Goa : Despite having suffered an unprecedented three losses in a row, Dempo Sports Club coach Armando Colaco is continuing to show faith in his team and is confident that they would come good against Sporting Clube de Goa at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Thursday (December 22).
After having won seven matches in a row, Dempo slipped and are now placed second behind Churchill Brothers. The former champions, however, have no doubt that they would return to the top sooner rather than later.
“I believe in my boys and I still maintain that they are the best. They will prove themselves,” said Colaco.
“Dempo may have suffered defeats in the last three matches but the lead at the top is just two points and we are still second. It’s a small gap and we’ll return to the top soon. A couple of victories and people will start singing praises of Dempo again,” said the former India coach.
Dempo, however, will have to do without two of their mainstays for the crucial clash against Sporting Clube. Debabrata Roy is ruled out with a groin injury while Peter Carvalho will have to sit out – courtsey with a double booking. Valeriano Rebello and Godwin Franco have been named as replacements.
Like Dempo, Sporting Clube de Goa too suffered setbacks losing three matches in a row but they are now back on track after stealing a point against Mohun Bagan in the last game.
“It’s quite creditable to secure a draw (against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata) but now we have to start winning,” said Sporting manager Angelo Albuquerque.
Sporting Clube, however, have been hampered by the growing list of injuries, besides suspension of strikers Macroy Peixoto and Victorino Fernandes.
“It’s an important match for us. Dempo are a strong side and despite losing three matches, they would still be dangerous. It’s good to play them now because their morale would be low, but at our end, we need to raise our standard. I am sure that the boys will measure up to the challenge,” said the Sporting manager.
Dempo stay on 21 points from 10 matches while Sporting Clube are on 13 points from as many matches. The kick-off is at 3.30pm.
Head-to-Head:
Total Matches: 14
Dempo Won: 9
Sporting Won: 3
Drawn: 2
Goals scored by Dempo: 24
Goals scored by Sporting Clube: 16
Last Two Meetings in I-League:
January 24, 2010:
Dempo 3 (Clifford Miranda, Joaquim Abranches, Peter Carvalho)
beat
Sporting Clube de Goa (Bishweshwar Singh)
April 22, 2010:
Dempo 2 (Beto – brace)
beat
Sporting Clube de Goa 1 (Adil Khan).
Bagan to take Salgaocar
This is a clash which we all have been waiting for long – McDowell Mohun Bagan taking on defending champions Salgaocar SC. On paper, the quality of both the sides can never be doubted. But none of the sides have been able to do justice to their potential as yet.
Bagan’s fans may disagree to that as the Green and the Maroon stay on 20 points from 10 matches – very much in contention at the moment. But the quality of football and co-ordination expected when they take the field hasn’t been on display so far.
Salgaocar, on the other hand stay on 12 points from 10 matches and despite a dream Federation Cup which kicked-off the season, they are struggling to display the brand of football which landed them the I-League crown last season.
Mohun Bagan will be missing NP Pradeep and Kingshuk Debnath – both out due to double suspensions while AIFF Player-of-the-Year Sunil Chhetri stays out of contention nursing a Grade 2 ligament tear on his left ankle. To add to woes, an injured Brazilian medio Hudson Lima and Aussie stopper-back Daniel Zeleny are also missing.
Coach Prasanta Banerjee, further added: “We are not sure whether Jose Barreto will be able to play against Salgaocar. We will be taking a call on the morning of the match.”
Rival compatriot Karim Bencherifa won’t be minding all that. The Goan outfit who had a practice session in the morning stay keen to carry on their winning streak. They beat HAL Bangalore by a solitary goal in their last match.
In a jocular tone, Coach Karim Bencherifa commented: “It seems we are going shopping at the moment. As of now, we have won the Federation Cup and are on top of the Goa League. The I-League is the third tournament on the list and hopefully we can get something here as well.”
“Mohun Bagan are a strong team. But we are ready for them. We don’t need to prove anything to anyone. The best part stays that all our players stay available for the match.”
The kick-off at the Sale Lake Stadium is at 2pm.
Head-to-Head:
Total Matches: 24
Mohun Bagan won: 10
Salgaocar won: 8
Drawn: 6
Goals scored by Mohun Bagan: 30
Goals scored by Salgaocar: 25
Last two meetings in I-League:
January 15, 2011 (Margao):
Mohun Bagan 3 (Chidi Edeh – brace; Ishfaq Ahmed)
beat
Salgaocar 1 (Ryuji Soeuka – penalty)
May 8, 2011 (Kolkata):
Mohun Bagan 2 (Chidi Edeh – brace)
beat
Salgaocar 2 (Ryuji Sueoka, Gilbert Oliviera).
