I-League: Churchill Trounce Sporting Club De Goa

Churchill Brothers brought an end to the winning streak of Sporting Clube De Goa as they trounced the fellow Goan side 3-0 in a fourth round I-League encounter at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa.

It was skipper Odafa Okolie’s brace and Naoba Singh’s third that helped last year’s runners-up snap up the three points.

The win takes Churchill Brothers to fourth spot with a game in hand while Sporting are on top with Mumbai FC. Churchill Brothers got into the groove from the beginning and threatened the Sporting backline every time they went forward.

It was just a matter of time when the first goal was scored as Odafa, on receiving a ball from Robert, struck a firm right footed shot along the ground which beat the Sporting goalkeeper Felix D’Souza.

The Flaming Orange looked rusty and lacked the composure to play against Churchill Brothers. They gave away the possession whenever they had the ball and otherwise were seen running behind it.

The best chance they could create fell to Junior Elijah but his shot was blocked by Churchill custodian Arindam Bhattacharya.

Nine minutes after the break, Odafa Okolie scored another stunner from outside the box that left goalkeeper Felix D’Souza and his Sporting colleagues stunned.

Soon came the third goal when Naoba Singh struck off an Odafa pass and completed the rout. Sporting couldn’t do much and were short of ideas against an ever improving Churchill Brothers side.

Final Score: 3-0

Goalscorer Churchill: Odafa Okolie (14th and 54th ) and Naoba Singh (68th)

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Bagan, Mohammedan Share The Spoils

It’s no joy for either of the two Kolkata teams as Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan shared the spoils at the Salt Lake Stadium in a fourth round I-League encounter.

Goals from Gautam Thakur and Jose Ramirez Barreto cancelled each other out. Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting continue to be at the bottom of the table with this result.

Mohun Bagan were shocked early in the third minute as Gautam Thakur gave his side the lead. Theodore Sunday’s brilliant run was unchecked and he laid the ball for Thakur to slot it in the net.

Thereafter, the play was restricted in the midfield and as both teams tried to get hold of the possession. Jose Ramirez Barreto’s header went wide from a Mohanraj throw-in. Mohammedan’s defence was falling apart with each Bagan move.

The equalizer came in the 24th minute as Jose Barreto controlled and sent his shot into the opposition net in no time after receiving a Malswamtulunga pass from the right.

On loan defender Anit Ghosh was having a torrid time in the first half as he handled the ball and the resultant free-kick forced a save from goalkeeper Tharanghachan. Barreto laid the ball for Rakesh Masih whose stinging left footer tested the Mohammedan custodian.

Mohammedan were close to scoring an own goal from a Bagan corner as Anit Ghosh headed the ball towards his goal only for Sovan’s timely clearance. Theodore Sunday too had a chance to score from close range but headed over the bar.

Mohun Bagan came out a couple of minutes late onto the field after Mohammedan and the match officials were ready for kick-off.

Ten minutes into the second session and the Green and Maroons were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box. James’ cross into the box saw the goalkeeper come off his line and the final shot from Peter Odafe was ruled offside.

Six minutes later, Bagan were lucky to survive the rest of the game with all their men as Peter Odafe escaped his second booking of the evening. The Nigerian intentionally handled the ball inside Mohammedan box after already being on a yellow card.

Theodore Sunday’s shot from a Gurpreet Singh cross lacked power though it forced a save from goalkeeper Shilton Paul. Adebayo’s glancing header missed the second post in the 65th minute.

Gautam Thakur could have scored the second and finished off the game but he headed the ball over the bar from six yards out. The 71st minute saw skipper Mike Okoro’s being glanced for a corner by goalkeeper Shilton Paul.

Mohammedan looked lively especially with their Ghanaian striker looking to run past Bagan defenders.

The match ended with the same scoreline which doesn’t help any of the team to overcome their string of poor results.

Final Score: 1-1

Goalscorer Mohammedan: Gautam Thakur (3rd min)

Goalscorer Bagan: Jose Barreto (24th min)

Source:Goal.com

I-League: First Win For Mahindra United

Mahindra United finally got their act together as they won 1-0 against JCT in a fourth round I-League clash at the Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana.

Substitute Sukhwinder Singh’s strike was the difference between the two sides. The win has taken Mahindra United to the ninth position while JCT are now fourth on the table.

The Punjab side started without three of their first team regulars – Eduardo Da Silva, Baldeep Singh Senior and Junior.

It was the home side which started better and dominated the proceedings. Goalkeeper Subashish Roy Chowdhary impressed by pulling off some good saves.

JCT striker Amandeep Singh, in particular, tested the Red Devils on a few occasions and was very lively on the pitch.

Mahindra United had an excellent opportunity to go into the lead by Chidi Edeh missed an open chance off a Douhou pass.

At the start of the second half, Coach Derrick Pereira introduced local boy Sukhwinder Singh for Izumi Arata and it instantly fetched him results.

Mahindra United went into the lead in the 52nd minute as Sukhwinder Singh’s right footer went past goalkeeper Karanjit Singh into the net. This was after the corner kick taken by Mahindra’s rebound of a JCT defender’s leg for Sukhwinder.

The Mumbai club played better in the second session and dominated the game. Another substitute Sushil Kumar hit the post off an Ajayan cross.

The match ended with the same scoreline and Mahindra United recorded their first points in this edition’s I-League.

Final Score: 1-0

Goalscorer Mahindra: Sukhwinder Singh (52nd)

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Air India Continue To Fly Higher

Air India continued their fine form in the second edition of the I-League as they beat Chirag United 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal by Surojit Roy at the Cooperage Stadium, Mumbai.

The match began with neither team having the better exchanges as they took time to settle down. It took 10 minutes for the first good move of the match which came of a free kick. Napoleon Singh passed the ball to Soccor Velho whose cross inside the box saw the Chirag defence clear the danger in a frenzied fashion.

At the other end, Hardeep Singh Saini released Gauranga Dutta on the right and the latter laid it for Muritala Ali who sent the ball into the orbit. Three minutes later, Snehashish Chakraborty’s cross saw Muritala Ali head wide under pressure from Air India left back Ravinder Singh.

