Karnataka win the inaugural match of sub-junior national qualifier

Karnataka thrashed Pondicherry 6-0 in the inaugural match of the sub junior national (South Zone) 
qualifying round at the Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad today. 

State boys are grouped along with Pondicherry and host Telangana whereas thAuguse other group consists of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Karnataka will play their next group match against Telangana on August 15. 

Rayaan Shakeer scored a brace for the state team - opened the account in the third minute of the game followed by another one in 78 minute. Konthoujan Binod Singh, Udit. G, and Pranav. B scored a goal each. 

Real Kashmir and Hindustan gear up for virtual final

AIFF Media

Real Kashmir and Hindustan FC lock horns in the virtual final of the 2017/18 Hero 2nd Division League on Wednesday (May 30, 2018) at the FSV Arena in Bengaluru to determine the team which will play the Hero I-League next season.
The clash marks the end of Indian football season and there is no better way to end the season which produced many edges of the seat matches. 

Although it’s virtual final Real Kashmir enters the match with an upper hand. Both teams sit on 4 points each in the table with Real Kashmir leading to a difference in goals scored. Hindustan FC needs to win at any cost and if the match ends in a draw, Real Kashmir will qualify for the next edition of Hero I-League. 

Nonetheless, Real Kashmir have a hard task at hand as they face a well-organized Hindustan FC side, who are competitive at both ends of the pitch, but coach David Robertson ensured that Real Kashmir have a sound game plan backed by players will be able to withstand the pressure of the occasion.
While Real Kashmir performed well against TRAU in their 2-2 draw, it wasn’t their best performance as they missed some vital opportunities of their own, while allowing their opponents the space they needed to get in behind and finish. 

What Real Kashmir do have in their favour is the likes of Nadong Bhtiua, Ifham Tariq and Yao Kouassi Bernard who can do the business up-front, while midfielder Danish Farooq will need to be at the top of his game in order to keep the team’s dream of making the Hero I-League a reality. 

Real Kashmir is vulnerable at the back, which Robertson warns must change. The Scottish mastermind insists his players cannot afford to worry about their opposition, indicating the key to their success will be to execute their own game plan. 

“If we concentrate on our performance then the results will take care of itself,” said Robertson. 

For Real Kashmir to accomplish their mission, senior players like Nadong Bhutia, Sukhwinder Singh, Atinder Mani and Loveday Enyinnaya must raise their hands because the team is largely inexperienced. 

On the other hand, Hindustan FC’s campaign looked perhaps a little less convincing. The men from the capital were made to work hard for their win against TRAU before playing out a 2-2 draw with Ozone FC despite leading twice. Hindustan FC are still shy of rhythm and need more assertiveness in the attack. 

However, coach Vikrant Sharma’s belief is that his side can be much more efficient in front of goal and his expectation will be for them to finish the chances that come their way because in a crunch match like this opportunities will be few and far between. 

“It’s the decisive match; if we can get full three points tomorrow we will go to the I-League and like I have said in the past my aim is to win every game, so against Real Kashmir, my team will be going all out,” said Sharma. 

Sharma, who has successfully transformed Hindustan FC into a force to be reckoned with, will be hoping for another strong performance from his charges against a side which he believes will provide a stern challenge. 

“Real Kashmir is a team that is well put together. I think they are very direct they are happy to sit back and defend but they are also dangerous going forward. It will be a tough match but we back ourselves to get a result,” he added. 

While Real Kashmir possesses a more aggressive attack which knows how to turn it on when they need to, Hindustan FC’s advantage is that they have worked together as a unit longer than their opponents who are with a new set-up. However, this is a game that demands composure and cool heads. 

Interestingly, these two teams were pooled together in Group A during the preliminary stage with both of their matches ending in the stalemate, will there be a winner this time around? We have to wait till 5:45 pm tomorrow to find out.

Ozone start their quest for I-League qualification against Real Kashmir tomorrow

AIFF Media 

Ozone FC and Real Kashmir FC will aim to start their Hero 2ND Division League final round campaign on the right foot when they square off at the FSV Arena in Bengaluru on Thursday (May 24, 2018). The match will kick-off at 5:45 pm. 

