Contrasting moods on eve of Mahindra-Vasco clash

What a contrast. One twitches his eyebrow, worried, trying to convey, ‘‘I don’t know what is wrong,’’ while the eve...

What a contrast. One twitches his eyebrow, worried, trying to convey, ‘‘I don’t know what is wrong,’’ while the ever smiling other coach, with his house in order, talks of not disturbing the composition of the team.

It’s a question of their teams performance so far that makes Karel Stromsik and Derrick Pereira, of Mahindra United and Vasco SC respectively, differ in moods on the eve of their National Football League encounter at the Nehru Stadium (Fatorda), on Wednesday.

The Mumbai outfit, though not with the best of starts, keep harping ‘‘we have not lost and have been playing away matches,’’ but then just one-third points gained from five matches is something they need to give a though about. Goa Pro-League runners-up Vasco on the other hand have improved slowly but steadily. Second placed Vasco, now, on a three match winning high, have proven that winning ‘away’ matches was also possible by toppling Indian Bank.

Worries or no worries, Mahindras have a task on hand, as Vasco so far have been the best of Goan teams on view, which simply means if Mahindras don’t have a ‘plan’, Vasco for sure would spell danger. With a strike force of Rui and Pereira, who have accounted for five of Vasco’s goals, Mahindras have a task on hand.