Chirag United had good amount of possession in the first half hour and another opportunity which went kissing. Gauranga Dutta’s cross was missed by striker Muritala Ali and the ball fell for Soumik Chakraborty who couldn’t control the ball and hence Syed Farid cleared the danger in time.

Thereafter, a strange incident occurred as Chirag goalkeeper Robikanta Singh and defender Louis Ebami clashed against each other in their bid to clear the floated ball. Air India striker Emmanuel Ovieghara was on the prowl and tapped in the ball into an empty net. Referee A. Rowan disallowed the goal much to the surprise of the Air India players.

Chirag United had to substitute goalkeeper Robikanta for Arindam Ghosh.

Chirag United had a brilliant chance in the injury time of the first half when Soumik Chakraborty laid the ball for Hardeep Saini whose left footed shot was saved by Air India custodian Arup Debnath.

While Air India looked to soak the Chirag United attacks, the latter preferred to build-up good moves.

The second half saw Air India introduce Samson Singh in place of Kailash Patil. The home side showed more vigour while going forward and began to keep possession.

The 68th minute saw Michael Tayo’s ball to Ovieghara and the Nigerian striker looked to hit the top corner of the far post but missed it by not much.

Three minutes later, an Uttam Singh throw-in gave Air India the lead with Surojit Roy connecting to find the back of the net. Uttam threw and goalkeeper Arindam Ghosh misjudged the flight of the ball and came off his line to collect but he missed and all Surojit had to do was to head the ball in.

Snehashish did come close as he hit the top bar. The match ended with Chirag United ruing the missed opportunities while Air India pleased to add another three points in their kitty.

Final Score: 1-0

Goalscorer Air India: Surojit Roy (71st minute)

Source:Goal.com

I-League: East Bengal Brush Aside Vasco 2-0

Kolkata giants East Bengal convincingly defeated Goan side Vasco Sports Club 2-0 in Kolkata in their I-League clash on Saturday. Two goals from their star striker Yusif Yakubu were enough to present East Bengal with a deserved victory.

East Bengal dominated the match throughout the 90 minutes and took the lead as early as the 9th minute when a defensive mistake gave the ball away and East Bengal striker Yusif Yakubu gleefully pouned to slot home past a shocked Laxmikant Kattinami. That set the tone for the match and spurred East Bengal to carry on lauching numerous attacks on the Vasco citadel.

Defender Suley Musah had a good chance from the right side of the Vasco penalty area in the 19th minute. One minute later it was the turn of defensive midfielder Mehrajuddin Wadoo who tried his luck with a long ranger.

East Bengal continued piling up the pressure and had most of the possession. They played somewhat silky football and adopted a free-flowing style in the midfield. Star Indian player Sunil Chhetri exhibited his class when he tried an audacious overhead kick in the 25th minute.

For Vasco, striker Ravashan was trying to weave some magic along Vasco's right. Vincent Pires too delivered a few decent crosses into the East Bengal penalty area. East Bengal striker Yakubu was then thought to have been brought down by goalkeeper Kattinami in the Vasco penalty area in the 32nd minute but the referee rightly decided that it was a dive and rewarded Yakubu with a yellow card.Mehtab Hossian then tried his luck from distance in the 38th minute.

The second half started in a somewhat subdued fashion as Vasco didn't quite manage to roar back and East Bengal too didn't seem to maintain the momentum in the initial stages of the second 45 minutes.

But it was the home side that had the first real chance of the second half. Chhetri hit the near post in the 55th minute from near the edge of the six yard box. East Bengal continued having more possession of the ball but didn't manage to come real close.

For Vasco, striker Ravashan did bundle the ball into the back of the net in the 67th minte but it was rightly ruled out. East Bengal immediately pressed on with Wadoo trying his luck again with a long ranger in the 70th minute.

A minute later Sunil Chhetri then had a great chance after Syed Nabi delivered a sweet cross but the Indian international striker was adjudged to be offside.

East bengal secured all three points in the 90th minute when striker Yakubu once again took advantage of a defensive lapse to tap in his and his side's second goal that saw Eaast Benagl win the match 2-0.

Source:Goal.com

I-League Sunday Round Up

Round III of the I-League 2008-2009 season winded down on Sunday as Dempo and Air India registered impressive wins while Chirag United continued their good performance with a draw at home.

Goan giants Dempo edged past Vasco Sports Club 2-1 at the Nehru Stadium in Fotorda to earn their first victory of the new I-League season. Two goals in six minutes in the first half were good enough for the reigning I-League champions to scrape through to their first victory of the season.

Roberto Silva headed home in the 24th minute after Anthony Pereira sent a high cross. Ranty Martins then doubled the lead six minutes later when he taped home a cross from Pereira again.

That spurred Vasco to action and they quickly came out of their shell, striker Ravshan Teshabaev pulling back a goal for Vasco in the 32nd minute after a mistake from Dempo defender John Dias. Vasco continued to attack in the second half and came close to getting the equalizer in the 58th minute when Menino Fernandes’ curling shot was put out of sander by Dempo goalkeeper Satish Kumar.

Elsewhere on Sunday in the I-League, Chirag United did quite well to hold Churchill Brothers to a goalless draw at the Barasat Stadium. Snehashish Chakraborty of Chirag was adjudged the man of the match. Chirag now have four points from three matches.

In the other match on Sunday, Air India achieved an astonishing victory as they defeated Kolkata giants East Bengal at the Coopearage Ground, Surojit Roy and Michael Tayo scoring the goals.

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Saturday Round Up

JCT, Sporting Club de Goa and Mumbai FC defeated Mohammedan Sporting, Mohun Bagan and Mahindra United respectively in the I-League on Saturday to make it a day when all the home teams won their matches.

While JCT beat Mohammedan 2-0 at the Guru Nanak Dev Stadium, Sporting won by the same margin against Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan. Meanwhile, Mumbai FC continued their good display in the I-League as they won 1-0 against Mahindra United.

