Bengaluru sign Eugeneson Lyngdoh

Bengaluru FC Media

BFC have completed the signing of former player Eugeneson Lyngdoh on a one-year deal, the club announced on Monday. The 32-year old midfielder once again joins the Indian Super League champions after a two-year stint with Kolkata-side ATK, who had signed the Shillong-born playmaker during the ISL draft in 2017. 

A favourite among the supporters, Lyngdoh first joined Bengaluru FC in 2014 after stints with Meghalaya’s Shillong Lajong and Rangdajied United. Going on to become a vital part of the side under Ashley Westwood and then under Albert Roca, Lyngdoh scored some crucial goals for the Blues en route to winning three major trophies apart from helping the club to a maiden AFC Cup final in 2016. 

“Ever since I first signed for Bengaluru FC I knew I was making the right decision. Now that I’m here again I want to relive those moments and create new ones. I'm looking forward to being back on the pitch and fighting for titles once again,” said an elated Lyngdoh who becomes the third Indian signing for the season after youngsters Prabhsukhan Singh Gill and Suresh Wangjam. 

Bengaluru coach, Carles Cuadrat said he was delighted at having Lyngdoh back in BFC colours. “I have worked with Eugeneson before and I know the kind of influence he has on the dressing room. He is a good professional with good habits and I have no doubt about the fact that he will help the side improve and more specifically, the youngsters on the squad. He knows how we like to play, so we already have a head start with him,” said Cuadrat. 

At Bengaluru, Lyngdoh scored 16 goals in 74 appearances in three seasons while winning the Federation Cup in 2014-15 and 2016-17 and the I-League in 2016-17. The creative midfielder even bagged the AIFF Player of the Year award for 2015. 

Bengaluru take on Mohun Bagan in must-win fixture

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC take on Mohun Bagan on Friday at the Barabati Stadium knowing a win would give the Blues the best chance to make it to the semifinal of the Federation Cup from a group that’s riddled with possibilities for all teams involved, with a last round of games left to play.

With the DSK-Lajong game kicking off at 4 pm, the Blues will know exactly what they need to do against Bagan later in the evening. But Albert Roca has asked his side to turn a blind eye to all combinations of results and mathematics and instead focus on three points against the Kolkata side who lead the Group B standings having all but made the cut to the last four with two wins in as many games. “We find ourselves in a situation where our backs are against the wall and while our progress could be determined by the other result in the group, we need to train all our thoughts on getting the win against Bagan,” said Roca on the eve of the game.

Bengaluru’s 2-0 defeat to DSK means the Pune side joins the Blues on second position with three points while Lajong, with two losses, are bottom of the pile. The head-to-head record will determine who makes it out of the group should there be two teams with same points. In the event of three teams finishing with the same points, goal difference serve as the deciding factor.

In what is a bit of a set-back, Bengaluru will be without midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh who sits out of the fixture with two bookings in as many games. But Roca sounded confident of the quality his side possessed. “We have enough ability on this team to find us results when we need them the most. Every player in every position will have to step up if we are to stay alive in the competition. We know we are up against a very strong team in Bagan and nothing short of our best will do,” said Roca.

Having put a dominant show for most parts of both group stage games, Bengaluru will have to be wary of the lapses in focus that saw them concede rather needless goals. “We’ve seen what happens when we let our guard down for even a bit. We got away with it in the first game but were punished in the second. We are a side that loves to attack always and that can leave us a little vulnerable on the counter if we aren’t focused enough. Let’s hope we can fix this in a game where mistakes can end our tournament,” said Roca.

The match kicks off at 7 pm and will be telecast live on Ten 2. 

Bengaluru FC keen on steadier show ahead of DSK challenge

Bengaluru FC Media 

Albert Roca called his Bengaluru FC side to iron out the creases and keep things tight as the Blues ready to take on DSK Shivajians in a Group B clash of the Federation Cup, at the Barabati Stadium, in Cuttack, on Wednesday.

Bengaluru got their campaign off to a winning start with a 3-2 defeat of Shillong Lajong on Monday but made things harder than they needed be after coasting to a 2-0 lead. And Roca believes the margin for error will keep getting lesser as the tournament progresses. “We let our guard down after getting a two-goal lead and we were almost made to pay for it. We’re happy we could come away with a win and take a lesson back with us on not letting things slip when we are in control. We’re going to have to be very cautious against DSK because one small lapse can affect how your tournament pans out,” said Roca.

DSK suffered a 4-0 defeat to Mohun Bagan in their Cup opener and while they would be keen on their first points in the tournament, the Dave Rogers-coached side will also look to set right their 7-0 defeat at the hands of the Blues only a fortnight ago in the League.

“We cannot ride on the fact that we beat DSK by a heavy margin. I said in the press conference after that game that while the result was good, it’s not one that we will be talking about the next day. The slate is clean on Wednesday and we will have to earn our points.”

The Blues suffered a minor blip when John Johnson had to be substituted at the start of the second half with a thigh injury and Roca said he is in constant touch with the medical team with updates before he decides if the English defender will take the pitch against DSK or not. Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh who sat out of the win over Lajong with fever will also be a late decision for selection.

Roca will have a lot of positives to take back from the win against Lajong. Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh seems to be getting better with every passing game while Udanta Singh has forged a good understanding with Harmanjot Khabra down the right. 

The game kicks off at 4 pm and will be beamed live on the Ten 2 network.

Bengaluru survive late drama but do enough to see off Lajong

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC got their Federation Cup campaign off to a winning start but not without some drama as Albert Roca's men beat Shillong Lajong 3-2 at the Barabati Stadium, in Cuttack, on Monday.

