Bharat Football Club coach Stuart Watkiss insists that his side is no Bengaluru FC (BFC) clone. A chance to prove the same comes on Sunday, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here, when the two clubs meet in an I-League clash.
Watkiss’s desire to form a unique identify for Bharat FC comes from constant comparison to BFC, given the few striking similarities between the two. The Pune club gained a direct entry into the league this season, much like BFC, which was granted the same privilege the previous year. Bharat FC aims to use BFC’s successful methods to build a large fan base of its own, and to provide a fillip to the sport in its city.
There is another likeness, however, that both teams will want to discard — a shaky start. BFC, the defending champion, has recorded a win, a draw and two losses so far, while Bharat FC is yet to post a win after two matches.
“We’ve had it tough. We drew against Dempo in our opener, and they are definitely one of the better teams in the league. We perhaps played Royal Wahingdoh — then the table-topper — at the wrong time (Bharat FC lost 1-2). But, I do believe, that we have been adapting well,” Watkiss said.
For BFC, the last two fixtures — a 4-1 victory over Royal Wahigdoh, and a close 1-2 defeat away to Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta'azim in an AFC playoff match — has seen a positive shift.
“We have taken a lot of encouragement from our performance against Johor; it shows that we can compete against top-level sides. And the four goals away from home (against Royal Wahingdoh) shows that we are finding the back of the net again. So hopefully, things are looking good for the match,” Westwood said.