JCT were dominant at home against Kolkata side Mohammedan and two goals were enough to see them gather three vital points. Baljit Sahni gave them the lead in added minutes of the first half and then man-of-the-match Eduardo Da Silva secured the victory for JCT in the 68th minute.

Sporting Club de Goa, meanwhile, won their third match in a row as goals from Wilton Gomes and Nathaniel Amos were enough see the Goan giants gain a comfortable victory over former National Football League champions Mohun Bagan.

Sporting were dominant right from the start with Joseph Pereira and Harmanjot Khabra combining well with each other in the initial stages; striker Joychandra too ably contributed at the start. Sporting deservedly took the lead in the 26th minute when Pereira delivered an exquisite cross that Wilton Gomes headed towards the goal. Defender Mohan Raj then shot the ball into the own net to give Sporting a 1-0 lead.

Mohun Bagan were stunned by that goal but couldn't launch any major attack, in spite of striker Jose Ramirez Barretto sending in some good crosses which went to waste. Sporting secured all three points two minutes after the breather when Joseph Pereira delivered a cross from the left and Nathaniel Amos headed the ball to the far end of the post.

In another I-League match on Saturday, Mumbai FC defeated Mahindra United 1-0 at the Cooperage Stadium.

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Chirag Stage Dramatic Comeback

A brilliant come back by Chirag United saw them beat Mahindra United after being a goal down in the first half in the second round I-League match at the Cooperage Stadium, Mumbai.

Goals from Muritala Ali, Gauranga Dutta and Hardeep Singh in the second half snapped up the three points for the newly promoted side. Earlier, Sushil Kumar had opened the scoring of the day for Mahindra United.

Mahindra United started with Sukhwinder Singh in the center of the park with N.P.Pradeep marshalling the back-line. Chirag fielded their three foreigners – Muritala Ali, Louis Ebami and Daniel Ayeni.

The match began and the home side eased into the game comfortably. They moved the ball around with confidence and were rewarded inside the opening 10 minutes as Sushil Kumar headed in a Steven Dias cross.

Two minutes later, Chidi Edeh had a brilliant opportunity to double the lead after Steven Dias as the provider once again. Chidi failed to connect his feet to the ball and Chirag custodian Robikanta Singh saved the danger.

The Red Devils got into the groove and Chirag United midfielders were guilty of conceding the possession. Sushil Kumar drived the ball from 25 yards straight into the hands of the Chirag goalkeeper.

It was then that Chirag coach Subrata Bhattacharya made his only substitution of the game, which completely turned the colour of the match.

Midfielder Hardeep Singh came on for left back Dhanarajan and Subashish Chowdhury was pushed into the defensive position.

Striker Muritala Ali went away from two Mahindra defenders inside the box and his final shot was pushed for a corner by a diving Subashish Chowdhury.

The 37th minute saw Chidi kick-start a counter attack and the ball fell to Sushil who shot it into the sky from 20 yards.

Chirag United caught Mahindra by surprise in the second half as Gauranga Dutta floated in a cross for Muritala Ali who lobbed it into the net to restore parity for his side. The Kolkata side grew in confidence and Hardeep Singh was the playmaker as he kept feeding his players. Chirag grew in confidence with each minute and scored their second in seven minutes.

Left winger Snehashish Chakraborty’s ball for Gauranga Dutta was meant with a powerful left footed shot which hit the inside of the top bar and came out. The Chirag number 30 headed the ball and it again came of the inside of the bar. The third attempt saw him slot the ball and put his side ahead.

Coach Derrick Pereira made some quick substitutions by introducing Sushant Matthew and Thoi Singh to inspire the side. The midfield squandered the ball and failed to create opportunities from open play.

The best chance came off a free-kick as Steven Dias’s shot hit the right post and went out. The stadium grew darker with the grey clouds and so was Mahindra United’s day. Substitute Mohamed Rafi’s shot was tipped over the bar by an alert Robikanta Singh in the 82nd minute.

The final nail in the coffin was inserted by Hardeep Singh after Muritala Ali did the hard work.

It has been a sad start to their I-League season as Mahindra United slumped to their second defeat in as many games. The Mumbai club would have to pick themselves before they face high-flying Mumbai FC on 11th.

Chirag United would be more than pleased with the result and deserve all credit for putting on a strong performance. They outshone Mahindra United in the second half and got the maximum points.

Final Score: 3-1

Goalscorers Chirag: Muritala Ali (46th), Gauranga Dutta (52nd) and Hardeep Singh (87th) Goalscorer Mahindra: Sushil Kumar 9th)

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Sporting Demolish Mohammedan 3-0

Two goals from Junior and a solo effort from Micky Fernandes were enough for Sporting club de Goa to gain maximum points from their home match against Mohammedan Sporting in the I-League on Saturday.

The match between Sporting Club de Goa and Mohammedan Sporting started slowly with neither of the two sides able to dominate the match in the opening exchanges. There were several wrong passes and except a few timid crosses, there wasn’t much coherence in either side.

Sporting made the first concrete move of the match in the 16th minute when star striker Junior ran past one defender but failed to retain his cool and was tackled off the ball near the goalmouth. Two minutes later Junior had his ferocious shot deflected onto the post by Mohammedan goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar.

The home side continued pressing on. Midfielder Joychandra had a chance in the 19th minute but headed the ball wide. He looked creative on the right wing for Sporting for a short spell in the first half.

Sporting again had a decent chance in the 25th minute thanks to some lovely work from Joseph Perreira and it again fell to Junior. The striker was in the thick of action again in the 36th minute after a brilliant move on the left resulted in an exquisite cross but Junior could only blast the ball over the crossbar.

But Mohammedan didn’t give up and did create a few chances of their own. The Sporting defence was caught napping in the 39th minute when everybody seemed to stop but fortunately for the home side Mohammedan couldn’t take advantage of the situation. Then Sheikh Azim of Mohammedan headed the ball wide.

The second half started with an evident lack of urgency but it didn’t take much time for the game to pick up momentum. Mohammedan were the first to come out of the block as Joyti Kumar, Mike Okoro and Theo combined in the 52nd minute to send a reminder to the Sporting defence that they still meant to win the match.

