Kerala thrash Karnataka 7-3, enter Santosh Trophy final

AIFF Media 

Super sub Jesin TK scored five as Kerala thrashed Karnataka 7-3 to move a step closer to winning their seventh Hero Santosh Trophy title in the first semi-final at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium here in Mallapuram on Thursday.

Kerala's game plan was keeping hold of the ball and trying to thread the ball through the Karnataka defence. Skipper Jijo Joseph was the orchestrator in midfield as the hosts tried to go for the kill right from the whistle.  

However, completely against the run of play, Karnataka took the lead. Their game plan was very simple, sit back and defend in numbers and hit the hosts on the counter. And the ploy worked a treat in the 25th minute. Solaimalai N made a fine overlapping run down the left flank and his ball found skipper Sudheer Kotikela lurking at the back post who made no mistake to hand the four-time champions an unlikely lead.

And it could have gotten even better. Biby Thomas' side initiated another counter-attack with Kotikela holding off the defenders and laying off a perfect ball for the onrushing Kamalesh P. With just the goalie to beat, he poked his effort agonisingly wide, much to the dismay of his teammates and his coach.

And that miss broke the back of the Karnataka players and suddenly Kerala roared back into the contest and how! And it all started after the Kerala coach substituted the ineffective Viknesh M for Jesin. And what an impact Jesin had since coming on in the 30th minute.

His first touch was almost a goal after a through ball was latched onto by the substitute but Karnataka keeper Kevin Koshy came off his line to good effect and thwart the striker. But in the 35th minute, Jesin proved too quick for Koshy as this time he beat the advancing keeper and slotted home to equalise as the capacity crowd went wild with ecstasy.

Some very poor defending by the defensive duo of Siju S and M Sunil Kumar meant another presentable opportunity fell to Jesin. And the lanky attacker made no mistake once again, as he toe-poked the ball past a helpless Koshy to hand the seven-time champions a deserved lead.

And it got even better for the substitute as he netted his hat-trick in the 45th minute. A shot from the right by Nijo Gilbert was saved by a diving Koshy but Jesin was once again on hand to divert the ball home. What an inspired piece of substitution it was as the young star netted thrice in the span of only 15 minutes to completely change the complexion of the game.

Kerala was not done yet. Gilbert's cross-cum-shot was saved by Koshy but once again, the rebound fell to a Kerala player. This time around, Shighil was on hand to increase Kerala's lead as they went into the break leading 4-1.

Harsh words must have been spoken by the Karnataka coach as his players started much brighter. Magesh Selva had the chance to reduce the deficit but he just could not sort his feet out as a cross floated in from the right. But Karnataka eventually did pull a goal back in the 54th minute.

An innocuous looping shot from the left flank by Kamalesh was completely misjudged by Kerala goalkeeper Midhun V who tried to tip the ball over the bar. He completely misjudged the flight and the ball nestled in the back of the net. The scoreline read 4-2 in Kerala's favour.

Just as the Karnataka players were sensing the chance to mount a comeback, the super sub struck once again. Within two minutes, Kerala once again led by 3 goals. He nicked the ball off the Karnataka defence, ran from the centre circle and then finished with aplomb with his right foot this time.

Within 5 minutes, the home side extended their lead. Arjun Jayaraj made a fine run down the right flank and his cross took a wicked deflection off of Siju and it completely bamboozled Koshy who had no chance.

Credit to the Karnataka players as they kept pushing and they got their reward in the 72nd minute. A rasping long range drive from Solaimalai went through a crowd of players, beyond the fingertips of a diving Midhun as Karnataka reduced the lead by a goal. But that just sparked Jesin into action once again as he went through on goal to score his fifth of the night and Kerala's seventh.

The match eventually finished 7-3 in favour of the hosts who will be looking to win the competition on home soil and currently look favourites to lift the trophy on Monday. The second semi-final between West Bengal and Manipur is scheduled for Friday (April 29, 2022).