Goals from Udanta Singh (35') and Eugeneson Lyngdoh (46') seemed to put the Blues in control before they conceded two penalties, one of which was put away. But Sunil Chhetri forced an own goal from Aiborlang Khongjee (74’) to give Bengaluru some breathing space to get the job done.

The Blues came close in as early as the second minute when Sandesh Jhingan saw his thumping header from a Cameron Watson corner come off the crossbar and bounce inches outside the goal line before the Lajong defence dealt with danger. The chance set the tone for the half and it was all Bengaluru then on.

Harmanjot Khabra and Udanta Singh were fantastic to watch in tandem down the right, sending in crosses that unsettled the Lajong defence. Bengaluru should have shot to a lead in the 33rd minute when Chhetri put Udanta through on goal with a perfect pass. But in looking to chip an onrushing Vishal Kaith, the young winger skewed his shot wide.

However, he needed only two minutes to set things right. Picking a pass close to 25 yards from goal, Udanta’s rasping drive took a deflection off Nimdorjee Tamang before looping past Kaith to give Bengaluru a lead they thoroughly deserved, one which Roca’s men took to the dressing room at half-time.

Bengaluru didn’t wait long after the restart to get a second when Eugeneson Lyngdoh rose to nod home Khabra’s cross in the 46th minute. Bengaluru were dealt a blow moments later when John Johnson, who picked up a knock, had to be replaced by Salam Ranjan Singh. Johnson’s withdrawal was followed by the introduction of Lenny Rodrigues in place of Cameron Watson, who had picked up a yellow for a foul in midfield.

Lyngdoh came close to scoring his second of the night as his swipe from distance produced a fine save from Kaith on the hour mark. Lajong had a chance to reduce the deficit when a handball from Jhingan prompted the referee to point to the spot but Asier Pierrick Dipanda’s effort from 12 yards was miscued.

Lajong made amends just moments later when a pass from midfield sent Kinowaki through on goal. The Japanese midfielder made no mistake as his deft lob beat Ralte to make it 2-1. The Blues though, had their two-goal cushion restored in the 74th minute when a cross from Chhetri found an off-balance Aiborlang Khongjee whose clearance went straight into the Lajong goal.

Lajong had a second penalty awarded in the 85th minute when a moment of hesitation from Ranjan caused the Blues’ centre-back to bring down Samuel Lalmuanpuia. The Lajong striker took over spot-kick duties and sent Ralte the wrong way to make it 3-2.

The introduction of Cornell Glen in place of Daniel added steel to the Blues’ attack as they pressed on for a fourth and shut down Lajong’s forays into the Bengaluru area.

Earlier, Roca rolled out a 3-4-2-1 with Daniel in attack while new signing Glen was named on the bench. First choice goalkeeper Amrinder Singh missed the game owing to a bout of fever as Ralte replaced him in the Blues’ goal. 

Bengaluru next face DSK Shivajians at the same venue, on Wednesday, at 4 pm. 

Bengaluru look to keep momentum going against DSK

AIFF Media 
Bengaluru FC Media 

The business end of the Hero I-League at the Garden City will witness the winner of the previous edition, Bengaluru FC hosting DSK Shivajians tomorrow at the Sree Kanterava Stadium, Bengaluru. 

While the primary focus will be on the hills at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl where the front-runners of Hero I-League, Aizwal FC and Mohun Bagan will be battling it out, and probably winner of the Hero I-League title will be decided, the significance of the Bengaluru versus DSK match would be to maintain the winning form - both teams won their respective last round I-League matches.  

After winning two I-League tiles and finishing another one by a whisker, this edition of I-League must have been a disappointing one for the Steelmen. Out of League contention, they are making amends of their poor start in the League. With a couple good wins in the previous two rounds of I-League complemented by top performance in AFC Cup Group league stage, they stand a bright chance of finishing among top three in the I-League. 

The Pune-based corporate team Shivajians increased East Bengal’s woes by defeating them at their home on last Sunday. Arguably, a top performance, considering they’ve won only three matches playing 15 games prior to that. With three teams in 17 points, they would definitely like garner away points and take the sixth spot in the points table. 

DSK’s Keeper and Indian national player Subrata Paul was brilliant under the bar as he thwarted several of East Bangal attacks. A form that he would like to carry tomorrow. 

The match is scheduled at 7:05 pm and will be telecast live on Ten2 television channel.

Bengaluru take on Chennai, look to keep momentum going

Bengaluru FC Media

Buoyed by a tough win away from home on Sunday, Bengaluru FC will look to keep the momentum going when Albert Roca’s side take on Chennai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Chennai, on Wednesday. Lenny Rodrigues headed home the Blues’ winner at Minerva on a pitch far from fit to play on and Roca believes it will take more such grit if his side are to get past Chennai City and build on the win.

“The circumstances we find ourselves in demand that we fight harder than we have ever needed to. The boys showed that in Punjab where the conditions were far from the best to play football in. Chennai are going to be tough opponents given their position on the table,” said Roca on the eve of the game.

Chennai, sitting only above Mumbai FC on the table, were denied three points on Sunday against DSK Shivajians when they conceded an equaliser in the last minute to share points with the Pune side.

Bengaluru have looked a more composed side since the return of John Johnsons from injury. The arrival of striker Marjan Jugovic too has added strength in attack and the Serbian, who was pulled off around the hour mark against Minerva, could get a longer look in on Wednesday.

The Blues won the home leg of this fixture in January when goals from CK Vineeth and Roby Norales broke down a stubborn resistance from Chennai and Roca said it’s vital that his team does justice to the chances they create. “In most games we are the team that is playing the football but we come undone because we don’t finish off the good work we do up until the attacking third. We’ve been working on these aspects in training and I’m sure it will show in the games ahead.”

