After recording upset wins over Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the opening two games of their debut season in the I-League, Mumbai FC may find themselves contending with the same disadvantages. But star striker Abhishek Yadav believes that with his team’s outstanding start, which has taken them to the top of the table, the pressure is now well and truly on all the other teams in the league.

“Nobody ever expected us to do so well and beat such established teams. And neither of our opponents were in any way unlucky, we completely deserved our wins,” says Yadav.

The 27-year-old admits that his team did have a slight advantage in their opening encounters, as none of the teams outside Mumbai really knew much about them. “They never really got a good look at our team, and maybe weren’t really ready for us,” he says.

Right tempo

Team manager Henry Menezes quashes any mention of either of the Kolkata teams having taken his team lightly. “In the initial phase of the league, everybody wants to win every single game, and there is no question of them having been complacent,” he says.

Menezes is elated at the team spirit that was displayed, and attributes the hard-work put in by his team for the past one-and-a-half years for the unexpected success.

“The team played as one, and the foreign strikers played their part. David Booth, with his experience, has also played a brilliant role,” he adds.

Facing Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mahindra United and defending champions Dempo in your first four games cannot be a very good proposition for any team, and definitely not for one making its debut. “I was horrified when I read the fixtures list. But the good thing about this is that we can raise our standards very early on and set the right tempo for ourselves,” says Menezes.

Mahindra United coach Derrick Pereira is also full of praise for the babes of the I-League this season. “It is a great sign for Indian football that a professional setup like Mumbai FC is achieving success so early. It is a fantastic beginning for them,” he says.

But all the sweet nothings will surely go out of the window when Mumbai FC face Mahindra United in the city’s first local derby this season on October 11.