Kickstart lose to Sethu FC in IWL

AIFF Media 

Sethu FC collected crucial three points against Kickstart FC in their Hero Indian Women’s League 2021-22 clash at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, April 28. 

Kioko Elizabeth Katungwa opened the scoring for the Madurai-based side early in the 6th minute. The Kenyan controlled a deflected cross perfectly inside the box and fired in an unstoppable volley from close range to make it 1-0.

Elizabeth went on to double the lead for Sethu FC just before half-time. The forward converted from the left side of the post after Grace Lalrampari Hauhnar provided her with a perfect assist. 

Moments later, Kickstart pulled one back through Kshetrimayum Margaret Devi. The skipper applied some beautiful technique and struck the ball with her first touch from distance. The Sethu goalkeeper could not judge the awkward lift of the ball and it eventually landed into the back of the net.

Kickstart maintained majority of the ball possession throughout the game, but could not avert Sethu’s relentless waves of attack. The scoreline remained 2-1 until full time in Sethu FC’s favour as the side grabbed their fourth consecutive win of the Hero IWL season.

 

Kerala, Karnataka gear up for Hero Santosh Trophy semi-final clash

AIFF Media 

Karnataka will be vying to move a step closer to winning their fifth Santosh Trophy title on Thursday, April 28, 2022 when they will square off against six times champions Kerala in the first semi-final at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium, Kerala.

In the second semi-final clash, the most successful team in the history of the Hero Santosh Trophy, West Bengal, will face Manipur on Friday (April 29, 2022) at the same venue. Both the games are scheduled to kick off at 08:30 pm (IST).

Karnataka finished second in Group B with seven points in their kitty. They won two games in the previous round against Gujarat and Services with their only defeat coming at the hands of Manipur. They were held for a 3-3 draw by Odisha in their first game.

“The match against Kerala is going to be very exciting, they have home advantage, but we will give our best in the game. Our team is motivated after our last win and we will not leave any stone unturned to win this one,” Karnataka boss Biby Thomas said.

“We are training hard for the semi-final, we are only focusing on tomorrow's game. I believe we will give our 100% on the field,” Karnataka skipper Sunil Kumar said.

Kerala, meanwhile, progressed to the semi-final round of the tournament after finishing the last round as Group A table-toppers. They collected 10 points from four games and are the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Kerala captain Jijo Joseph is the tournament's highest scorer so far, and when asked about it, the talismanic star responded, "Scoring isn't essential to me; I just want to win every game, and that is what I am concentrating on right now."

"I am pleased with my performance," he continued, "but the most important thing for me is to win this game and get to the final."

"Karnataka is a good side," Kerala coach Bino George remarked when asked about their opponent. “They were outstanding against Gujarat in their most recent match and are in excellent form."

"All of the teams that have advanced to the semifinals are good, and now it's a do-or-die situation for us," he continued.

 

Kickstart, Sethu aim to maintain unbeaten record

AIFF Media  

Sethu FC and Kickstart FC head into a mouthwatering clash in the Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 on Thursday, April 28 with both sides yet to taste defeat in three games so far and will be looking forward to maintaining the record.

Sethu Head Coach Crispin Chettri was confident, yet wary of the threat posed by their counterparts from Karnataka. He said, “It is one of the more important matches for us. They are a good side. We have to do better in decision making and convert our chances and be organised at the back.”

“We are happy with how we have started the Hero IWL campaign, and want to keep the momentum going forward,” he added.

On the other hand, Kickstart are also in decent form and have won each of their first three Hero IWL 2021-22 games. Speaking about the game against Sethu FC, Head Coach Amrutha Aravind stated, “We are playing against Sethu FC’s experienced team, who have won the league. We have to give our 100 percent and we have prepared well to do the same. I am fully confident in the abilities of my team.”