High-scoring matches:
April 2002 (Margao):
Salgaocar Club 4 (Sunday Seah – brace; Alvito D’Cunha, Alex Ambrose)
beat
Mohun Bagan 3 (Jose Barreto – brace; Basudeb Mondal)
December 22, 2007 (Margao):
Mohun Bagan 5 (Jose Barreto – brace; Bhaichung Bhutia; James Singh; Jonathan Bobo)
beat
Salgaocar 4 (Boniface Ambani Felix – 4 goals).
Mumbai FC enjoy an edge
The only positive from Sunday’s draw against Pune FC was the solitary point that Mumbai FC earned, which kept the Essel Group-promoted side just a notch above the relegation zone, otherwise the players failed to add any quality to their campaign that is fast reaching the midway stage.
A couple of yellow cards including one after the final whistle, showed that Mumbai FC is on tenterhooks after a series of bad results, something they would like to curtail when they meet Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, in the Round XI match in the I-league football championship at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Thursday (December 22).
No doubt full points from Thursday’s match against the bottom-placed team would be least Coach Khalid Jamil would expect, but they would do well not to let HAL off the hook even as the Bangalore team’s record this season has not been noteworthy.
Mumbai FC mid-fielders S Kuttymani and Noel Wilson were not up to the mark against Pune FC while striker Abhishek Yadav and Gbeneme Friday were far from best. Nigerian Friday, who has so far scored just two goals this season was a late riser, but when he actually began to move with the ball, he was abysmally out of tune with the mid-fielders and was caught off-side quite a few times.
Dhanachandra Leihaorungbam was the lone saviour for Mumbai, holding off Pune FC strikers Mandjou Keita and Douhou Pierre on several occasions and was rightly adjudged Man-of-the-match. Much will depend on his ability to defuse the attacks from both wings.
HAL on the other hand lost to Salgaocar SC by solitary goal on Sunday. They haven’t been able to win single match so far this season, but surely the team is very good in defence and this Balewadi ground has been happy hunting ground for the Bangalore team, notwithstanding the loss against Pune FC when HAL played here last.
HAL did put up a stiff resistance against Salgaocar, which was finally broken in the 65th minute by Ryuji Sueoka. But otherwise, HAL stood tall, even if they failed to rally and get themselves an equalizer. The Bangalore team clearly lacked the cutting edge and even though reinforcements were brought in, they could not find the much-needed gaps. The two teams will be playing for the first time this season and given the position they are in, full points for either of the team will do a world of good as the I-League wears on.
After having won seven matches in a row, Dempo slipped and are now placed second behind Churchill Brothers. The former champions, however, have no doubt that they would return to the top sooner rather than later.
“I believe in my boys and I still maintain that they are the best. They will prove themselves,” said Colaco.
“Dempo may have suffered defeats in the last three matches but the lead at the top is just two points and we are still second. It’s a small gap and we’ll return to the top soon. A couple of victories and people will start singing praises of Dempo again,” said the former India coach.
Dempo, however, will have to do without two of their mainstays for the crucial clash against Sporting Clube. Debabrata Roy is ruled out with a groin injury while Peter Carvalho will have to sit out – courtsey with a double booking. Valeriano Rebello and Godwin Franco have been named as replacements.
Like Dempo, Sporting Clube de Goa too suffered setbacks losing three matches in a row but they are now back on track after stealing a point against Mohun Bagan in the last game.
“It’s quite creditable to secure a draw (against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata) but now we have to start winning,” said Sporting manager Angelo Albuquerque.
Sporting Clube, however, have been hampered by the growing list of injuries, besides suspension of strikers Macroy Peixoto and Victorino Fernandes.
“It’s an important match for us. Dempo are a strong side and despite losing three matches, they would still be dangerous. It’s good to play them now because their morale would be low, but at our end, we need to raise our standard. I am sure that the boys will measure up to the challenge,” said the Sporting manager.
Dempo stay on 21 points from 10 matches while Sporting Clube are on 13 points from as many matches. The kick-off is at 3.30pm.
Head-to-Head:
Total Matches: 14
Dempo Won: 9
Sporting Won: 3
Drawn: 2
Goals scored by Dempo: 24
Goals scored by Sporting Clube: 16
Last Two Meetings in I-League:
January 24, 2010:
Dempo 3 (Clifford Miranda, Joaquim Abranches, Peter Carvalho)
beat
Sporting Clube de Goa (Bishweshwar Singh)
April 22, 2010:
Dempo 2 (Beto – brace)
beat
Sporting Clube de Goa 1 (Adil Khan).
Bagan to take Salgaocar
This is a clash which we all have been waiting for long – McDowell Mohun Bagan taking on defending champions Salgaocar SC. On paper, the quality of both the sides can never be doubted. But none of the sides have been able to do justice to their potential as yet.