But Sporting took over from there and dominated the match thereafter. Star striker Junior drew first blood in the 63rd minute when he headed home from a corner and gave his side a 1-0 lead.

That goal seemed to open the floodgates as Sporting started piling the pressure and the goals on the Kolkata side. Anthony D’Souza constructed a very good chance in the 72nd minute when he ran along the left flank, cut inside and exhibited a brilliant individual effort only to shoot just wide off the near post.

Micky Fernandes, who had been solid and creative throughout the match, displayed why he is regarded one of the best footballers in the country when in the 75th minute he ran almost 50 yards, got past a few players and slotted home for what was one of the best goals in the I-League so far.

That gave the home side a 2-0 advantage that became a 3-0 lead in the very next minute when Junior scored the second of the match, this time with a sharply chiseled chip from the right side.

Mohammedan lost all hope of a comeback after that and although they did try to salvage some pride in the remaining minutes, the Kolkata club didn’t have the midfield force to torment the Sporting defence.

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Mohun Bagan Fail To Win Against Air India

Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan are still seeking their first win of the new I-League season after being held to a 1-1 draw by Air India at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday evening.


Air India started the match as the more adventurous side and started their raid on the Mohun Bagan citadel right from the first minute. They romped towards the Bagan defence and managed to eke out a few corners in the initial minutes but did not construct anything concrete.

Air India midfielder Surojit Roy was the main source of danger for Mohun Bagan in the opening exchanges as his crosses seemed to send some concern into the Bagan backline. Air India had more possession and looked more attacking while Mohun Bagan relied on the swift counter-attack.

Mohun Bagan’s left sided midfielder Ishfaq Ahmed put in a low drive in the 7th minute. This was Mohun Bagan’s first attack of any sort in the match. The Kolkata giants then gradually came back into the game and pushed the airmen further into their shell.

Lalkamal Bhoumick’s long ranger in the 13th minute was saved by Air India goalkeeper Arup Debnath in what was Mohun Bagan’s first real chance. One minute later Lalwampuia had a good chance with another long-range effort after a brilliant move by the Mohun Bagan players that exposed the defensive frailties of Air India.

Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan’s star man Jose Ramirez Baretto was grooving into his form and was constructing distress in the Air India defence. He had a chance in the 24th minute and did ruffle some feathers in the Air India D-box but nothing concrete came out of it. By this time Air India had been pushed onto the backfoot and their defence was revealing cracks.

Their goalkeeper Arup Debnath then pulled off an excellent save when he staved off an unexpected but vicious shot from Baretto on the half hour mark from the right side of the Air India penalty box.

Air India did have their own chances though. A corner for them in the 34th minute created pell-mell in the Bagan area but the subsequent shot was blasted wide over the crossbar. Kailash Patil then hit the ball wide on a one-on-one situation in the 43rd minute to waste a quicksilver counter—attacking move initiated deep inside the Air India box after Mohun Bagan wasted a corner.

Then much against the run of play, Air India took the lead on the stroke of half-time after an unmarked Soccor Velo poked the ball into the back of the Mohun Bagan net from a freekick on the left side of Bagan’s penalty area to gift his side a 1-0 lead. Mohun Bagan started the second half trying to claw back into the match but somehow failed to show urgency. They didn’t have much pace and were initially restricted to long range efforts.

Lalwampuia hit the ball over the crossbar in the 52nd minute and then Ishfaq took an attempt at goal with a venomous shot. Half-time substitute Mama then tried his luck on the hour mark but his free header went wide off the post.

Although Air India were pushed deep into their own half, they grasped every counter-attacking opportunity that came along their path. Midfielder Surojit Roy took an aimless shot at Shilton Paul’s goal in the 65th minute.

Although Mohun Bagan continued to press on in search of an equalizer, they were restricted mostly to half-chances and throw ins. But they were eventually rewarded in the 71st minute when Rakesh Mashi’s long clearance found Lalwampuia on the left wing whose exquisite cross was hit home by second half substitute Branco Cardozo.

Mohn Bagan then went seeking the winner. They did press on but couldn’t really make any clear-cut chance for themselves in the remainder of the match. On the other hand, Air India played on the counter and went close in the 83rd minute when Michael Tayo’s header was tipped over the crossbar by Shilton Paul.

So Mohun Bagan have to wait for some more time to register their first win of the season in the I-League while Air India must be dleighted to gain a point from this match.

Subhankar Mondal

Source:Goal.com

I-League: Vasco, JCT Play Out A Goalless Draw

JCT and Vasco could neither break the other’s defence when the referee blew his final whistle and have shared a point each. Both the teams played out a drub affair at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa.


Vasco has three changes from the side that faced Sporting on the opening day with the three Uzbekistan foreigners coming in. JCT made two changes with Amandeep on the right wing and Jagpreet in the middle of the park.

Vasco enjoyed the initial touches and they looked to play short passes but nothing tangible came of it except for maybe settling their nerves.

The first opportunity befell JCT’s way as Jagpreet’s floater was taken by Eduardo and his left footer to find the far post missed the target by inches.

Five minutes later, young striker Balwant Singh’s goalwards bound shot was saved by Vasco goalkeeper Kattimani. Vasco were giving away possession far too easily while JCT though comfortable on the ball lacked ideas in the final third.

Eduardo Da Silva was fouled and the resultant free-kick saw Kattimani only just managing it to tip it over the bar.

Vasco did allow far too much space to the JCT players in their box with Gurwinder easily twisting and turning off an Eduardo throw in with Baljit hitting it way over the bar.

The 28th minute saw Baljit sending a measured cross for Eduardo at the far post but his first time shot went wide. Vasco weren’t able to test JCT custodian Karanjit Singh and the player got a deserved rest especially after his heroics in the last game against Dempo.

The second half wasn’t different either as neither sides could seize the initiative from the other. The midfield lacked creativity and vision while the defenders did their job with ease.