She went on to add, “The last match has boosted the morale of the team. We would like to keep up the momentum and stay on top with a win.”

The match will be played at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar and will be telecast live on Eurosport and streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube Channel at 3.30 PM (IST).

Karnataka thrash Gujarat 4-0 to make it to semis in dramatic style

AIFF Media

Karnataka capped off a dramatic final game in Group B to beat Gujarat 4-0 and qualify for the semi finals of the Hero 75th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Manjeri Payyanad Football Stadium here on Monday. 

Services' victory over Odisha earlier in the day had upset the comfortable apple cart that was this group. The math, leading into this final group stage game was simple. Karnataka needed to win by a three goal margin to go through. 

For the first half an hour of the game, Gujarat were barely allowed to breathe. In the fourth minute of the game, even as the football hungry crowd was settling into the Manjeri Payyanad, Karnataka had their first crack at the goal, Sudheer Kotikela shooting wide from a tight angle.  

Eight minutes later, they had the lead, Sudheer Kotikela picking up a brilliantly played through ball from midfield, driving into the box from the right, and unleashing a perfect finish into the bottom far corner. His team had the lead, but Kotikela realising the need for more, refused to celebrate, picking the ball up and urging his teammates towards the restart. 

Wave upon wave of Karnataka attacks descended on the Gujarat goal, their defenders sliding, twisting, and heading balls away constantly. n the 19th minute, off a half-cleared corner, Kotikela found himself with the ball at the edge of the box. The forward set himself up, opening his body, looking to curl the ball towards the top right corner. Unfortunately, he blazed high and wide. 

Gujarat offered some attacking vigour of their own, Anirudhsinh Thakor crosing superbly into the Karnataka box in the 23rd minute, the ball curling into a dangerous area yards from goal. If Jay Kanani had been a step faster it would've been the equaliser, but it wasn't to be. Karnataka took it personally and stepped up the ante. 

In the 28th, P Kamalesh, a twinkle toed midfielder with flair unlike any other, collected a square pass from D Arun Kumar at the edge of the Gujarat area, switched feet, cutting past Harshil Parekh and Muhammed Sagar Ali as if they weren't even there, before opening up his body and curling for the right corner of goal. His shot was perfect, and the finish glorious. Karnataka were two to the good. 

Within minutes, they had their crucial third. Prashanth Kalinga ran into space on the right and curled a superb cross into a dangerous area in Karnataka's box. Despite being sandwiched by two defenders, Kotikela, five yards from goal, sent a first time finish into the net. His team were in rapture. And on a rampage. Suddenly, with just half an hour gone, Karnataka were dreaming of the semi-finals. 

They could've confirmed it in the first half itself, Kamalesh's footwork causing the Gujarata defence all kinds of problems in dangerous areas. The teams went into halftime with Karnataka leading by three goals to nothing. 

Gujarat came out for the second half with a little more urgency. Having had no shots on goal in the first half, completely overwhelmed by Karnataka's play, they sought to play themselves into the tie. For the most part they succeeded, their wingers moving much better and producing better balls for Jay Kanani to have a go with. 

In the 52nd the youngster almost pulled one back, played through clean on goal, with only the goalkeeper to beat. A goal then would've turned the tie inside out and the group too. As it was though, S Siju was at hand, the defender putting in a heroic tackle to take the ball off Kanani and save Karnataka the blushes. 

Much like it had in the first half, the half chance spurred Karnataka into action, as they took control of the ball with more ferocity. Right on the hour mark, a cross from D Arun Kumar on the left, dropped the ball perfectly to Magesh Selva in the box. The forward didn't miss, connecting neatly to put Karnataka in dreamland. 

They stayed there for the remaining third of the game, controlling possession brilliantly, creating chances and threatening to score more, all while keeping Gujarat at safe distance. At the referee's final whistle, it was jubilation, in the stands and on the pitch.