Chennai meanwhile, are winless in four games after stalemates against Churchill Brothers and DSK Shivajians and losses to Shillong Lajong and Aizawl FC. The V. Soundararajan-coached side are buoyed by the addition of centre-back Celestine Anyichie, who missed the club’s visit to the Kanteerava, and will look to the Nigerian’s aerial presence to keep the Blues’ attack at bay.

The game kicks off at 7.05 pm and will be telecast live on Ten 2.

Chasing the AFC Cup glory, Bengaluru ready for battle against Air Force Club

Bengaluru FC Media 

It’s been billed as the game that could be the start a revolution for one country and the resurrection of another as JSW Bengaluru FC take on Iraq’s Air Force Club in the final of the AFC Cup to be played at Doha’s Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium, today evening. 

After a year of battle that has seen 36 of the top clubs from the continent go head-to-head, the Blues and Air Force Club are the last teams standing in what is a first appearance in the final of an Asian competition for both sides. 

“We’re up against a strong team but it would mean a lot for Indian football if we won the title. That’s a prospect that excites us and will drive us tomorrow. They have scored many goals, have a striker that’s regularly scoring and are physically strong but I’ve told our boys to be ready for battle and we will hope our work ethic gives us a good result,” said BFC coach Albert Roca while addressing the press on the eve of the game. 

Much of the pre-game focus has been on Lalthuammawia Ralte, the Bengaluru ‘keeper who will be playing his first competitive game since turning out for the Blues in a 5-3 home win against Ayeyawady United in the group stages in April this year. Ralte comes in for first-choice Amrinder Singh who misses the big game owing to a suspension. But Roca sounded confident of the shot-stopper from Mizoram who was brilliant in the Blues’ Federation Cup-winning season. “Mawia is a good goalkeeper who has been pushing Amrinder to do well consistently and though he has not featured much this season, he has been a thorough professional at training, which is why we are not the least bit worried about this situation,” he said. 

Suspensions have also hit Air Force who will be without influential midfielder Bashar Rasan Bonyan and defender Samal Saeed. Bonyan picked up a straight red after scoring a brace in Air Force’s 3-2 win over Al-Ahed in the second leg of the semifinal. 

Bengaluru will look to fall back on some inspired performances through their campaign that saw the Blues oust defending champion Johor Darul Ta’zim in the semifinal (4-2) as they come up against a side that has lost just one game in the tournament. The club from Iraq will turn to their talismanic striker Hammadi Ahmad who, with 15 goals from 11 games, is the tournament’s leading goal scorer. 

Roca has a fully fit squad to choose from with the exception of Australian midfielder Cameron Watson who is down with a stomach bug. “Cameron’s been down with a stomach ache but we’re doing all we can to make sure he’s ready for the game,” said Roca.

The Blues are likely to find good support in the stands on Saturday given the large presence of the Indian community in Doha, something Roca said his boys would welcome. “We’ve met so many Indian people since we’ve come here and they have all promised to come out in numbers and back us which is wonderful for the boys.” The game kicks off at 9.30 pm IST and will be telecast live on Star Sports 1 and Star HD 1. 

Bengaluru set to take on Johor Darul Ta'zim tomorrow

AIFF Media 

Hero I-League champions Bengaluru FC are taking on AFC Cup champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in the much-anticipated second leg of the AFC Cup semifinal at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on October 19, 2016. The first leg ended in a 1-1 stalemate where Eugeneson Lyngdoh scored a peach of a goal against the Malaysian outfit in their home. 

Johor Darul Ta'zim gaffer Mario Gomez, who has to deploy his pawns sans the attacking trio comprising of Jorge Pereyra Díaz, Mohd Amri Yahyah and Juan Martín Lucero, sounded pretty cautious ahead of tomorrow's match against Bengaluru FC.

"Obviously it's (missing three key players) going to hurt us but we have to work on other strengths to seal the spot in the AFC Cup final."

He didn't mince his words to praise Bengaluru FC as well, "Bengaluru have done a splendid job back at our home and they are obviously having an advantage, thanks to their away goal. But I'm a person who prefers to work and obviously we're coming tomorrow to win the tie."

On the other hand, Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca stated that "this could be special for Indian Football."

The astute Spaniard coach shared with the media that his team won't shy away to play an attacking brand of football tomorrow as they have been doing under his stewardship.

"We know that we have scored against them in Malaysia, which is important. But, our intention is not to sit back and defend. We want to go out and try to score more goals because we will not be able to reach the final with a defensive mindset."

Eugeneson Lyngdoh, who scored a peach of a goal against the defending AFC Cup champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in the first leg, addressed the media as well and cleared his intentions of rewriting the Indian Football history tomorrow.

"Obviously it's about the representation of our country on the bigger stage. We have played up to our potential, but the job is far from done and we need to step up tomorrow to get it done ahead of our home crowd."

Albeit the mercury is soaring up regarding tomorrow's high-octane encounter, Albert Roca mentioned that 'this is a game of football and there will be more such games in the future.'

"I consider that this is a very important match for Indian because only two teams have reached the semifinals and none have reached the final. The people are realizing that this could be special for Indian football. As for me, I try to be calm because I want the team to be calm as well. I do not want them to be overconfident because this is a game of football and there will be more such games in the future. As of now, there is a game tomorrow and we will try to do our best", he signed off on a positive note.

The match is scheduled at 7 PM on October 19, 2016, and it'll be telecast on Star Sports 1 & Star Sports HD 1.