Not often were goalkeepers called for and the strikers looked frustrated with the lack of service. The best move of the game came only three minutes from time when Eduardo found Jaswinder and the latter’s cross was headed over the bar by Pawan Kumar.

JCT would be disappointed to come out of the match with a single point, a match which they should have won. Vasco would be more than pleased with their first point of the season and Coach Elvis Goes would settle for that.

Final Score: 0-0.

Source:Goal.com

Mumbai FC continues its winning streak

KOLKATA: Mumbai FC continued its remarkable run beating East Bengal by a solitary goal in its second outing in the I-League football at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Tuesday. The Mumbai side, which is barely into the second season since its inception, produced the second upset after defeating Mohun Bagan three days ago.

Ghana’s Felix Aboagye struck in the 23rd minute to give the lead for Mumbai FC. The second round win helped Mumbai FC continue its stay at the top of the 12-team order.

East Bengal remained with the three points it collected beating Chirag United in the opener.

Tactical acumen


Mumbai FC’s reign definitely underlined the tactical acumen of its English coach David Booth, who had helped the team qualify to the elite stage of the competition. The visitor showed it had done its homework well while preparing for the tournament.

This was amply proved when Felix Aboagye converted a regular freekick into the goal.

The Ghanaian recruit chested down a lowly set Riston Rodrigues freekick, made a sharp turn inside to clear his marker East Bengal defender Khelemba Singh and lobbed the ball into the net over an onrushing Subrata Paul, the East Bengal custodian.

East Bengal expected that its cast of national team players would show the required precision. But that did not happen as Sunil Chhetri found his header off a curling Renedy Singh corner cleared from the goal-line by Mumbai FC midfielder Subhas Chakraborty.

Wayward


Mehrajuddin Wadoo was even more wayward sending his shot wildly over a gaping goal after Brazilian striker Edmilson Marques fetched the ball back into visitor’s box retrieving Chakraborty’s clearance.

East Bengal had two more chances to equalise after the goal. East Bengal coach Stanley Rozario tried to bring some life into the attack replacing Edmilson with Ashim Biswas in the second session.

The change hardly seemed to help the host as misses continued unabated.

The Mumbai FC goalkeeper Kalyan Choubey put up a good performance saving three close attempts by Chhetri and Renedy Singh.

Source-Hindu.com

I-League: Air India, Mohammedan Share The Spoils

Air India would be happy to come off with a point in an away fixture against Mohammedan Sporting in a 1-1 draw at the Barasat Stadium, Kolkata in their opening I-League fixture.

Surojit Roy’s first half strike was cancelled out by Mohammedan Sporting Theodore Sunday after the break as the two sides shared the spoils.

Mohammedan Sporting had the majority of the possession in the first half but failed to carve out any creative move which left them frustrated.

The Kolkata League runners-up saw most of the ball in the initial moments but were guilty of giving away the possession way too easily.

The first chance of the match fell Air India’s way as an Uttam Singh throw-in was headed by new recruit Emmanuel Ovieghara to the far post only for Mohammedan skipper Naseem Akhtar to clear.

This prompted a swift counter attack led by Mike Okoro which finally ended in Theodore Sunday’s shot being saved by an alert Air India number one Arup Debnath.

By now, Mohammedan Sporting were completely sloppy and played with a lackadaisical attitude which saw Air India growing in confidence and going forward. Surojit Roy and Michael Tayo were working hard and dominated the play in the middle of the park.

Air India attacked once again through an Uttam Singh throw-in with Ovieghara’s shot on the turn being wide. In a fine move initiated by Ovieghara from the center line, Michael Tayo’s touch gave Surojit Roy the opportunity to put his side ahead and which he gladly did to leave the Mohammedan Sporting players look each other as to whom to blame.

A few minutes later, Adebayo’s mistake was capitalized by Michael Tayo and his long range grounder missed the post by not far. Mohammedan Sporting defenders were allowing too much space to Surojit, Soccor and Ovieghara as they ran with the ball unchallenged.

The 37th minute saw Theodore get the possession after a Ravinder Singh slip, however, the chance was wasted in the final third. Jothi Kumar had another chance but he sent his ball into the orbit.

Air India could have added another before half time as Surojit Roy’s shot on the turn from just at the edge of the box went over the bar.

The second half saw the Black and Whites come out stronger and showed more purpose in their build-up. Adebayo was in thick of the action.

Air India’s substitute Subhash Singh instantly made an impact with his left footed floater being fingered out by goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar.

Napoleon Singh gave away a needless free kick as he tackled Jothi Kumar. Theodore Sunday was given too much space in the box and he coolly finished from the resultant free kick in the 59th minute.

The 72nd minute saw Ravinder Singh’s cross being met by a Subhash Singh header at the near post by a brilliant save by Naseem Akhtar saved the day for the home side.

Air India midfielder Michael Tayo worked tirelessly and and it was his timely challenge inside the box on Adebayo which cleared he imminent danger.

The very next minute, substitute Gautam Thakur had ample of space of time after getting the ball inside the box from a corner kick but his final shot was poor.

Mohammedan Sporting shall be disappointed having dropped two points at home. Air India would be the happier of the two sides though they could have avoided conceding the equalizer.

Final Score: 1-1.

Goalscorer Air India: Surojit Roy (23rd)

Goalscorer Mohammedan: Theodore Sunday (59th)

Source:Goal.com

Dominant Dempo Shocked At Home By JCT

The defending champions Dempo have lost their opening I-League fixture to JCT at the Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa despite dominating the game. It was the brilliance of JCT custodian Karanjit Singh who thwarted almost every Dempo attack which was enough for the Punjab side to snap up vital three points. Final Score: 2-1

If one was to mention every Dempo attack, this report would be endless. JCT goalkeeper Karanjt Singh touched the ball far more than his strikers which only gives a glimpse of the way the game went.