Kickstart grab last-gasp win over Odisha Sports in IWL

AIFF Media 

High-flying Kickstart FC picked up a last-gasp 1-0 win against Odisha Sports in their 3rd clash of Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday, April 23.

The Karnataka-based side started the game on the stronger foot, displaying good passages of play on occasions. Kickstart had four of their seven attempts on target in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. On the other hand, Odisha Sports too found a couple of breakthroughs, but couldn’t capitalise from either.

After finishing 0-0 in the first 45 minutes, the two sides looked all set for a solid second half. Kickstart managed 16 shots on goal. Credit to Odisha Sports defence, the score line remained unchanged until the dying minutes of the game.

On the 90th minute, Irom Prameshwori Devi found space on the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross inside the box. The sudden force of the cross led to confusion between Odisha Sports’ defenders and Asem Roja Devi found herself in an advantageous position. The forward quickly reacted and lobbed the ball over Odisha Sports goalkeeper Sasmita Parida to give her side a crucial lead.

Odisha Sports had very little time left to equalise and, in the end, settled for an upsetting first defeat of the Hero IWL season. Meanwhile, Kickstart made it three wins in as many games, rubbing shoulders with league leaders Gokulam Kerala.

 

Karnataka go down to Manipur 0-3

AIFF Media  

Manipur eased past Karnataka 3-0 in a Group B match of the Hero 75th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Kottapadi Stadium in Malappuram here on Saturday. By this win, they became the first team from Group B to make the semifinals as they joined hosts Kerala.

Manipur coach Gift Raikhan had said that his instruction to his players was to go all out right from the start and ensure qualification to the last four and his team delivered. Three goals in the first-half itself with Lunminlen Haokip running the show.

The first goal of the game came from a terrible mistake by young Darshan L at left-back. He tried to pass back to his keeper Jayanth but his loose pass was intercepted by an alert Somishon Shirak. He looked up and picked out an onrushing Lunminlen Haokip who made no mistake as Manipur took the lead in the 19th minute.

Lunminlen Haokip could have scored another in the space of a few minutes. Darshan L was the culprit again as he lost out to Somishon Shirak who once again found his teammate inside the box. But this time Haokip's shot went straight to the keeper who fumbled the first time but eventually held on.

These defensive errors sparked Karnatakja into life and they had two quick-fire chances to equalise. Poor goalkeeping from Manipur's Angomjambam Chingkhei Meitei meant a half-chance fell to Bavu Nishad TP but his shot was cleared by Thiyam Chingkheinganba.

Karnataka looked to play on the counter and their best chance fell to Solaimalai N but his powerful shot was saved somehow by the Manipur goalie. As Karnataka pushed more and more forward in search of the equaliser, they left too many gaps in midfield and Manipur soon took advantage.

A chipped through ball from Ngulgoulal Singsit found Haokip who broke the off-side trap. He still had a lot to do from there but with some sublime skills, he completely fooled Siju S and then toe-poked it past the onrushing keeper to extend Manipur's lead in the 42nd minute.

Karnataka players seemed deflated after conceding the second and they let their heads drop. And Manipur punished them even further. A through ball found Somishon Shirak in acres of space. His first shot was saved superbly by Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy but Shirak poked home the rebound to make it three goals without reply right at the stroke of half-time.

Karnataka had a chance to reduce the arrears after a mistimed header from manipur defender Laishram Chingkheinganba completely fooled his own keeper as it looped over his outstretched hands. Luckily for Manipur, the ball hit the crossbar and the rebound was collected by a grateful Angomjambam Chingkhei Meitei.

In the second half, Manipur were content to hold their shape and try to hit Karnataka on the break. The Karnataka players did put up a much-improved display in the second forty-five minutes, but they had nothing to show for their efforts. Kamalesh P and Solaimalai N both had shots from range but the Manipur keeper saved on both occasions.