Following a grueling qualifying round four teams have made it to the final round and at the end of a single round-robin competition, the top team will earn promotion in the next edition of Hero I-League.

While Ozone FC qualified for the final round on top of their qualifying group after an impressive run that saw them beating strong teams like FC Kerala and Fateh Hyderabad. Real Kashmir defied the odds to topple a tricky group that included Hindustan FC, Delhi United and Lonestar Kashmir FC. 

It’s no secret that physical play against Real Kashmir will be crucial for Ozone FC. While Ozone FC have a reputation for free-flowing and attacking football, they are equally known for their physical play. 

Ozone FC have shown just how explosive they could be with 19 goals during a nine-game unbeaten streak in qualifying round before falling to Kerala Blasters reserves 1-0 in their final qualifying round game. 

Ozone FC coach David Booth has underlined the importance of a winning start insisting that a win on day one will put the team in commanding position for rest of the campaign. 

The Ozone roster is loaded with experience, boasting a blend of players such as Vignesh, Sabeeth Sathyan, Clyde Fernandes, and Chika Wali though players with valuable I-League experience like NS Manju, Chinta Chandrashekhar Rao, Sampath Kuttymani rarely find a start. 

However, all eyes will on the Brazilian goal-scoring machine Robert De Souza, who will lead the dream of Ozone FC in the final round. The 26-year-old has been in great form in the qualifying round and leading the goal-scoring chart with 8 goals. 

These many dangerous and creative players mean the Real Kashmir back-line needs to maintain it’s shaping throughout the 90 minutes, and coach David Robertson feels everyone must stay focused on the task at hand. He noted Ozone FC thrives on give-and-go opportunities with short, quick passes to draw out and get behind opposing defenders. 

His experience should provide a valuable asset, along with the speed and physicality of youngsters Atinder Mani and Ifham Tariq Mir. They may have some nerves on such a big stage, but Robertson thinks that’s to be expected for everyone and it’s important for them to soak up the pressure. 

The game looks balanced although with Ozone FC slightly with a slight advantage due to pedigree but Real Kashmir have a few quality players that can hurt any opponents on a given day.

file pic

Karnataka edge out Mizoram 1-0, reach semi final

AIFF Media 

Karnataka ended their 72nd Santosh Trophy Group campaign with a 1-0 win over Mizoram to book a semifinal spot at the Mohun Bagan Ground today.

Rajesh S scored the solitary goal in the game in the 74th minute. The result meant Karnataka ended up topping the group, edging Mizoram on their superior head to head record. Mizoram too advanced to the semi-finals as the runners up from Group B.

The Southern state started off brightly with Leon Augustine, the right winger and striker Rajesh S. creating a host of opportunities, although wasteful. Mizoram goalkeeper Andrew Lalhmingliana made two good stops in the first ten minutes itself.

Mizoram’s first good chance arrived in the 13th minute when Malsawmzuala MC’s freekick could only be headed inches over the bar by Lalrammawia. A minute later, Rajesh S broke on the counter and played a diagonal ball to Augustine. The winger then found his skipper Vignesh Gunashekar outside the box but his shot too, went over.

Lalmuanzova was a menace down the right flank. Winning a corner from Lalrammawia’s pass, his flagkick was well headed forward by defender Lalmuanawma on the edge of the box. Malsawmzuala MC attempted an overhead bicycle kick which failed to pay dividends, all within twenty minutes of the game.

Karnataka custodian Shainkhan CP was forced into making a quick save from Lalmuanzova’s angled shot and Sukesh Leon tracked back to make a goal line clearance from the ensuing corner.

Rajesh S and Leon Augustine made life tough for the Mizoram backline but they held on well. Lalhmingliana appeared to be a bit slippery while collecting balls but the goalkeeper ensured that his sides did not concede any as the deadlock was yet to be broken in the first half.

Seven minutes into the second half, Mizoram got yet another opportunity from Muanzova’s corner kick. Malsawmzuala MC flicked the ball past the ‘keeper who was off his line but Shahabaaz Khan made a goal line clearance.