Lyngdoh strike gives Bengaluru big advantage in semifinal

Bengaluru FC Media 

A familiar moment of magic from Eugeneson Lyngdoh set the Blues up nicely for a return leg of the AFC Cup semifinal after the midfielder’s equaliser in the 56th minute gave Bengaluru FC a 1-1 draw against reigning champions Johor Darul Ta’zim at a packed Larkin Stadium, in Malaysia, on Wednesday.

A resolute Bengaluru defence conceded early in the second half but Lyngdoh brought the Blues back to life four minutes later and more importantly, gave them a vital away goal to take back home to Bengaluru as the Indian champions ready for the second-leg at the Kanteerava on October 19.

Refusing to sit back and soak in the pressure as most would have expected them to do at the Larkin, the Blues began rather confidently, enjoying a better share of the possession and even creating a couple of half chances early on through Sunil Chhetri and CK Vineeth. Eugeneson Lyngdoh too came close in the 30th minute but his attempt to place the ball past ’keeper Mohd. Izham lacked sting and direction.

The hosts slowly gained a foothold in the exchanges and it took a brilliant save from Amrinder at point-blank range to deny Juan Lucero a headed opener. The Blues shot-stopper literally pulled the ball out before it crossed the goal line with what was easily the save of the game.

JDT had another big chance in the 37th minute when Mohd. Azinee decided to finish off his run with a strike that he should have put away only to shoot wide. Amrinder wasn’t done yet when he made himself big to keep out a strike from Lucero in the 44th minute.

But it was Lucero’s fellow Argentine striker Diaz who finally broke Amrinder when he nodded home a Safiq Rahim corner from close in the 52nd minute. It was important that Blues didn’t let their shoulders drop as they picked themselves up and were rewarded courtesy another moment of magic from Lyngdoh at the Larkin, just four minutes later. With the ball at his feet and no one challenging him, Lyngdoh let fly a strike with his left from 30 yards out, beating Izham all ends up and silencing the home crowd.

Earlier Roca rung in just one change from the team that drew 0-0 in Singapore last week, bringing in Salam Ranjan for Nishu Kumar as the Blues stacked up in a fluid 3-5-2 set-up. The hosts will be missing both Lucero and Diaz for the second leg after the strike pair picked up their second bookings in the knock-out stages.

Bengaluru FC defeat Lao Toyota and make AFC Cup round of 16 again

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC sealed a spot in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup after goals from Eugeneson Lyngdoh (45th) and Kim Song Yong (60th) in either half gave Bengaluru FC a 2-1 win over Lao Toyota FC at the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.

Three points confirmed second place in Group H for the I-League champions with a game in hand against Group leaders and Cup holders Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia. Bengaluru’s opponents will be the leaders of Group F where the battle to pole position is a three-way race between Kitchee (Hong Kong), Kaya (Philippines) and Balestier Khalsa (Singapore) that will be decided in the last round.

The game got off to a rather somber start with Bengaluru happy to ping the ball around and keep as much possession as possible while looking for an opening between Lao’s defensive lines.

Bengaluru began mounting the pressure as the half wore on with Udanta Singh and Sunil Chhetri finding themselves in dangerous positions in the Lao box only to scuff their shots wide. Kim Song Yong then set off on a brilliant solo run from the half line to the Lao box only to shoot over.
But the surge did enough to suggest a Bengaluru FC goal and Lyngdoh picked the first minute of added time to strike. 

A set of swift passes saw Michael Collins float in a cross from the right as Lyngdoh rose and sent his gracefully glanced header way beyond Vathana Keodouangdeth’s reach.

Bengaluru made it 2-0 on the hour mark when Chhetri squared Lyngdoh’s pass to Kim who finished without ado. The North Korean striker had, only a minute earlier, unselfishly teed up Udanta who was inches away from getting a touch with an open goal at his mercy.

But Lao soon pulled a goal back against the run of play when striker Kazuo Homma rose to head in a freekick in the 67th minute to make it 2-1. The goal was followed by the sending off of Ashley Westwood after he protested about Lao Toyota taking the freekick 10 yards ahead of the spot from where it was awarded.

Hopes of a Lao comeback were dealt a hurdle with when the visitors were reduced to 10 men at the death after defender Saynakhonevieng Phommapanya received his marching orders. The side from Laos tried to work out an opening as the game meandered to its end but the Bengaluru FC defence and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh held strong, decisively claiming speculative long balls in and around the Bengaluru penalty box. 

Bengaluru face exuberant Salgaocar to seal the league

I-League Media 
Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC’s eye on the coveted Hero I-League is pretty apparent. They played with a second string side in their 4th round AFC Cup match against Ayeyawady United, Myanmar last Wednesday. Gaffer Westwood refrained from fielding a full-strength squad which included stars like Sunil Chettri, Eugenson Lyngdoh, and all four foreigners - ensuring he gets his best eleven against Salgaocar tomorrow. 

A win and they take home the Hero I-League. Winning the silverware twice in their three-season existence. That would be an impressive record for Bengaluru FC. 

Salgaocar have been on a late upsurge - they are unbeaten for the past five rounds and fared extremely well in their Round 16 match against Aijwal FC. Playing an away match versus the newly-promoted I-League team, they won 1-0. The win took Santosh Kashyap’s team out of the relegation threat.

Bengaluru Gaffer looked poised, in his usual manner he said, “I have no expectations, it is a normal game of football – we will play for win. Everything is in our hands, hope we’ll put up a good performance, and get results thereafter.”

Ashley further added, “We are at home, chance for us to put up a good performance in front of our fans.” 

Eugenson has been a mainstay in the Bengaluru team. His return after six-weeks of injury has made most of the difference for his team. Citing how tormenting it is to stay away from the game, he responded, “Always tough for a player to be on the sideline, but then Injury is a part and parcel of football.