Karnataka tried to utilise crosses from the flanks in a bid to come back into the game. One such cross Prashanth Kalinga found Solaimalai N in space inside the box but the midfielder failed to get his header on target.

The win meant Manipur now have nine points after four games and have secured progress to the last four. Karnataka, having played three, have four points to show for their efforts. They are still in with a shout but need to win their final game against Gujarat on Monday and hope for other results to go their way if they are to have a chance of making the semis.

Kickstart, Odisha Sports aim to maintain unbeaten runs

 AIFF Media 

High-flying Kickstart FC take on Odisha Sports in their next Hero Indian Women’s League 2022 clash at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

The team from Bengaluru are coming on the back of two wins in a row and have a fully fit squad against Odisha Sports. Focusing on the upcoming games, Head Coach Amrutha expressed her thoughts on the team’s preparations.

“All the upcoming matches are very important for us. Odisha Sports is a very good side, and they have a lot of experienced Indian players. So, we need to be more compact defensively in the next match,” she quoted ahead of the match.

Additionally, Amrutha also spoke about the areas the team has worked upon to improve after the previous game. “We have concentrated more in the last preparatory sessions on the transitions from defence to attack. Now I hope it will work in the next match.”

Odisha Sports too are unbeaten in their Hero IWL campaign so far with a draw and win to their name. Head Coach Gitanjali Khuntia spoke about the areas of improvement she sees in her side. “Our back four and goalkeeper are experienced players, and they are doing well. Only in the final third, we are lacking in finishing, so we have to improve that in the next match.”

While giving her assessment of the opponents and the approach her side will take, Khuntia added, “The opponents are a balanced team, so we have to keep the balance between all the thirds to score early. We will try to score early to get three points from this game.”

The game will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM (IST).

Karnataka stun defending champions Services 1-0

AIFF Media 

Karnataka caused another major upset as they pipped defending champions Services 1-0 in a Group B clash of the Hero 75th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium in Malappuram on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

The winner was scored in the first-half by Ankith P and the result meant Karnataka got their revenge on Services after the defending champions had gotten the better of the side from South India in the semifinals of the previous iteration of the tournament in 2019. Services, who have now lost twice, have a mountain to climb if they are to make the last four.

Both coaches revealed that they wanted their team to attack from the word go. And that seemed evident as it was a see-saw battle in the first half. While Karnataka preferred to take the aerial route, Services opted to play grounded passes.

The first chance of the match fell to Karnataka. A move down the right saw Kamalesh P attempt a cross. It seemed to strike the hand of a Services defender and the ball rolled towards Sudheer Kotikela, who failed to direct the ball goalwards. The Karnataka players appealed for a handball but referee Pratik Mondal waved play on.

That sprung Services into action. Liton Shil had two long range attempts, but both were gathered easily by Karnataka goalkeeper Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy.

Karnataka tried to play out from the back on a couple of occasions, and one such attempt almost ended in disaster. Moirangthem Ronaldo Singh intercepted a loose back pass and bared down on goal. His attempt, however, was straight at Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy who saved the blushes of his teammate.

Services kept pressing hard for the first goal and it should have arrived in the 28th minute. Some fine build-up play, which included a clever dummy from Vivek Kumar, meant the ball landed at the feet of Liton Shil who had the goalkeeper at his mercy. He tried to open up his body and place the ball but Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy was ready and made a fantastic save to ensure parity.

Liton's gilt-edged chance was followed by a sucker punch from Karnataka. Against the run of play, Bavu Nishad TP put in a delightful cross from the right which was met by a fine header from Ankith P. He had a lot to do from a difficult angle but his header looped over the keeper to hand Karnataka the lead going into the break.

Services coach Priya Darshan must have had some stern words to tell his players and they started the better of the two. In the very first minute after the restart, Pintu Mahata released a through ball towards goal with Liton Shil in a foot race with the keeper. Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy won the race and claimed the ball at some personal cost.