On the counter, Lithon Shil played a one-two with Leon Augustine on the run and the latter, who took a swipe from 19 yards saw his curling shot only nestle the top-netting.

All those chances yielded success in the 74th minute when Sukesh Leon’s flag-kick resulted in a goalmouth melee but Rajesh S, showing great presence of mind slotted the ball from close space.

Behind by a goal, frustration showed for Mizoram as the head coach Lalsangzuala Hmar was sent to the stands for arguing with the referee and then Malsawmzuala MC too went into the book for a rough tackle.

Lalromawia was brought in with four minutes left in regulation time but the midfielder, who had scored four goals in the tournament so far failed to live upto the expectations.

Both sides finished with nine points each from four games but Karnataka won the group. Mizoram face Kerala while Karnataka set up a date against hosts Bengal in the semis on March 30. 

Punjab rally to beat Karnataka 2-1

AIFF Media

Punjab rallied from a goal down to beat Karnataka 2-1 in a Group B fixture of the ongoing 72nd Santosh Trophy played at the Sailen Manna Stadium in Howrah on Monday (March 26).

Punjab began the game in an all-out attacking mode and created the first close chance as early as the 2nd minute. Amandeep Singh did well to cut in past a couple of defenders after getting the ball from midfield but his powerful drive missed the target by a whisker.

While Punjab pressed high up, Karnataka managed to take the lead against the run of the play in the 7th minute when Rajesh converted from the spot to score his third goal in as many games. The penalty was awarded to Punjab following Sunny's foul on Leon Augustine inside the penalty box.

Having conceded early on, Punjab started attacking with even more intensity and their efforts paid off in the 18th minute when Jitender slotted home from close after receiving a delightful ball from Gurtej Singh to get the equaliser.

Punjab then went on to take the lead in the 26th minute as Baltej scored. Parmjit Singh got the ball near the edge of the box and after getting past a couple of defenders he played the ball to an unmarked Baltej for an easy tap in.

Karanataka tried their best for an equaliser but apart from testing Moses with a header from Rajesh in the 39th minute, they were not able to create any opportunities as the first half ended 2-1.

Changing over, Karnataka looked better of the two sides but it was Punjab skipper Sarbjit Singh who remained their nemesis with his timely clearances.

Karnataka, towards the end, went all out to grab an equaliser. Although they created numerous scoring opportunities in the final quarter but it was lack of finishing that prevented them scoring as the game ended 2-1 in Punjab’s favour.

The result threw open Group B wide open as three teams will take the field on the final day of the league phase hoping to make the semifinals. Punjab and Karnataka are level on 6 points while Goa with their 6-1 win against Odisha in the other fixture of the day have 3.

Karnataka will be looking to beat Mizoram in their final league game on March 28 in order to qualify, while Punjab need to beat Goa on the same day and they will also be looking for a favour from Mizoram.

Santosh Trophy: Karnataka edge Odisha 2-1

AIFF Media 

Karnataka beat Odisha 2-1 to knock them out of the ongoing 72^nd Santosh Trophy 2017-18 in a Group B fixture at the Rabindra Sarabar Stadium on Saturday (March 24, 2018). Leon Augustine and Rajesh S scored in the 27^th and 88^th minute respectively to help their side register a second consecutive win in the tournament. Skipper Arjun Nayak scored the only goal for Odisha in the 30^th minute.

It was a must-win game for the Eastern state in order to remain in the hunt for a semi-final spot after their 5-0 drubbing against Mizoram. They also began the match on a positive note as their first shot on target by Bikash Padhihary was kept out by Karnataka custodian Shainkhan CP in the 9^th minute.

Thereafter, Karnataka created quite a few chances in front of the Odisha goal but failed to find the back of the net. The deadlock was finally broken in the 27^th minute when winger Leon Augustine ran almost 30 yards down the middle and slotted the ball home. He went past four defenders to score a brilliant solo goal.

Odisha could have equalised at the half-hour mark when Sunil Sardar was one on one with the Karnataka custodian but he failed to convert a simple header.