This is the first time Dempo have been beaten at home in over more a year in the top division and no guesses for who they went down to the last time. JCT beat Dempo 3-2 in the 2006-07 season at the same venue on 12th April '07. Dempo went undefeated at home throughout the last campaign and only lost two games to Mahindra United (Match Day 12) and East Bengal (Match day 13)

First Half

Dempo began their I-League campaign with a full strength side. JCT fielded the usual playing XI with striker Balwant Singh coming on for the now East Bengal player Sunil Chhetri. Gurwinder and Baldeep Senior took the responsibilities in the middle of the park where they had the reliable playmaker Marcos.

After the few initial touches, the home side got into the groove with Beto’s intercepting pass finding Ranti Martins, whose final shot wasn’t worth a mention. JCT played as a strong unit and helped each other out in difficult situations.

Right winger Baljit Saini was in good touch and would get forward at every given opportunity. On receiving the ball from Eduardo, Baljit’s strike went just outside goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal’s right post.

Beto was getting more involved and his shot on the turn went wide. A minute later, the Brazilian was at it again, as he used the open space given to him, to strike a fierce left footed shot which almost went in.

Then came the moment when JCT took the lead as Eduardo took the ball on his chest and the very next moment struck it hard with deft placement to find the back of the net. Daljit Singh’s cross was pin point and Clifford Miranda was found wanting in the defence.

The goal sprung Dempo into action as from then on, there was only one-way traffic. Climax Lawrence’s floater found Ranti Martins’ whose first time shot was well stopped by JCT custodian Karanjit Singh.

Dempo came forward in numbers while JCT defended in numbers. Striker Mboyo Iyomi went pastJulius Akpele and his cross was missed by Beto only for Clifford to slash it over the top.

A brilliant move involving Climax, Beto and Ranti ended in Mboyo being in an one-on-one situation but an alert Karanjit Singh came out and averted the danger.

In the 39th minute, an Anthony Pereira flag kick saw Mboyo’s header being fisted away by Karanjit. At this point, the two wingers – Clifford Miranda and Anthony Pereira switched their positions hoping that it would get them the breakthrough.

Climax Lawrence’s shot was deflected by Gurwinder Singh for a corner a little later. In the injury time of the first half, Ranti Martins could have scored after taking the ball on his chest but just as he was to unleash his shot, defender Anwar Ali showed his class and cleared the ball away.

JCT have defended well in the first half and kept Dempo strikers at bay.

Second Half

The second half saw Dempo replace goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal for Sathish Kumar while JCT got in Jagpreet for Baldeep Junior. But that had no change in the proceedings as Dempo continued to attack where JCT were seen in their own half. Nicolau Borges came in for Clifford Miranda and added more versatility to the attack.

Anthony Pereira was fouled at the edge of the Dempo box on the right but the resultant freekick taken By Beto was easily cleared by the boys from Punjab. Climax, Beto and Mboyo played some one touch football for the Congolese striker to strike from inside the box to see his shot being cleared by Jaspal, which went only as far as Ranti Martins. The Nigerian’s header was well saved by Karanjit Singh.

JCT’s Balwant Singh, who made his debut in the top division, scored the second goal for his side with a cool finish after receiving the pass from Baljit Saini. It felt that this was the final nail in the coffin but that wasn’t to be as Dempo completely took control of the match thereafter.

Thirteen minutes from full time, Dempo did manage to pull one back through substitute Nicolau Borges who scored from an acute angle to beat Karanjit Singh off a Beto cross. Two minutes later, Nicolau found himself in a similar position but was denied by Jaspal and Karanjit Singh.

Former Churchill Brothers striker Mboyo Iyomi cut inside from the left and sent in a goalwards bound shot but was blocked by his own man Ranti Martins. Beto’s header went wide from a Valeriano Rebello cross.

JCT were giving away the ball cheaply whenever they did manage to touch the ball. Left back Samir Naik’s power packed right footer was punched over the bar by goalkeeper Karanjit Singh for a corner.

The best chance for Dempo to equalize befell Mboyo Iyomi, after finding himself alone in the box off a Anthony Pereira corner kick, he sent the ball into the orbit. Coach Armando Colaco couldn’t believe his eyes and so did every Dempo player on the pitch.

Karanjit Singh was brought into action once again as he flipped an Anthony Pereira lofted cross over the bar.

The match ended with the 2-1 scoreline and Dempo would wonder how did they not manage to find the back of the net on a number of occasions. They created innumerable chances but failed to make the most of it.

JCT would consider themselves lucky to come out of the game with full three points. The 90 minutes seemed longer to them and it was their resilience under pressure which stunned the defending champions. Credit to JCT custodian Karanjit Singh and his backline comprising of Jaspal, Anwar, Julius and Daljit for soaking all the Dempo attacks.

Final Score: 2-1

Goalscorers JCT: Eduardo Da Silva (17th) and Balwant Singh (63rd)

Goalscorer Dempo: Nicolau Borges (77th)

Source:Goal.com

Mumbai FC Shock Mohun Bagan

The I-League has seen it’s first upset in the second day as newcomers Mumbai FC shocked Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan 2-1 at the Barasat Stadium, Kolkata and thus win their first ever game in the top division.


Mumbai FC have surprised everyone with their performance and the chinks in the Mohun Bagan defence are now apparent. The second division winners played out of their skin as they took the game to Mohun Bagan right from the start.

Whoever said that Cooperage wasn't fit to host the I-League games needs to visit the Barasat Stadium or at least switch on their television sets. Damp ground with the ball being held, reminded sights of the Gachibowli Stadium during the recent AFC Challenge Cup. The pitch was heavy and surely hosting two games in successive days on this stadium looks questionable to say the least.

The Mumbai FC strike force – Abel Hammond and Felix Aboagye troubled the Green and Maroon and the Kolkata team’s back four had no clue as to what had struck them. Bagan defence was in sixes and seven’s as they struggled at every attack by the opposition.

Bhaichung Bhutia almost scored on receiving Ishfaq Ahmed’s cross from the left but his shot went wide in the fourth minute.

Felix Aboagye did some good work and Abel Hammond scored the first of the night for Mumbai FC in the ninth minute. Mumbai FC’s bench were seen cheering while Bagan looked clueless.