Moirangthem Ronaldo Singh, who was operating from the right in the second half, won Services' first corner of the second half which yielded another half-chance. A smart flick at the front post by Vivek Kumar could not be met by Liton Shil. And that proved to be his final contribution as he was substituted.

Substitute Dip Majumdar had the chance to make an immediate impact. Tongbram Krishnakanta Singh's cross from the left was met by an unmarked Dip Majumdar who failed to keep his shot down.

Karnataka's defenders held their shape well, defended deep, and tried to play on the counter. That meant Services had to rely on long rangers and crosses as they desperately tried to look for the equaliser. Substitute Deepak Singh had a half-chance as he crept in unmarked from the right but failed to direct his header goalwards.

Services' sustained pressure almost bore fruit in the 86th minute. A cross from the left was met by Vivek Kumar who headed it back towards the danger area with the goalkeeper woefully out of position. Defender Amal Das met the ball sweetly with his right foot and the ball was heading towards goal but Pavan S made a brilliant goal line clearance.

That proved to be the final chance of the game and Karnataka players celebrated a famous victory. The result meant Group B remains in the balance. Karnataka, with two wins under their belt, will face Manipur next in their bid to qualify for the semifinals. Services will be hoping to make amends and get their campaign back on track in their next encounter against Odisha on Monday.

 

Kickstart maintains winning streak after thumping win over Sirvodem

AIFF Media 

Kickstart maintain their winning streak as they hand Sirvodem a second consecutive defeat after a dominant 7-0 win in the Hero Indian Women’s League at the Capital Ground on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. 

The Karnataka-based side made a quick and dominating start as they scored as many as three goals within the first quarter of the game. Winger Kaviya opened the scoring on the 6th minute, followed by an own goal from Sirvodem defender Sharda a couple of minutes later. Kaviya once again bagged a goal contribution as her inch-perfect cross on the 12th minute was finely tapped in by Kiranbala. 

Kaviya ran riots along the right-wing forcing the Sirvodem defence to stumble with the latter’s goalkeeper Afsan Ashiq fumbling frequently. The goal shower continued with forward Roja Devi perfectly utilising the Sirvodem custodian’s howler to increase the lead to 4-0 within the 17th minute.  

Kickstart kept a large proportion of the possession all through the game with their continued domination, rattling the Goan side. Babysana pulled the strings from the midfield as the Karnataka-based side orchestrated waves of attacks, one of which led Prameshwori Irom to score the fifth goal on the 25th minute.

Minutes before the halftime break, Indian international Roja Devi earned a brace for herself as she found the back of the net, making it a six-goal lead for Kickstart FC, going into the breather.

Changing over, Sirvodem came out with a lot more intent and held their shape for large parts of the game. They kept their opponents at bay, preventing Kickstart from scoring more until substitute Lawmching found the net with less than 10 minutes of regulation time left on the clock.

With this win, Kickstart climb to second on the Hero IWL table with six points from two matches, and a goal difference of nine.

Kickstart FC, Sirvodem look for improvement ahead of Hero IWL clash

AIFF Media 

After the comfortable victory in their first match of the fifth edition of Hero Indian Women’s League, Kickstart FC will start as favourites while facing Sirvodem Sports Club on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Sirvodem SC on the other hand will eye redemption after their defeat against Arrows in their opening match.

Speaking on the upcoming fixtures Sirvodem head coach Chitra Gangadharan said, “We will focus on enhancing our performance in the next match. As most of our girls are young and first-timers to high-intensity tournaments at this level. This tournament is an opportunity for our players to test their abilities.” 

Quizzed about her take ahead of the next match, the gaffer said, “We face a strong opponent and are looking for good exposure and experience for our players who are ready to give their 100 per cent on the pitch.”

Chitra also highlighted the importance of improving mental health of her players. “We are focusing on improving mental strength of our players. That will help them handle these kinds of challenges. We are also trying to improve our teamwork and are looking forward to playing as per the tactical plan,” she said.

