cup, Indian Super League (ISL), and the Super Cup.
The Blues are prepared to put up another worthy challenge in the tournament as they battle it out against Jamshedpur FC in the semi-final further looking to add to their trophy cabinet.
Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam, who has been a pivotal player in the middle of the park with his excellent ability to transition the gameplay, believes their run-up to this tournament is a testament to how good their season has been.
"We've already played two finals this season (Durand Cup and ISL), and another one would be a great addition. It really shows that we have had quite a good season," midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam told the-aiff.com.
"It's just one more match to the Super Cup Final, and if we do make it, it would be the fourth final of my own career. I have also played in the SAFF Final in 2021," he added.
Knockout matches gauge a team's ability to proactively respond to the circumstances during the 90 minutes. It is a one-off game that adds more pressure and is often a litmus test for any player's ability.
Wangjam highlighted the importance of knockout matches and what it takes to prepare for such intensive games.
"There's always more pressure for such knockout games, especially finals. You can't make a single mistake, or it could be game over for you. My preparations are not very different ahead of such matches. I just like to keep things simple and consistent when I prepare for a game. I just do things that make me feel good and in the zone before the match and carry on," he stated.
In the final round of matches in Group A, the two fixtures - Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru FC and RoundGlass Punjab FC vs Sreenidi Deccan FC were played simultaneously. While the Blues' fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, the match between the two I-League sides was yet to end and the result could have hampered the Blues' hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.
RoundGlass Punjab FC clinched a 1-0 win over Sreenidi Deccan FC that paved the way for Bengaluru FC into the semi-finalby virtue of collecting more points than the other three teams in the group.
"I was really drawing a blank at that moment. I didn't really think about the other match, and just focused on our game, on what was in our hands," said Suresh.
"That one minute was totally blank for me, but when we were finally informed that RoundGlass Punjab won the other match, I was so happy," he added.
Facing Jamshedpur FC in the semi-final will be a challenging task for the Simon Grayson-coached side, as they have a 100% win record in the Hero Super Cup and also have scored the most number of goals (11) in the tournament.
"Jamshedpur FC are a good team, and they are physically quite strong. They have played some good football here in Kerala, and it will be a good game against them. But we have also been improving every game, and will try to do our best against them," the midfielder concluded.
✔️ Playing another final would be great: Bengaluru FC's Suresh Singh Wangjam
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