Just when it seemed Karnataka would take the lead into half-time, Narendra Sahoo’s men came back into the match thanks to a goal from skipper Arjun Nayak. Kartika Bhola floated a corner inside the box which was headed in by Nayak.

After an entertaining first half, both the sides took a pragmatic approach and concentrated on solidifying their defensive organisation. Karnataka came close to score on a couple of occasions but failed to create an impact in the attacking third.

Odisha’s Arbin Lakra on the other hand missed a golden one on one opportunity to put his team in front in the 81^st minute.

Rajesh S then scored the winning goal for the Southern state in the 88^th minute. Gunashekar Vignesh entered the Odisha box from the left side and squared the ball for Rajesh. The striker pushed the ball into an empty net to seal crucial three points for his side.

Odisha are out of the semi-final race after falling to their third successive defeat. Karnataka, on the other hand, are second in the group and are very much in contention for a last-four spot.

Karnataka rout Goa 4-1

AIFF Media 

Down by a goal Karnataka displayed solidarity among themselves to demolish Goa 4-1 in a one-sided Group B encounter of the 72nd Santosh Trophy at the Sailen Manna Sports Complex in Howrah on Thursday.

At half time Goa were leading 1-0. Kapil Hoble scored in the 26th minute for Goa while Gunashekhar Vignesh equalised for the Southern state in the 54th minute before S. Rajesh's 61st minute goal along with a 69th minute own goal by Mathew Gonsalves and 89th minute strike by Leon Augustine sealed the full three points for Karnataka.

Goa coach Armando Colaco made four changes to the side that went down 1-3 to Mizoram on Tuesday, by handing starts to goalkeeper Agnelo Gomes and midfielders Joachim Abranches, Subert Pereirra and Clive Miranda, while his Karnataka counterpart P.  Muralidharan opted for the 4-4-2 formation for their tournament opener with Rajesh and Liton Shil leading the line.

Karnataka began the game in attacking mode and created the first chance in the 6th minute. Rajesh did well to cut in past a couple of defenders from the left but his powerful drive sailed inches over the horizontal.

Around the 15th minute mark, Karnataka had another chance through striker Liton but a slight delay allowed enough time to Goa defender Jessel Carneiro to clear the ball.

While Karnataka pressed high up, Goa managed to take the lead against the run of the play. Kapil capitalised on a defensive error to beat Karnataka custodian Shaikhan from Joachim Abranches' low cross in the 26th minute.

The goal appeared to be the wakeup call for Karnataka, as they began attacking with intensity through Vignesh and Rajesh but some desperate defending by Goa saw the first half ended 1-0. 

The second half started with Karnataka having greater possession and looked more threatening going forward, thanks to crisp passing, good off-the-ball movement and dazzling individual skills. Karanataka found the equalizer through skipper Vignesh, who slotted from Sukesh Leon's pass in the 54th minute.

The goal inspired Karnataka to get even more offensive in their approach and they took the lead in the 61st minute when Rajesh found the back of the net from Liton's pass, which was complimented by some lazy defending by Goa.

Goa though created some chances but failed to equalize, as they failed to stick to their passing game policy. The players seemed to be more keen on playing direct football sending long balls from the centre-line.

Karnataka's third goal came in form of own goal in the 69th minute when experienced Mathew Gonsalves slotted in his own net while trying to clear Sukesh's cross. 

Thereafter, Goa went all out to grab some late goals but all their efforts were undone by an 89th minute strike from young Leon Augustine. The Bengaluru FC reserves winger got the ball from midfield and ran past a couple of defenders to slot a brilliant volley home.

Karnataka will face Odisha next on March 24 at Rabindra Sarobar Stadium while Goa will face the same opponents on March 26 at Mohun Began Ground. 

Karnataka to start their Santosh Trophy final round tomorrow

Karnataka will take on Goa tomorrow in the final round of the 72nd Santosh Trophy senior national football championship. The final round is played at Kolkata from March 19 to April 1. 

Karnataka is in Group B along with Mizoram, Goa, Odisha, and Punjab. Goa has already played their first match yesterday, which they lost against Mizoram. 