Kickstart clinched a comfortable 3-1 win against PIFA in the first match. Despite the positive start, Kickstart head coach Amrutha Aravind is not willing to consider themselves favourite. Rather she intends to work more on her team’s weaknesses. 

She said, “After the first match we have recognised our weaker zones and we are working on them.” She believes, “In the first match we were lacking combination play between our stoppers and midfielders while defending. We need to work on that in order to gather positive results.”

Speaking about their opponents, the Kickstart coach said, “We look at them as a good side managed by an experienced coach and thus we are working hard to make sure we grab full points against them.”

Sirvodem SC will face Kickstart FC tomorrow 20th April 2022, 15:30 PM (IST) at the Capital Ground in Bhubaneswar, and the match will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

 

Odisha hold Karnataka to a 3-3 draw in Santosh Trophy Group B opener

AIFF Media 

The opening game of Group B in the final round of the 75th Santosh Trophy at the Kottappadi Football Stadium was an exhilarating encounter as Odisha and Karnataka played out a 3-3 draw. Odisha got their noses in front, but Karnataka struck back with three goals, putting themselves 3-1 up in the game. However, it was Odisha who had the last laugh as they levelled the scores.

It was Odisha who started brightly of the two, putting Karnataka on the back foot right from the start. Their high press awarded them the lead in the 15th minute. Chandra Muduli played in a perfect low cross to find Jamir Oram to convert easily. Karnataka stepped up their game after going down and almost found their equaliser when Sudheer Kotikela narrowly put wide a shot/cross from Prashanth. At the half-hour mark though, Karnataka were able to find their equaliser through Sudheer, who made amends for his earlier miss with a simple tap-in from an inch-perfect cross by Prashanth Kalinga. 

Three minutes later, the Southern state turned the game on its head. Bavu Nishad gained possession high up in Odisha's half, unleashing a fierce shot which was deflected into the back of the net. Kamalesh proved to be a menace keeping Odisha's defense busy with his dribbles and crosses. He even stole a ball in the opposition half only to see his shot go wide. Odisha failed to get a grip on the game after their opening goal, losing the ball frequently in midfield. The first half ended with Karnataka in the ascendancy. 

Odisha started the second half in the same fashion as they did the first. A long throw from Abhishek Rawat was flicked on by a blue shirt onto the crossbar. Karnataka's Arun Kumar then drilled a powerful free-kick which skipper Sekhar Behara saved. Odisha got a chance on the other end with Chandra Muduli again making a run but failing to link up with Raisen Tudu in a dangerous position. Just past the hour mark, Karnataka made it 3-1 with Sudheer getting his second after Behara failed to keep his powerful drive away. 

Odisha got back into the game soon after from a mistake in the Karnataka defence. A corner from the right fell kindly to Bikash Kumar Sahoo's head who guided the ball back into the net with the defenders stranded. Karnataka kept attacking though, with Kamalesh hitting the woodwork.

Moments later, Odisha leveled the scores in stunning fashion. Muduli slammed his effort into the top right corner of the net from a counter. Eventually, Karnataka were made to rue the missed chances that felt to them. Odisha keeper Chinmaya Sekhar Bahara pulled out one last save from substitute Ankith's dipping long shot to prevent any more goals on the day. 

Odisha will take on Manipur in their next outing in the 75th Santosh Trophy while Karnataka will hope to do the same against Gujurat, with both games scheduled on Tuesday, 19 April 2022.

Dominant Kickstart kick-off Hero IWL campaign in style

AIFF Media 

Kickstart FC started their campaign in the Hero Indian Women’s League (HIWL) with a dominant display, registering a 3-1 victory against debutant PIFA SC.

PIFA SC started the game deep down the defence keeping Kickstart at bay. The Karnataka-based side created a lot of chances as they kept Anjali busy under the PIFA post. It was finally at the 23’ minute that the deadlock was broken when defender Nirmal Devi scored a screamer from around 40 yards or more – already a contender for the goal of the tournament.