“When Eugene got injured, Shankar came in and did a good job for us, then he got injured! We always got the capability to shuffle around. Should Eugune being fit throughout the season, he probably wouldn’t have played all the games, we would have rotated him. It is just another opportunity for players to step into his shoes”, Ashley added. 

With two more rounds to go (including tomorrow’s match), Salgaocar would surely like to climb up the points table, and finish as the 4th best team. But most importantly they would be spoiling Bengaluru’s party and keep the I-League alive till the last round. 

However, one major worry for Kashyap’s is his star performer Daryll Duffy’s absence. Duffy, who has scored eleven goals for Salgaocar in HeroI-league, is not considered for the match owing to card suspension. 

“We are not in pressure, the pressure is on Bengaluru, giggled Kashyap.

”We will see how we can put more pressure on them, so that they crack.”

Santosh Kashyap added, “We’ve achieved our first objective, which is to avoid relegation. Now we are aiming to finish at the top for and we will achieve only by playing well in the last two rounds.”

Salgaocar coach is unperturbed by Duffy’s absence, “Duffy is an important member, in his absence, we’ve defeated East Bengal, also, fared well on other matches in his absence.” 
The Goan team missing few more players due to injury, Kashyap added, “It is not just only Duffey, there are several other members like Gurjinder Kumar, Calvin Mbarga, Clifton Dias, who are injured and not in the recent scheme of things. But we have a big squad, it is up to the players like Manandeep and rest to rise to the occasion.” 

When the title of the league is decided in the last 4 minutes of the final round, it is too early to decide, considering there are still two rounds left. 

Blues shine at Kanteerava, inch toward title

I-League Media
Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC registered a thumping 3-1 win against Kingfisher East Bengal tonight to get one step closer towards their second Hero I-League silverware in three years.

Both teams missed their mainstay in the central defence in the likes of John Johnson and Arnab Mondal. Side back Keegan Pereira filled in Johnson’s shoes and French international Bernard Mendy dropped back to deep defence to pair with Bello Rasaq.

Bengaluru took the first bite at the cherry in the second minute when Eugenson’s free kick looped in ominously on the top of Kingfisher East Bengal’s goal, missing the target by a few inches.

The visitors took the lead from a surprise goal on the half-hour mark via Do Dong-Hyun. As the U22 player Malsawmzuala lost the control of the ball on the half-line, Do Dong sneaked in and placed the ball neatly at the back of the net.

Perhaps Bengaluru FC needed this kick to make a come back into the game. Within two minutes, they equalized from an excellent attacking move, and this time the red & Golds defense was caught napping. North Korean striker Kim Song Yong collected the ball from the right flank, and dispatches for Eugenson Lyngdoh, who heads home in perfection.

The players headed to the dressing room with the scoreline read as 1-1.

After the lemon break, The other side of the half witnessed some urgency from the visitors, Amrinder was tested by Do Dong and Ranti Martines on a few occasions. However, much to their horror, the hosts pumped two goals in quick succession.

Kim Song Yong finally got his scoring boot on, an inch-perfect cross from Eugeneson from the left in the 64th minute found the lanky striker who did no mistake to go on to score his fifth goal in his first season of Hero I-League.

Minutes later the Blues pumped in another goal, much to the mistake by Kingfisher East Bengal goalie Rehenesh TP. A powerful long ranger from Malsawmzuala tried his luck from 25 yards out and Rehenesh could not parry it safely, to add many woes to his team.

Bengaluru FC, who already started to sense their third victory in six face-offs with the Red & Golds, saw off the last minutes cautiously.

With the momentary win, Bengaluru FC leapfrogged defending champions Mohun Bagan to the top of the table with 29 points from 14 matches whereas Kingfisher East Bengal are placed third with 24 points playing same number of matches.

Bengaluru share points with DSK, miss chance to grab the pole position

Bengaluru FC Media 
I-League Media 

Bengaluru FC squandered the chance to top of the League as sole leaders after the Blues played out a 1-1 draw against DSK Shivajians at the Balewadi Stadium, in Pune, on Wednesday. Eugeneson Lyngdoh’s first goal for the club this season was cancelled in a matter of minutes by DSK striker Asier Pierrick Dipanda’s header in the 37th minute to share spoils in what was a game played at a very fast pace.

The draw takes Bengaluru to 26 points, equal with Mohun Bagan who have played a game more than Ashley Westwood’s side. East Bengal are in third with 24 points, having played as many games as the Blues.

Bengaluru’s opener came in the 34th minute when Lyngdoh was at hand to tap home a rebound from close after Sunil Chhetri saw his freekick pushed to the post by Subrata Paul. But DSK found their equaliser just minutes later when Dipanda rose to nod home Juan Barraso’s cross from the left.

The hosts switched gears after the goal with Douhou Pierre, Dipanda and Barraso linking up well but the Blues defence refused to buckle under pressure, seeing the half through at 1-1.  

Westwood rang in three changes from the side that beat Mumbai FC on Saturday. Skipper Chhetri and defender Keegan Pereira made the starting XI along with young Daniel Lalhlimpuia who came in for Kim Song Yong.

The Blues began the second half with a change, Westwood bringing in Ranjan Salam Singh for Curtis Osano. The Englishman’s second change of the night came on the hour mark when he replaced Daniel with Lalchhuanmawia. The introduction of the nippy defender saw Chhetri move up to join CK Vineeth in attack.

The two almost combined for what looked like the lead when the skipper’s nod down from Rino Anto’s cross was intercepted by Milan Singh with Vineeth waiting at the other end. Minutes before the move, DSK were denied by the post after Pierrick’s diving header from a Baljit Sahni cross, grazed the woodwork on its way out. Pierrick came close in again in the 85th minute but this time Amrinder Singh didn’t need the post, diving on his left to push the strike out.

