Defending champions Atletico de Kolkata have geared up for the second season of ISL football tournament with a thumping 9-0 win over Gimnástica Segoviana CF U-19 team in their first friendly match here.
ATK’s marquee player Helder Postiga struck a hattrick and was finely supported by Kerala Blasters FC recruit Iain Hume as the duo shared five goals between them at the Los Angeles de San Rafael ground in El Espinar on Thursday.
Jewel Raja, who was selected from the ISL draft, also scored a goal along with one each from Spanish recruit Gavilán, Valdo and Arata Izumi.
Happy with the progress of his team which is on a three-week-long pre-season training, ATK head coach Antonio Lopez Habas said: “We are just at the beginning of our preparations for the second season of ISL.”
“The match provided an opportunity for the support staff to observe where the fitness levels of each player stand at the moment and I am happy with the progress each player is making at the moment.
“These friendly matches will help the footballers interact with each other and gel as a unit prior to the season,” the ISL-winning coach added.