Bagan’s fans may disagree to that as the Green and the Maroon stay on 20 points from 10 matches – very much in contention at the moment. But the quality of football and co-ordination expected when they take the field hasn’t been on display so far.
Salgaocar, on the other hand stay on 12 points from 10 matches and despite a dream Federation Cup which kicked-off the season, they are struggling to display the brand of football which landed them the I-League crown last season.
Mohun Bagan will be missing NP Pradeep and Kingshuk Debnath – both out due to double suspensions while AIFF Player-of-the-Year Sunil Chhetri stays out of contention nursing a Grade 2 ligament tear on his left ankle. To add to woes, an injured Brazilian medio Hudson Lima and Aussie stopper-back Daniel Zeleny are also missing.
Coach Prasanta Banerjee, further added: “We are not sure whether Jose Barreto will be able to play against Salgaocar. We will be taking a call on the morning of the match.”
Rival compatriot Karim Bencherifa won’t be minding all that. The Goan outfit who had a practice session in the morning stay keen to carry on their winning streak. They beat HAL Bangalore by a solitary goal in their last match.
In a jocular tone, Coach Karim Bencherifa commented: “It seems we are going shopping at the moment. As of now, we have won the Federation Cup and are on top of the Goa League. The I-League is the third tournament on the list and hopefully we can get something here as well.”
“Mohun Bagan are a strong team. But we are ready for them. We don’t need to prove anything to anyone. The best part stays that all our players stay available for the match.”
The kick-off at the Sale Lake Stadium is at 2pm.
Head-to-Head:
Total Matches: 24
Mohun Bagan won: 10
Salgaocar won: 8
Drawn: 6
Goals scored by Mohun Bagan: 30
Goals scored by Salgaocar: 25
Last two meetings in I-League:
January 15, 2011 (Margao):
Mohun Bagan 3 (Chidi Edeh – brace; Ishfaq Ahmed)
beat
Salgaocar 1 (Ryuji Soeuka – penalty)
May 8, 2011 (Kolkata):
Mohun Bagan 2 (Chidi Edeh – brace)
beat
Salgaocar 2 (Ryuji Sueoka, Gilbert Oliviera).
High-scoring matches:
April 2002 (Margao):
Salgaocar Club 4 (Sunday Seah – brace; Alvito D’Cunha, Alex Ambrose)
beat
Mohun Bagan 3 (Jose Barreto – brace; Basudeb Mondal)
December 22, 2007 (Margao):
Mohun Bagan 5 (Jose Barreto – brace; Bhaichung Bhutia; James Singh; Jonathan Bobo)
beat
Salgaocar 4 (Boniface Ambani Felix – 4 goals).
Mumbai FC enjoy an edge
The only positive from Sunday’s draw against Pune FC was the solitary point that Mumbai FC earned, which kept the Essel Group-promoted side just a notch above the relegation zone, otherwise the players failed to add any quality to their campaign that is fast reaching the midway stage.
A couple of yellow cards including one after the final whistle, showed that Mumbai FC is on tenterhooks after a series of bad results, something they would like to curtail when they meet Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, in the Round XI match in the I-league football championship at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Thursday (December 22).
No doubt full points from Thursday’s match against the bottom-placed team would be least Coach Khalid Jamil would expect, but they would do well not to let HAL off the hook even as the Bangalore team’s record this season has not been noteworthy.
Mumbai FC mid-fielders S Kuttymani and Noel Wilson were not up to the mark against Pune FC while striker Abhishek Yadav and Gbeneme Friday were far from best. Nigerian Friday, who has so far scored just two goals this season was a late riser, but when he actually began to move with the ball, he was abysmally out of tune with the mid-fielders and was caught off-side quite a few times.
Dhanachandra Leihaorungbam was the lone saviour for Mumbai, holding off Pune FC strikers Mandjou Keita and Douhou Pierre on several occasions and was rightly adjudged Man-of-the-match. Much will depend on his ability to defuse the attacks from both wings.
HAL on the other hand lost to Salgaocar SC by solitary goal on Sunday. They haven’t been able to win single match so far this season, but surely the team is very good in defence and this Balewadi ground has been happy hunting ground for the Bangalore team, notwithstanding the loss against Pune FC when HAL played here last.
HAL did put up a stiff resistance against Salgaocar, which was finally broken in the 65th minute by Ryuji Sueoka. But otherwise, HAL stood tall, even if they failed to rally and get themselves an equalizer. The Bangalore team clearly lacked the cutting edge and even though reinforcements were brought in, they could not find the much-needed gaps. The two teams will be playing for the first time this season and given the position they are in, full points for either of the team will do a world of good as the I-League wears on.