Forward Parameswari Irom doubled the lead for Kickstart in the 33rd minute. But the joy lasted seconds as PIFA pulled back one in the next move the same minute itself -- PIFA forward Nissilia sent it at the back of the net after she received an inch-perfect cross from the right-wing.

Thereafter the game opened as both sides continued to create plenty of chances. Kickstart utilized their wings well but lacked in their finishing while PIFA continued to build from their back.

Getting back from the halftime break, Kickstart seemed sharper as they kept on pressing looking for the insurance goal. PIFA SC lost too many balls in their midfield making it easier for their rivals.

Zairem of PIFA got the first booking of the evening for bringing down Kaviya illegally near the hour mark. It was seconds later that Kaviya sealed the fate of the match in the 58th minute. Nirmala lobbed the ball inside the box and with PIFA keeper Anjali fumbling, Kavya was quick to capitalise.

 

 

Kickstart take on debutant PIFA Sports FC in Hero IWL tomorrow

AIFF Media 

Seasoned contestants Kickstart FC will face off Maharashtra-based side PIFA Sports FC tomorrow, April 15, 2022, who will mark their debut in the fifth edition of the Hero Indian Women’s League (HIWL). 

The Kickstart gaffer Amrutha Aravind Valliyath sounded quite calm and confident ahead of their first game of the season.

Aravind clearly voiced their wish to fight for the championship, “Preparations are almost done for this year's title. We have a balanced side, and we will do our best for this year's championship”.

When asked about their game plan against PIFA the head coach said, “We are looking for an attacking style of play and we want a positive result”. 

The Karnataka league champions eyes to “take each game as a challenge” and work as “one team one dream". 

The game will kick off at 3:30 pm (IST) at the Capital Stadium, Odisha and the match will be live streamed on the Indian Football YouTube page. 

 

Sunil lead Karnataka in Santosh Trophy final round

KSFA press release  

Kickstart's M Sunil Kumar will be leading a 20-member Karnataka State Team for the Final Round of the 75th Hero National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy to be held in Malappuram, Kerala from 13th April to 2nd May 2022. Karnataka had earlier qualified winning all their three matches in the South Zone qualifiers.

Apparently, the state team trained in Mangaluru for the last fifteen days as the climate is akin to what the team will face in Kerala. The squad left Mangaluru today to Malappuram, Kerala. 

Karnataka will play their first match on 17th April 2022 against Odisha, 2nd match against Services on 21st April 2022, 3rd match against Manipur on 23rd April 2022 and 4th match against Gujarat on 25th April 2022. 

Team  

M Sunil Kumar (Captain), Jayanth Krishnamurthy, Siju S, Arun Kumar D, Prasanth Kalinga, Aaryan Amla, Darshan L, Kevin Koshy, Britto Carlos, Johnson A, Pavan S, Vignesh Gunashekar, Solaimalai N, Kamalesh P, Shelton Paul M, Sudheer Kotikela, Magesh Selva, Ankith P, Mohammed Riyas PT, Bavu Nishad TP 

Biby Thomas (Coach), JL Andrew (Asst Coach), Sathiya Raj (Manager), Subi AG (Physio)

Standing: Siju S, Mohammed Riyad PT, Kamalesh P, Magesh Selva, Ankith P, Vignesh Gunashekhar, Arun D, Kevin Koshy, Britto Carlos, Johnson A, Darshan L, Sudheer Kotikella, Aryan Amla, Jayanth Krishnamurthy
Sitting: Solaimalai N, Prashanth Kalinga, M Sunil Kumar, Subi AG (Physio), JL Andrews (Assistant Coach), Biby Thomas (Head Coach), Sathiya Raj (Manager), Bavu Nishad, Pavan S, Shelton Paul D