Bengaluru could have had the winner in the 87th minute but were left to rue woeful decision making by Thoi Singh. The midfielder, in the box with the ball at his feet and Chhetri to square a pass to, chose to strike instead. But with Paul having his angles covered, Bengaluru could only wonder what could have been.

The Blues next host East Bengal in Bengaluru on Sunday. 

Bengaluru FC meet DSK Shivajians in a key encounter

I-League Media
Bengaluru FC Media

With only four games left to play for, Bengaluru are a just a point behind leaders Mohun Bagan, having played two games lesser. The Kolkata side, who conceded at the death in a 2-2 draw away to Shillong Lajong on Tuesday, have now picked up just one point their last three games. 

While a win against DSK Shivajians would send the Blues two points clear at the top with a game in hand, the gaffer believes his side is well prepared for the challenge.

DSK Shivajians have an enviable task at hand of plugging spokes into the run and inevitably the visitors’ will go all out to take another step closer to win their second Hero I-League trophy after claiming it in their debut season in 2013-14.

DSK Shivajians have done well winning three of the six matches played at the Balewadi Sports Complex Stadium so far including the momentary wins against Kingfisher East Bengal and Sporting Clube de Goa in their last two matches played.

“We’re approaching the last two or three weeks of the season and we’ve got a big ten days in front of us. We play DSK then East Bengal and Salgaocar but we can only plan for the next game which is against DSK and we’ve done our homework and we’re well prepared,” said Westwood after the Blues’ training session on Tuesday.

Bengaluru FC have quietly been going on about their business this season. Ashley Westwood's boys are within touching distance of the league leaders and they have already started to sense their second Hero I-League trophy in three years. Young Daniel Lalhlimpuia turned up with the winner against Mumbai FC on Saturday, going to show the kind of depth Bengaluru has. The win also marked the return of Eugeneson Lyngdoh from injury and the midfielder showed more than just a few glimpses of what he brings to the team.

On the injury front, skipper Sunil Chhetri could be in the reckoning after missing out on the Mumbai FC game with a sore groin. “We've done our work and the lads are in good form. We're hopeful of having a few more bodies back on the pitch for this game and a few more selection problems which is what you want at this stage of the season,” opined Westwood.

The last fixture of round 15 will be telecast live on Ten 2 at 7:05 PM.

Bengaluru FC break Mumbai jinx via Daniel Lalhlimpuia goal

AIFF Media
Bengaluru FC Media

Maintaining pressure all through the second half, Bengaluru FC defeated Mumbai FC 1-0 from a Daniel Lalhlimpuia goal at Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Bengaluru have been a bogey team to Mumbai FC. The outcome of the Kolkata derby also worked in favor of Bengaluru, provided an added incentive to outperform Mumbai FC. 

Eugenson made a comeback today after staying out for more than 2 months owing to injury but Captain Sunil Chettri had sit out for his injury. 

Bengaluru pressed and gained corner in the very first minute, followed by a couple in the next 10 minutes. However none gave way to goal.

For Mumbai FC, medio Eric Brown was controlling the middle, something that Bengaluru was missing most of the time in the first half. Few positive attack from Bengaluru centered on Kim Song kept the Mumbai keeper busy. 

In the 30th minute Pawan Kumar, who turned for Bengaluru until few seasons ago came out of the charge chasing the ball, collided with rushing Kim Song, and conceded a free kick from the good position. Eugune’s low trajectory kick was timely rescued by Mumbai defense. 

Vineeth made some valiant runs but lacked the final touch. Half-time ended in a draw. 

Post lemon break, Osano tripped Taisuke Matsugae from behind, which earned a free kick at the top of the box and a caution from the referee. Eric Brown’s kick did not do any good for his team. 

It was all Bengaluru FC after the first few minutes in the second half. 

They lost an opportunity in the 58th minute from a constructive run from Seiminlen that went for Vineeth, the latter’s attempt on the goal was blocked by keeper, Kim on follow up set for Thoi and was blocked again. 

The ah-moment went on for few more minutes originating again from Seiminlen. Another chance went begging for Bengaluru as the combination of Seiminlen and Vineeth could not see the goal from the melee. 

Substitution by gaffer Ashley Westwood in quick succession gave Bengaluru the much-needed goal. An attacking Udanta scooped the ball inside the box for Vineeth, Mumbai FC keeper made the mistake of the match by letting the ball go, Vineeth pulls the ball for Daniel, who neatly places the ball to the back of the net. 

With today's win, Bengaluru FC leapfrogged Kingfisher East Bengal to the second spot in the league table with 25 points. Bengaluru FC have started sensing the title with Mohun Bagan going down to their arch rivals Kingfisher East Bengal in the other match today. Either of the two Kolkata outfits and Bengaluru FC, who are separated by only 2 points among them, can lift the coveted silverware at the end of the Hero I-League season.

Bengaluru seek vengeance over Mumbai FC

AIFF Media
I-League Media 

Keeping the focus to claim the top spot in the Hero I-League, Bengaluru FC meet Mumbai FC tomorrow at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. 

The encounter can be fairly termed as a high-stake match with Mumbai FC turning out Bengaluru’s nemesis, the later never defeated Mumbai in I-League. and the away match earlier this season turned out to be a 0-2 drub. 

Bengaluru FC preparation for tomorrow’s match is just like any other game, feels Gaffer Ashley Westwood. On the injury front, Eugeneson Lyngdoh is back to full fitness, both physically and mentally, and he is in contention for starting eleven. 