Team 

Vignesh G (Captain) (Ozone), Sunil Kumar M (Vice Captain) (Student Union), Shain Khan CP (Bengaluru), Shafeel PP (Bangalore Independents), Ramesh B (Bangalore Eagles), Shashi Kumar V (Students Union), Keith Raymond Stephen (South United), Leon Augustine (Bengaluru FC), Solaimalai (South United), Shamanth (Student Union), Edwin Rosario (Bangalore Independents), Liton Shil (MEG), Rajesh S (RWF), Amoes (Student Union), Shahabaaz (Bengaluru FC), Shaik Muzeeb (MEG), Sudharshan Lokur (Belgaum District), Abhishek Ramesh (Bangalore Independents), Sukesh Leon (MEG), Subhash R (South United), Shreyas, Akshay

P Muralidharan - Chief Coach, M Kumar - Manager, Shyam Shahi - Goal Keeping Coach

[BDFA League] BFC Reserves go down 0-1 to Ozone

Bengaluru FC Media 

Ten-man Bengaluru FC ‘B’ suffered their second defeat of the campaign going down 0-1 to Ozone FC in their seventh game of the BDFA Super Division League at the Bangalore Football Stadium, on Thursday.

In the first half that lacked real chances, a freak goal from Anup Theresraj handed Ozone all three points. The attacker chased down a long ball from Anto Xavier on the right flank, and managed to somehow connect with it on the slide just ahead of BFC ‘B’ custodian Shainkhan C. who had rushed out to punch it away. The effort was on target and the ball rolled in into an empty net to put Ozone up 1-0 in the 42nd minute. Meanwhile, the Blues had shout for a penalty turned away early in the half after Leon Augustine was brought down inside the box.

The second half saw Coach Naushad Moosa make a double change brining in Robinson Singh and Bidyananda Singh to add more creativity in attack. While the Blues began pushing up, left-back Parag Shrivas was shown a straight red for a high-foot challenge on an opponent reducing BFC ‘B’ to ten-men in the 57th minute.

The Blues continued to push forward in search of the equalizer, but Ozone capitalized on their one-man advantage to hold on to their narrow lead and seal a win. The result meant that BFC ‘B’ stay second in the standings with 13 points from seven games as Ozone clinched the title with 30 points.

Santosh Trophy finals in Kolkata, Karnataka start their campaign on March 22 against Goa

Defending champions West Bengal will take on Manipur on the opening day as the 72nd edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy kicks-off in Kolkata on March 19, 2018. 

Ten teams who qualified from the preliminary stages have been divided into two groups of five teams each with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals which are to be played on March 30, 2018. The final is slated for April 1, 2018.


Groupings 

Group A: West Bengal, Chandigarh, Manipur, Kerala, Maharashtra
Group B: Goa, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka


Fixtures 

GROUP B

• 20/03/2018 – Odisha 1 vs Punjab 2 
• 20/03/2018 – Mizoram 3 vs Goa 1
• 22/03/2018 – Karnataka 4 (Vignesh Gunashekar, Rajesh S, Mathew Gonsalves (own goal), Leon Agustine) vs Goa 1 (Kapil Hoble)
• 22/03/2018 – Odisha 0 vs Mizoram 0
• 24/03/2018 – Punjab 1 vs Mizoram 2 
• 24/03/2018 – Karnataka 2 (Rajesh S, Leon Augustine) vs Odisha 1 
• 26/03/2018 – Goa vs Odisha
• 26/03/2018 – Punjab vs Karnataka
• 28/03/2018 – Mizoram vs Karnataka
• 28/03/2018 – Goa vs Punjab

GROUP A

• 19/03/2018 – Chandigarh 1 vs Kerala 5 
• 19/03/2018 – Manipur 0 vs Bengal 3
• 21/03/2018 – Maharashtra 1 vs Bengal 5
• 21/03/2018 – Chandigarh 1 vs Manipur 1
• 23/03/2018 – Kerala vs Manipur
• 23/03/2018 – Maharashtra vs Chandigarh
• 25/03/2018 – Bengal vs Chandigarh
• 25/03/2018 – Kerala vs Maharashtra
• 27/03/2018 – Manipur vs Maharashtra
• 27/03/2018 – Bengal vs Kerala