The Ghanaian strikers terrorized Bagan and their brilliant coordination looked like they have been playing together since ages. Felix struck a shot which was saved by a limping Shilton Paul. The 20th minute saw Baretto’s header finding Bhaichung in some space inside the box but the latter took time and found his foot stuck before the defenders cleared the danger.

Four minutes later, Kulothungan scored off a fine move initiated by the strikers with Hammond sending in a fine ball for the former to score with a diving header.

Mumbai FC goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey saved his side with his fingers as Baretto’s shot was almost on its way into the goal.

Baretto, on two occasions, could have scored but the damp ground conditions didn’t help as on both occasions he slipped. Felix Aboagye could have rubbed more misery on Bagan after Aseem was allowed to run unchallenged into the box.

Ishfaq Ahmed came close as he cut inside Anas and his final shot was stopped by the mud much to the pleasure of Kalyan Chaubey. James and Bhaichung had another chance at the stroke of half time but the final header by the latter went wide.

The second half saw the Green and Maroon come out stronger and had a good first 10 minutes following which they once again seemed to have lost their way.

Bagan were lucky as they didn’t concede a penalty when Deepak Mondal tackled Abel Hammond inside the box but the referee missed it. Rakesh Masih came close to scoring off a flagkick. Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa had played all his cards with his three substitutions by the 64th minute.

Substitute Lalwampuia, who was in good touch in the Kolkata League, pulled one back for his side in the 77th minute after he foxed two defenders to unleash a killer left footed shot. The Kolkata giants threw all their men upfront and could have added another when Bhaichung headed wide off a Mohanraj cross.

Just three minutes from time, Bagan were unlucky not to have restored parity in the game as Bhaichung’s ball hit the inside of the post and didn’t go in. This was after Monhanraj’s ball found Baretto who laid for the Indian skipper.

In the 90th minute, Riston’s freekick was headed towards Hammond by Abhishek Yadav but Bagan custodian Shilton Paul did well to collect it.

For Mohun Bagan, it was a disappointing evening and they need to go back into their training session and sort out the defence. The absence of third foreigner showed and the inclusion of Marcos Pereira for the next game would the necessary teeth into their attack.

Mumbai FC have every reason to celebrate as they won their opening game and showed their class. Their strikeforce of Felix and Hammond shall surely be the one to be feared in the league and the brilliance with which they played together as a unit, which was absent in their opposition, is a sign of good things to come.

Final Score: 2-1.

Goalscorers Mumbai FC: Abel Hammond (9th) and Kulothungan (24th)

Goalscorer Bagan: Lalwampuia (77th)

Source:Goal.com

Odafa's Brilliance Sinks Mahindra

Odafa Okolie celebrated his son's birthday in style as he netted twice for Churchill Brothers and thus snap up the three points against Mahindra United in their opening I-League fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa. Final Score: 2-1.

Churchill brothers enjoyed much of the possession but the free flowing football was missing in the first half. Mahindra United were content to defend and looked to trouble with the home side with some long range efforts.

The first opportunity of the match befell Mahindra United as Douhou's ball was taken on the volley by a rushing Steven Dias to slot it wide in the sixth minute. A couple of minutes Robert Lalthampuana sprung into action but was challenged at the edge of the box by an alert Sushant Matthew to avert the danger.

Churchill skipper Odafa Okolie sprung into action as he brushed aside two Mahindra defenders and just as he was to pull the trigger, N.P.Pradeep's challenge saved his side from going down. The home side were guilty on squandering the possession easily and on one such occasion had to pay the price. Sushant Matthew's attempt from the right was fisted away by Churchill custodian Arindam Bhattacharya after the former won the second ball off a Chidi Edeh cross.

Steven Dias suffered a heavy tackle and was seen limping mid-way through the first half. Odafa had another great chance but his final shot went wide after Mahindra goalkeeper Subashish Chowdhary came out to stop the shot.Mahindra United allowed Churchill Brothers too much space on the right as Zenith made some good runs and found Justin Stephen out of place.Churchill centre backs Gourmangi and Govin Singh did their job with ease and didn't give Chidi or Douhou much to do.In the second minute of the first half injury time, Khan Thang Paite had a brilliant opportunity to change the scoreline but his shot went across the face of the goal as he aimed for the second post.

The second half began with Churchill brothers looking livelier and their midfield playing further upfront to support the two strikers. Felix Chimaokwu dropped back for the build-up as opposed to being in the box for the home side. Mahindra coach Derrick Pereira brought Izumi Arata for Steven Dias who wasn't at his best especially after the first half knock in the ankle.

The first goal of the match came in the 61st minute as Kalu passed for Odafa inside the box who cut inside defender Justin Stephen to send in a powerful left footed strike in the near post to beat goalkeeper Subashish Chowdhary. 'Happy Birthday to Odafa Junior' was the message on Odafa's vest as he celebrated his first goal of the new season.

Mohamed Rafi was substituted for Sushil Kumar as the former was hardly involved in the game. The substitution clicked for Mahindra as he equalised for the Red Devils seven minutes from time from a Douhou freekick. Churchill's defence was at fault for allowing too much space inside the area for Sushil to head. The match suddenly was brought to life and both teams weren't satisfied with an increasingly imminent draw.

Then came the moment of the match in the 88th minute as Odafa Okolie proved why he is the considered the best foreign player in the league. A cracking shot from 20 yards out into the top corner which gave goalkeeper Subashish Chowdhary absolutely no chance to save. Mahindra United and the crowd were shell shocked and Odafa celebrated his second of the day.Churchill could have added a third in the extra time when Naoba Singh's cross was cleared by Dhanraj Ravanan before Jaison Valles could strike from close range.

Mahindra United would be disappointed to drop all points after coming back into the game thanks to the Sushil Kumar header. However, nothing to take away from Churchill Brothers who enjoyed the better possession and it was the brialliance of Odafa which won the game for them.

Serbian coach Zoran has made a winning start to his campaign and it seems that the low morale of the team would be a thing of the past.