“We need to see where Eugene stands for the game. Sunil Chhetri had an injury before he went for the National Camp, that’s the reason he did not feature in the match against Turkmenistan. We’re assessing him on a day-to-day basis, it is not a long term injury, we’ll see how it is, if he stay enough focused, then he’ll play, if not, he won’t.” added Ashley. 

Mumbai FC, represented by Manager and Assistant Coach, Henry Picardo in the pre-match press conference stressed the importance of tomorrows match. Mumbai had a decent break, which helped in players’ recovery. 

Mumbai FC started their Hero I-League on a fantastic note but failed to carry on the momentum. 

“We got a very good team on paper, unfortunately we had a lot player injuries, which is quite obvious in a league. That was a major setback for us. But for tomorrow we have a full strength squad” mentioned Henry. Their key players Taisuke Matsugae, Min-chol Son, and Ijumi Arata suffered injuries. 

Gaffer termed the loss against Mumbai FC as freak, “Bengaluru played for the first time at Cooperage ground. Though we had the majority possession, we conceded to early goals, which made us difficult to come back to the game.” 

He looked content with the progress of the Hero I-League, “Several teams are coming up now and there will be lot of twists and turns. What we can do best is to win our next game.” Ashley sums up, “As long as we keep the season alive, I’ll be happy!”

Mumbai FC Manager is not ready to bask on the fantastic record his team enjoys against the Steelmen. He further added, “We barely keep statistics in our mind while playing a match. Whatever happened earlier is now behind us. We only focus on our next game, and the one that is important for us is the game against Bengaluru tomorrow. 

Talking about the new-found rivalry between Bengaluru and Mumbai, Henry sounded enthusiastic, “There has to be rivals - rivalry between clubs and their fans. This is needed to prosper football in our country. Since last year this has been a key point. We have come here, there will be loud Bengaluru fans, when we played at home, there were Mumbai FC fans.  

Bengaluru take on Johor Darul Ta'zim tomorrow at Kanteerava

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC will be up against reigning champions Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia when AFC Cup action returns to the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday night but Blues gaffer Ashley Westwood said his side will play without the burden of pressure and look to give a good account of themselves.  “It’s going to be a good game. They are a good team and are champions of the AFC Cup with right reason. We’ve played them last season and know what to expect from them. They have made a couple of changes from last year and I believe they are stronger,” said Westwood of the opposition that is coached by Argentine Mario Gomez.  The two sides met in the AFC Champions League qualifier last season at the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium – a dramatic game that Eugeneson Lyngdoh took to extra-time swinging home directly from a corner in the 90th minute before Chanturu Suppiah’s winner in the 98th minute quelled what was more than a valiant show on Bengaluru's Asian debut.  Injuries have hampered Bengaluru’s season and with the Blues set to play their fifth game in 14 days, a packed schedule hasn’t helped either. “We’ve traveled away to Laos, played at home before traveling to Shillong and then Goa with most of these trips being 3 am starts. There is fatigue from all the travel but we’ll see who looks fresh at training and pick a team that will give us the best chance to qualify out of the group." said Westwood.  Striker CK Vineeth and central defender Curtis Osano, both recovering from groin strains, are doubtful starters while Lyngdoh is yet to completely recover from a fracture. Midfielder Shankar Sampingiraj, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured cruciate.  JDT began their title defence in emphatic fashion, beating Myanmar club Ayeyawady United 8-1 with their Argentine striking pair of Pereyra Diaz and Juan Lucero among the goals while club and national team skipper Mohd. Safiq bagged a hat-trick. “They (JDT) are a very good side technically. They play with a lot of quick touches and have good players. They have a good set of strikers, a good defence and good foreigners. They have spent good money in the transfer market and that has let them buy the best out there. They are a good side but not unbeatable. We aren’t going into this game to make up the numbers but to give a good account of ourselves. We are playing a decent Asian side and we believe we are one as well,” said Westwood.  Echoing the gaffer’s sentiments was skipper Sunil Chhetri who said the team was motivated to do well, given the manner things ended up the last time they played JDT. “We backed ourselves there and did well and when we play at home, we back ourselves even more. As players we are going to look the other way in terms of fatigue and hectic travel and go out there and give nothing less than 100%.” 

Lao Toyota defeat Bengaluru FC 2-1 in AFC Cup opener

Bengaluru FC Media 

A late Bengaluru FC charge wasn't enough as Ashley Westwood's side went down 2-1 to Lao Toyota FC in their Group H opener of the AFC Cup, in Vientiane, on Wednesday.

Bengaluru found themselves a goal down in as early as the third minute through Kazuo Homma and a Phatthana Syvilay free-kick in the 35th minute made it 2-0 before half-time. The second half sending off of defender Moukda Souksavath turned the tide towards Bengaluru, who pulled one back in the 91st minute through CK Vineeth but it was too little too late for the Blues who should have done better in the box. 

Earlier, Westwood, missing skipper Sunil Chhetri with an injury, started with Kim Song Yong, CK Vineeth and Beikhokhei Beingaichho in attack.

But before the Blues could settle down and string together a rhythm, Lao Toyota capitalised on a defensive lapse to grab the lead. Squirming out of the box from a muddle, Curtis Osano had the ball stolen from his feet by Itsuki Yamada who slid in the experienced Homma through and the seasoned Japanese striker obliged with the simplest of finishes. 

But despite the early hiccup, Bengaluru regrouped rather quickly and had a couple of half chances. Being picked out by a pass from the middle, Vineeth beat the off-side trap before cutting back for Alwyn George who Bengaluru players thought was brought down before he could take a shot but referee Yu Ming Hsun would have none of it.