SF

• 30/03/2018 – Winner Group A vs Runners-Up Group B
• 30/03/2018 – Winner Group B vs Runners-Up Group A

FINAL 

• 01/04/2018 – Winner Semi-Final 1 vs Winner Semi-Final 2

Ozone placed in Group B in 18-team Second Div I-League

Eighteen teams comprising of seven ISL clubs’ reserve teams (Except ATK, Northeast United FC, Mumbai City FC) who will compete in the preliminary round are divided into three groups. The Preliminary round which will kick-off on March 16, 2018 will continue until May 15, 2018. Teams will play on a home and away basis within the group.

The AIFF League Committee met at the AIFF Football House yesterday and took some vital decisions on the forthcoming Second Division League 2017-18 including the number of teams, the format of the tournament and the schedule. 

The winners of each group plus the best second-placed team would qualify for the final round. However, if reserve teams of ISL clubs finish as winners or runners-up in any group, the position will be passed on to the next non-ISL team. 

Four teams will play at the central venue on a ‘single-leg’ league system which will run from May 21, 2018 to May 27, 2018 at the end which the winners would be promoted to the next tier of Indian Football.

Each club can register maximum 3 foreign players for the 2nd division league out of which one player has to be a national of an AFC Member Association. 

The Groups of the preliminary round are as mentioned below:

• Group A: Real Kashmir, Lonestar Kashmir, Delhi Dynamos FC (reserves), Hindustan FC, Delhi United, FC Pune City (reserves)
• Group B: Madhya Bharat SC, FC Goa (reserves), Kerala Blasters (reserves), Ozone FA, Fateh Hyderabad AFC, FC Kerala
• Group C: TRAU FC, Langsning FC, Mohammedan Sporting, JSW Bengaluru FC (reserves), Jamshedpur FC (reserves), Chennaiyin FC (reserves)  

Bengaluru play TC Sports Club for an AFC Cup group stage spot

Bengaluru FC Media

Albert Roca said he expects nothing short of a stern test when Bengaluru FC take on Maldivian side TC Sports Club in the first leg of the AFC Cup Preliminary Stage game to be played at the National Stadium, in Male, on Tuesday.

The Blues arrived in the capital on Sunday after becoming the first side to secure a play-off berth in the Indian Super League but the Spanish manager said it would count for nothing when they attempt to take an important step to make it to the group stages of a competition Bengaluru has enjoyed relative success in. “The game against TC Sports Club is going to be a tougher challenge than the one we faced in Bhutan. They have made it to this stage on the back of two good games against the team from Bangladesh. Their confidence along with being comfortable with the humid weather that we aren’t used to, makes the challenge bigger.”

The side from Maldives rode on an Anatoliy Vlasichev hat-trick at home to get past Bangladeshi side Saif 4-1 on aggregate and book a date with Bengaluru. They will however be without first-choice goalkeeper Dmitry Asnin who, with an injured hand, is expected to be out for long.

Staying consistent with his policy of rotating the squad and handing players rest, Roca has made the trip without names like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Juanan Gonzalez and Dimas Delgado among others. “It’s something (rotating) we’ve been doing often and it works for us more often than not because we have a hungry squad that is willing to grab the chances it gets. Yes, we have qualified for the play-off stages in the ISL but it’s important to keep our winning momentum going and we play a tough side in FC Pune City on the 16th of this month.” The list of players traveled includes Cletus Paul and Leon Augustine who are part of the Bengaluru FC ‘B’ squad.

The Blues have a 100% win record away and at home against Maldivian clubs, having got the better of Maziya S&RC twice in previous editions of the AFC Cup, but Roca doesn’t make much of the statistic. “It needed a goal in the 90th minute to beat Maziya the last time we played here. Also, things are different this time. TC Sports Club are a new side for us, one with young players and an experienced foreign player who is doing well for them. Tuesday will be a fresh chapter and the squad will treat it exactly like that,” said Roca.

