Bengaluru look to seal AFC Cup berth

Bengaluru FC Media

Armed with the advantage of three away goals, Bengaluru FC will look to seal qualification in the group stages of the AFC Cup when they take on Maldivian side TC Sports Club at the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday evening.

A Thongkhosiem Haokip brace and Erik Paartalu’s goal gave Albert Roca a 3-2 win in Male last week after the Spaniard saw his side allow TC to come back from two goals down to level things in what was a strange second half.

The visitors need to win by either a two-goal margin or win scoring more than three goals at the Fortress if they are to edge Bengaluru out and Roca, while sounding confident, warned his side against complacency. “This tie is far from over. Yes, we’ve scored three away goals but we’ve also conceded two and I don’t see why they won’t take the game to us on Tuesday. That said, we are always confident of our abilities and more so at home. We need to focus and get the job done,” said Roca.

Bengaluru seemed to be cruising with two quick second-half goals at the National Stadium when lapses in defence saw the hosts hit back through Anatolii Vlasichev and Ibrahim Mahudhee. But a Haokip screamer in the 78th minute killed the fight from TC in what were difficult conditions. “We had a tough time coping with the weather and pitch conditions in Maldives. Thankfully we have the chance to get the job done at home and we need to make most of the familiar conditions.”

The win came at the cost of an injury to defender Harmanjot Khabra who had to be substituted after he picked up a hit to his chest. The No.10 missed out on the ISL fixture against FC Pune City and won’t be available for selection on Tuesday as he continues to recover.  

Roca chose to rest names like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Juanan Gonzalez, Dimas Delgado and Lenny Rodrigues and whether the Spaniard hands them a role in the fixture at home, remains to be seen. “I am happy with the way the youngsters on the team have responded to responsibility and they surely need more game time. I will leave the decision late on whether or not I include players who didn’t travel to the Maldives, on the squad for Tuesday,” said Roca.

Group E, as it stands, has three slots filled with Abahani (Bangladesh), Aizawl FC and New Radiant (Maldives) booking their place in the continental competition.

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. 

AFC Cup Preliminary Stage: Bengaluru FC play Bhutanese champions Transport United in a must-win clash

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC will look to get the job done when they face Bhutan National League champions Transport United in the second leg of the 2018 AFC Cup Preliminary Round One at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, on Tuesday. Coming back from a goalless draw in Thimphu, the tie hangs in the balance as the winner takes all from the second leg.

Having rolled out a heavily rested side in the reverse fixture, it will be intriguing to see the side that Albert Roca rolls out as he banks on home advantage to progress.

“Transport United are a side that can be dangerous on their day and we can’t take this game lightly. Our fans and the Fortress will provide us that extra bit of push. We know that a win can take us through but we know that the equation is the same for them and that they will put on a strong show,” said Roca on the eve of the clash.  

It was the Blues who dominated the game in Bhutan, creating numerous chances throughout the two halves. However, the boss rued the lack of a finishing tough in the attacking third. “We fell short in terms of finishing last week and that is an area we have been working hard on in our training sessions and I think that will be key to the result.”

The game will the Blues’ third in eight days, and the Boss has hinted that the second leg of the tie might once again see some changes. “We’re playing a game almost every three days and it’s important to make use of the entire squad to keep them in the best shape possible. We must win, but at the same time the focus is on the larger picture. The depth in our squad is big and I know that whoever is given a chance will go out there and do their best.”

The game kicks off at 8 pm.