Ninja Turtle: Marin Pilj is one of the chief playmakers in the Terengganu team. — Photo by Terengganu FC
PETALING JAYA: Derby matches are always intense and Terengganu playmaker Marin Pilj will get his first taste of it when the Turtles take on Kelantan today.
The 27-year-old Croatian could be in the reckoning for the east coast derby at the Sultan Mizan Stadium in Gong Badak.
Pilj, who started his team’s first two league matches, has been told by his mates about how important the game is.
“I know it is the derby. I have heard about the rivalry between the two neighbouring states, so I am predicting it to be a hard game. But I think if we can play at the right level, we will win,” said Pilj, who plays alongside Germany-born Filipino Manny Ott and Uzbek Nurillo Tukhtasinov in a three-man midfield.
Terengganu have started the season with four points, beating Perak 3-1 at the Sultan Mizan Stadium on May 11 but being held by Penang 0-0 at the City Stadium in George Town, Penang on May 19.
They will be the favourites to get three more points today but Pilj, a former NK Varazdin player, said all teams in the Super League are tough nuts to crack and every game presents a challenge.
“The two games I played were really hard. I learnt that you can’t win easily. You have to be at your maximum to take three points.
“It is my first year in Malaysia but the guys we have in the dressing room are great. We are all together fighting for the goals set by the club.”
He also reserved special praise for coach Tomislav Steinbruckner.
“I can only say good things about the coach. I believe the team just need a bit more time to show the things they can do.
“The squad we have are good because we also have some important players like (fellow Croatian) Ivan Mamut, who was the top scorer for the team last season.”
Kelantan coach Park Jae-hong is just as motivated to win tonight. He said it will not be easy but still wants to push for victory after having lost the first two games of the season.
The Golden Deer lost to Pahang 0-1 at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan on May 11 and Sabah 2-3 at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium on May 17.
“We will give a good performance, tactically and technically. We also have to show more maturity. In the last two games, we did not prepare well in terms of understanding our opponents but against Terengganu, we have prepared well,” said the South Korean.
“We need to reduce the errors and make use of the set-pieces we get. I want the boys to be faster in attack and believe in making creative moves.”