The clash at the National Stadium in Male kicks off at 9.30 pm IST and the reverse leg of the fixture will be played at the Kanteerava Stadium on February 20. 

Bengaluru go down 2-1 to Students Union

Bengaluru FC Media 

A host of controversial decisions marred Bengaluru FC’s 2-1 loss to Students Union FC in a round four match in the BDFA Super Division League, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium.

After over an hour of football that saw long spells of possession and battles in midfield, a strike from over 25 yards out by BFC skipper Myron Mendes saw stand-in coach Sandesh Boithe’s boys take the lead in the 68th minute.

However, Student’s Union equalized late on in the game through a header from Amoes, though replays showed that the ball had been cleared off the line by defender Prashanth Kalinga.

A defensive lapse late in the game allowed South United score the winner deep into extra time as Amoes latched onto a pass from midfield and placed it past a hapless Shainkhan CP in the BFC goal.

The Blues’ reserve side dropped down to fourth position on the table, as the win took South United to nine points from three games.

Paromita to captain Karnataka in senior women's football nationals

India international Paromita Sit will lead the Karnataka team in 23rd Senior Women's National Football Championship. The nationals for 2017-18 season to be played at Cuttack, Odisha from January 28 to February 14. 

Karnataka is placed in Group B, other teams from the same group include strong Manipur, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. In the first match, state girls take on Rajasthan on January 30. 

Team
Ashwitha Shetty (BUFC), Aishwarya Vijaykumar (SAI, Bangalore), Amshitha N Rai (Mangalore), Bindu TG (Tumkur), Crystal Ann Pinto (BUFC), Paromita Sit (Captain - BUFC), Vinaya Seshan (SAI, Bangalore), Riddhi R (Decathlon), V.G. Lekhsari (Dream), KS Trupthi Gangamma (Mangalore), Nanda R Deshpande (Dharwad) Roopa G (BUFC), Pooja S (SFS College), Urvija B (Infosys), Anoushka Vineet Saraf (Indus Intl), Shanthi S 34 (Boca Juniors), Muskaan Saleem (SAI, Bangalore), Vimica Angel Serrao (MCC), Tania Thomas (Infosys), Renuka Devi (SAP) 

Chitra Gangadharan - Coach 
A Rani Nataraj – Manager

Fixture 

• 30-01-2018: Karnataka 3 Vs Rajasthan 0 
• 03-02-2018: Karnataka 0 Vs Manipur 8
• 07-02-2018: Karnataka Vs Maharashtra 

Karnataka play Services tomorrow in a decisive encounter

State boys take on the strong Services team in their final match tomorrow 4 pm Bangalore Football Stadium. Both teams are on same point after two wins. Karnataka is better on goal difference (+7) than their opponent (+4). Services, in their last match against Telengana, were stretched till the last minute. 

Only one team from each group will qualify for the Santosh Trophy final round.  Should the match ends in a stalemate, Karnataka would qualify by virtue of better goal difference. 

Coach Muralidharan is not ready to bank on the advantage of goal difference. Playing for a draw is always risky, we will go for straight win. 

State team created several chances in their last game, however missed scoring opportunities on most of the occasion. Something that will worry coach. 

Karnataka take on Pondicherry today

Karnataka take on Pondicherry today 1:15 pm at the Bangalore Football Stadium. Though Pondicherry lost 4-1 to Services in their first match, they looked a better team, much better than Karnataka’s opponent on the first day, Telengana. 

Coach and former ITI player, Muralidharan admitted his team became very casual after scoring two early goals, but kept up after changing ends. However, sounded wary about not enough conversion and missing out on sitters. Something that he’s needs to work during practice. 

He reckons that a long camp of 45 days have helped his team to combine well, “Our main threat is Services, which will be a 50-50 match.”

Injury scare in today’s match between Parikrama and Young Challengers

As the BDFA A Division match between Parikrama and Young Challengers was approaching towards lemon break, Ayush of Young Challengers fell down on the ground after trying to head a 50-50 ball. He was left unconscious for few seconds. 