Final Score: 2-1

Goalscorers Churchill: Odafa Okolie (61st and 88th)
Goalscorer Mahindra: Sushil Kumar (83rd)

Source:Goal.com

East Bengal defeat debutants United SC 3-1

BARASAT: Call it the Bob Houghton effect. The national coach's understudy, Stanely Rozario, injected some much-needed confidence into the red-and-gold side as a spirited East Bengal pumped in three goals inside 30 minutes to open their ONGC I-League campaign with a 3-1 win over debutants United SC at the Vidyasagar Krirangan Stadium near Kolkata on Friday.

Rozario, who replaced Manoranjan Bhattacharya after East Bengal's poor third-place finish in the recently concluded Calcutta Football League (CFL), seemed to have found the right combination as his charges went in for the attack right from the start.

Had it not been for some excellent defending by R Dhanaranjan, East Bengal would have gone one up right at the start.

India striker Sunil Chhetri was then presented with an easy chance but the diminutive striker sent his shot into orbit after collecting the ball from Edmilson Marques.

East Bengal's another national player Renedy Singh too missed one, failing to convert a free-kick.

The city giants' moment of glory came in the ninth minute when Surkumar Singh blasted one into United SC's net that saw shoddy handiwork by keeper Arindam Ghosh.

The United SC goalkeeper got both his hands to the long shot from Surkumar but his effort fell short as East Bengal went ahead.

Rozario's "key man" Yusif Yakubu compounded miseries for United as in the space of 10 minutes East Bengal found themselves cosily-placed at 2-0.

Playing the role of an attacking midfielder in the absence of Alvito d'Cunha, Jayanta Sen and Dharamjeet Singh, the 35-year-old lived up to the coach's expectation as Rozario had already indicated that the Nigerian will play the role of a playmaker.

The two-time NFL top-scorer, Yakubu who represented Mahindra United last season, produced a clinical header using a measured Rennedy cross in the 19th minute to open his account in red-and-gold jersey.

Having missed a couple of easy chances, Sunil, the hat-trick man of the AFC Challenge Cup final, was bang on target in the 27th minute.

Zeroing in on a midfield lapse following Arnab Mondal's poor footwork, the former JCT striker shot one past an advancing Arindam to bring in his first goal for East Bengal.

Sunil was later adjudged Man-of-the-Match. In contrast to the free-flowing first half, the second-half saw a very slow paced attack from East Bengal, who took it very easily for about half an hour after the changeover.

Under former Mohun Bagan veteran Subroto Bhattacharya, known for his fighting spirit, United SC regrouped and created a few chaces in the second-half.

Sankar Oraon impressed most in the second session coming close on more than one occasions.

Finally, lady luck did smile on him when his strong left-footer completely deceived national goalkeeper Subrata Pal, who found himself stranded as United SC reduced the margin.

From East Bengal's point of view, who went in for the kill right from the start, the second-half must have disappointed Rozario as the team seemed exhausted.

Sunil blamed it on the slippery ground condition due to heavy rainfall for the past few days.

"It was a good first half... But the condition was very bad. But we are happy for the fact that we went as per our plans," Sunil said.

Praising Rozario, he added, "He has made wonderful changes to the team... He brought in a lot of fresh ideas to the team. It will take time to get the result. We will improve with the matches."

THE TEAMS

East Bengal: Subrata Pal; Surkumar Singh, Suley Musah, Nirmal Chhetri, Saumik Dey; Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehrajuddin Wadao, Yusif Yakubu, Renedy Singh (Mehtab Hussain 58'); Edmilson Marques (Ashim Biswas 85'), Sunil Chhetri (Praveen Kumar 90+2).

United SC: Arindam Ghosh; Sasthi Duley (Subhashish Roy Chowdhury 12'), Kingshuk Debnath, Dulal Biswas (Sukhen Dey 83'), R Dhanarajan, Gauranga Dutta, Arnab Mondal, Lalmalswama Hmar (Hardip Singh Saini 49'), Snehashish Chakraborty, Ayan Chowdhury, Sankar Oraon.

ONGC Man-of-the-Match: Sunil Chhetri (East Bengal)

Yellow Cards: Rennedy Singh (56') and Nirmal Chhetri (57') (both East Bengal); Arnab Mondal (49') and Subhashish Roy Chowdhury (90') (both United SC).

Referee: S Suresh (Tamil Nadu).

Source:Timesofindia.com

Sporting defeat Vasco 1-0 in ONGC I-League opener

MARGAO: A late goal in the stoppage time by Nigerian Junior Obagbemiro guided Sporting Clube De Goa to a solitary goal-win over Vasco Sports Club in the inaugural match of the Second ONGC I-League played at Nehru Stadium here on Friday.

With both the teams failing to dish out an entertaining game, Junior managed to break the dead lock in the stoppage time with a low shot into the net off a cross from defender Chandrashekhar Chinta.

Vasco, who played well in patches, was close to scoring twice, once in each half but their forwards failed to direct their shots on target.

Vasco's defender Covan Lawerence, who played a crucial role, was declared the man of the match.

Sporting, who finished sixth last year, dominated the first 25 minutes in the first half and came close to scoring when A Joychandra Singh failed to beat Vasco's keeper Laxmikant Kattimani and later Joseph Pareira managed to deflect a cross from the right by Wilton Gomes, that hit the cross bar.

Vasco, who returned to the elite league after a gap of three years, came with counter moves and had two clear chances to take the lead.

Young promising Agnelo D'souza intercepted a through pass from Menine Fernandes to the left, raced into the box and let go a firm right footer, which keeper Felix D'Souza parried from close.

Felix again came to Sporting's rescue three minutes before the lemon-break when he managed to put out a shot that Abhishek Yadav deflected off a pass from Fernandes.

Sporting continued to hold territorial advantage after the change of ends but was not able to get past the rival defence where Covan Lawerence excelled.

Defender Chinta, who moved up on the left, sent a cross to Junior Obagbemiro, who controlled the ball before sending a stiff grounder to find the net.

Vasco's Abhishek Yadav was shown the yellow card by referee Minangshu Bhattacharya.

Source:Timesofindia.com