Just when Bengaluru were getting into some sort of a groove, Lao landed a blow through a free-kick that the Blues needlessly conceded. It started when Ralte's attempt to pick out Alwyn was intercepted forcing the 'keeper to charge out of his box to thwart the shot at goal. However, the Blues were livid after the assistant referee raised his flag for a handball while the ball had struck Ralte square in the stomach. Hsun waived off the angry protests before booking Ralte and awarding Lao with a free-kick five yards outside the box that eventually lead to the goal. 

Westwood effected two changes at half time, bringing on Udanta Singh and Malsawmzuala for Beikhokhei Beingaichho and Alwyn. The injection of pace down the right quickly began causing Lao trouble and Bengalauru could have had a goal in the 51st minute when Udanta slid Collins in, only for the midfielder to shoot straight at Lao 'keeper Vathana Keodouangdeth. 

The red card in the 65th minute gave Bengaluru time to capitalise on the man advantage and Westwood soon introduced striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia who played his first game for Bengaluru, in the 70th minute. 

The last twenty minutes was all Bengaluru FC where Kim, Collins and Udanta, all had chances that they should have put away. The goal did come when Vineeth, slid in down the left, lost his man and shot past Vathana in the first minute of additional time. With four minutes of additional time to play for, Lalchhuanmawia had a flash at goal only to see it clip the shoulder of the post and fly out. A free-kick was the final throw of the dice for Bengaluru but the equaliser just wasn't meant to be.

The Blues return to the city where they host Aizawl FC on Sunday as action in the I-League resumes for Westwood's side.  

Bengaluru FC meet DSK Shivajians tomorrow

AIFF Media 


Coming from contrasting results in the previous round, Bengaluru FC and DSK Shivajians FC will meet in Round 7 of the Hero I-League to be played tomorrow, February 10, 7.05 pm at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. 

Bengaluru FC suffered a setback when they lost 2-1 to 10-men Sporting Clube de Goa at home last Saturday while new entrant in Hero I-League, DSK Shivajians, struggling in 8th position in a 9-team competition defeated Mumbai FC in the Maharashtra derby at the Balewadi Stadium, Pune on last Sunday. 

Bengaluru’s midfield looked unstable in the previous round, perhaps to do with the absence of lively Eugenson Lyngdoh, out injured for five weeks owing to a hairline fracture. Also, holding medio Michael Collins, who debuted for the Blues could not make an impression.  

DSK Manager Derrick Pereira is having fair deal of experience in coaching in Pune with Pune FC till few seasons back is a worried man - mainly because of injury to several key players. 

“We are building the team and we’re yet to get the best combination,” points Pereira. The team from Pune have scored only one goal thus far from 5 matches. Forwards’ inability to convert goals is a matter of concern for Derrick. 

Bengaluru FC Gaffer is not taking his opponents lightly. “Derrick Pereira is an experienced coach, tomorrows match will be a tough game for us. They have few good foreigners in Douhou Pierre and Zohib Amiri who got loads of experience playing in India”, adds Ashley in his usual tone. 
“We have seen their game and done our homework”, assures Ashley.   

Medio Shankar Sampingiraj who had a brilliant game against East Bengal had to sit out in the last match. Coach clarifies, “Shankar was physically stressed after a great game against East Bengal. In our last game against Sporting, we fielded the best team. We have to play 3 games in 7 days. It is not possible to play the same 11 players for all the matches.” 

Bengaluru would be looking to make amends before they clash with the previous season’s Hero I-League winner Mohun Bagan on Saturday, February 13. 

Bengaluru whack Salgaokar, take pole position

Propelled by a favorable result in Mohun Bagan’s match yesterday, the Blues whopped seventh-placed Salgaokar 3-1 at their fortress. 

Salgaokar coach Derrick Perriera preferred Karanjit Singh over National team skipper Subrata Paul. Something to do with Paul’s performance in their 2-4 loss against Royal Wahingdoh! They kicked off the game from right to left.   

Bengaluru began the game in a positive note. The game was only 3 minutes old, a big appeal from Bengaluru when CK Vineeth fell down inside the edge of box, referee Ajit Metei overruled the plea.

They forced the first corner in 6th after a beautiful wall pass between Shankar and Thoi, however the corner yielded any result. 

A horrendous pass from Salgaokar defender Augustin Fernandes in 10th minute almost gave an opening to BFC. 

Heavy downpour at the middle of the first-half made the ground heavy, players found difficult to play control the ball.

The first goal for the Blues came in 25th minute, Thoi Singh who was on the top of the box received the ball after a goalmouth melee from Eugenson’s corner, Thoi’s accurate attempt kept the ball into the back of the net. 

It was all Bengaluru after the goal with the strikers missed scoring opportunities at least three-times. The visitors came close in few occasions, the long rangers kept the Bengaluru defense perturbed, but proved futile for Salgaokar. 

Salgaokar came back well in the later half. Keeper Ralte put up a brave save at the beginning of the second-half, when Salgaokar was holding the game. That was one powerful shot from skipper Douhou, which was on target. 

Few minutes later, it was Douhou again in action, this time a curling shot from free-kick which Ralte managed to put away. 

The consistent pressure proved good for them. Striker Darryl Duffy came up with a world class equalizer from Douhou’s cross. 

However, within no time Bengaluru took the lead again courtesy Mr. consistent Eugenson Lyngdoh. It was Vineeth's header via Rooney’s cross which keeper Karanjit prevented only to find a marching Lyngdoh who coolly placed the ball in the goal. 

One cannot keep Lyngdoh out of action. Bengaluru took 3-1 lead and this time with his assist. Lyngdoh’s precise corner which central back Curtis Osano headed to goal. That was Osano’s first goal for Bengaluru FC!