The ambulance which was deployed at the stadium rushed in and Ayush was given first aid. He regained consciousness and was taken to Philomena Hospital. He was accompanied by the BDFA-appointed physio.  

Ayush underwent an MRI scan and came back to the stadium. He has been advised to take rest. 

Apparently, in BDFA league, they appoint only a physio and not a doctor. 

Karnataka to face SAI in the Final Round of Sub-Junior Nationals

Our state lads will take on the Sports Authority of India boys on November 20th  in the final round of the Sub-junior National Football Championship. The matches will be played at JCT Sports Complex, Phagwara, Punjab from November 17 to 30.

Karnataka is placed in Group B along with SAI, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya. Group A consists of teams like Punjab, Goa, Assam, Kerala, Odisha. The top two teams from each group will make it to the knock out stage. 

Karnataka qualified to the final stage from South Zone which was played in last September. Team is coached by Shyam Shahi who assisted P Muralidharan during the qualifiers. 

• November 20, 2017: Karnataka 0 Vs SAI 2 (Mohd. Aziz Islam-13', 83') 
• November 22, 2017: Karnataka 2 (Godwin Johnson-73', 88') Vs Madhya Pradesh 0
• November 24, 2017: Karnataka 0 Vs Meghalaya 0
• November 24, 2017: Karnataka Vs Delhi 

Team 

Ahaan Prakash, Adhithiyan Senthil Kumar, Simion N, M Ashish Beckham, Pranav Arun, Rahul Kumar Nehra, Allan Richard Tavares, Adinarayan, Kunwar Paris Singh, Prabhakar J, Suman S Dev, Shreyas Ketkar (Captain), Aaron Joshua, Nara Hari Kripa, Jai Ashya, Ankith P, Godwin Johnson (Vice Captain), Macarton Louis Nickson, Samikaran Mukhiya, Lokanshu B Malur, Naveen Kumar, Gourav Chavan 

Coach – S S Shahi
Assistant Coach – Mohan
Manager - M Kumar 

BDFA Super & A division begins on November 10

Bengaluru football domestic season will witness the return of top clubs fighting for the coveted Super Division and A division crown. A total of 11 teams will participate in the top Super Division and 9 teams in A Division.

In Super Division, a newly affiliated ‘professional’ team FC Deccan will be a part of the league this time. Last edition league was won by MEG followed by Students Union. Bangalore Independents are Jawahar Union the newly promoted teams in this edition.

In A Division, SAI, who had an excellent run in the previous season have withdrawn this season as they are want to concentrate in the grassroots development.

All the matches will be played at the Bangalore Football Stadium, Ashoknagar. A Division matches will be played at 1:15 pm and Super Div at 3:15 pm.

On the opening day, young turks of Praikrama will take on Bangalore Eagles in A division and Bengaluru FC reserves will play against CIL.

Teams 

Super Division	A Division
MEG Students Union Ozone FC Bengaluru  ASC Bengaluru FC  South United  CIL RWF  Bangalore Independents  Jawahar Union  FC Deccan	AGORC   DYES Income Tax BUFC  Parikrama   Bangalore Eagles  ADE  Youth Challengers  Royals FC

State selection trials for Junior National Dr. BC Roy Trophy

Trials for Karnataka state team for Junior National U-19 Dr. BC Roy Trophy Tier I will be held on Wednesday, November 8, at Bangalore Football Stadium. 

Junior National Championship, Dr. BC Roy Trophy will be held from December 5 to 15, 2017 at Hoshiarpur, Punjab.

Players born on or after January 1, 2001 and not later than December 31, 2002 are eligible. 

Players attending trail should bring original Birth Certificate issued by Panchayat/Municipal Authorities/Registrar of Births. The date of registration of birth mentioned in the certificate should be within one year of the actual date of birth of the concerned player or school leaving certificate (other than play school) from the first attended recognized school that is clearly indicating the date of birth of the concerned player and also any original photo ID Proof. 

Players have to report on November 8, 11:30 am at Bangalore Football Stadium with any of the above mentioned certificate. 

You may contact KSFA-080-25512996 or AD Nagendra, Chairman of the selection committee 9980276551.