Chennaiyin pip Kickstart to qualify for Stafford Cup semi-finals

The Group D final round matches of Stafford Challenge Cup were interestingly poised. Before taking their opponents today, local favourite Kickstart FC and Chennaiyin FC were equal on points (3), head-to-head (2-2), and goal difference (+1) - their opponents were ARA FC and Kerala United FC respectively. ARA RC too were in contention, they needed to win against Kickstart, which also required Chennaiyin to lose against Kerala United). 

Both games were scheduled on the same time today morning - Kickstart FC Vs ARA FC at the Bangalore Football Stadium and Chennaiyin FC Vs Kerala United FC at the HAL Ground. 

Kickstart FC did convincingly win 3-1 against ARA FC, however their win was not enough compared to Chennaiyin FC’s 9-0 thrashing to Kerala United FC pipping Kickstart to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kickstart rally back to win 3-2 against Kerala United in Stafford Challenge Cup

KSFA Media

Kickstart Football Club began their Stafford Challenge Cup campaign in group D with a stunning 3-2 come from behind victory over Kerala United FC here on Friday. In the last game of the day, from Group C, Delhi FC got the better of Kenkre FC 1-0.

Kickstart were down 0-2 in the first half. A lob from Velayudhan was palmed away by goalkeeper Deepak S. but right on to the head of his stopper Rahul who as retreating. The ball struck him on his head and landed inside the net in the 13th minute.

Kerala United made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute when Akmal Shan put away a cross from Muhammed Fasal from close range.

Kickstart came up for the second half full of energy and enthusiasm. They built up a series of attacks and threatened the opponent goal from both flanks. Edwin Rosario went clear of the defence off a through pass from Ryan Wilfred. But he only hit wide. But a goal was imminent, and it duly came in the 55th minute when Edwin Rosario made amends and this time placed home Ryan Wilfred’s lob into the net over the head of the onrushing goalkeeper Mohammed Sinan. But Ryan himself muffed an open chance hitting wide. But in the 61st minute, it was 2-2 when Satish Kumar went in and banged home his left footer.

Once they restored parity, it was 3-2 when Muzamiri Mtanga dashed in and banged home a measured pass from Edwin Rosario. Once they hit the front, Kickstart never looked back and kept their opponents at bay to win and take home three points.

Delhi FC managed to score once and hold on to the lead.  They dominated play but had to wait till the 55th minute for the goal. Khyriem pieced together a fine pass form Gaurav Rawat to bang home a curling left-footer. Earlier, Lalrunzuala muffed a sitter placing ide despite an empty net staring him in the face. Though they attacked often, Kenkre FC did not manage to find the net and the confident Delhi FC held firm to hang on and gain full points.

 

Kerala United FC take on Corbett FC in search for first points in Hero I-League Qualifiers

I-League Media 

Kerala United FC will take on Corbett FC in search of their first points in Group B of the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2021. The match will be played at the Bangalore Football Stadium on October 7, 2021 at 3:45 PM IST. Both teams will be keen to register their first win of the competition, as KUFC will want to set the record straight following their 1-2 defeat against Kenkre FC in their opening match. Although Corbett FC managed to open their account in the points tally following a draw against ARA FC in their first game, the Uttarakhand side would like to go one better and secure a win this time around.

Kerala United FC head coach Bino George was left ruing the missed opportunities in his team’s opening encounter against Kenkre FC. Although his side turned in a performance which they can take positives from, Kerala United’s lack of sharpness in front of goal is something that George will look to set right in subsequent matches.

Speaking at a virtual press conference before the match tomorrow, George said, “We did not play badly last time around, but we were not clinical in front of goal. We have to rectify that in the next game, and that is what we are working towards. We will have some more players available for our next match, including Arjun (KUFC Captain), so we are prepared to go all out for the win.”

George stated that the team composition for Kerala United is to his liking, and the team will be strengthened by the availability of some players who missed out on their opening game due to injury. He said, “We have a really young team with players around the age of 20 and 22, so we will learn from these experiences and get better. After the match, we have had team meetings and regained our focus on the road ahead. Arjun Jayaraj coming back into the team is also a positive, as we play much better with him on the pitch.”

Team captain Arjun Jayaraj missed the first match due to injury, but is itching to get back on the field and help his team get all three points in their outing against Corbett FC. He said, “We are disappointed as a team from the first game, but that is behind us now and our focus is fully on the task ahead. We want to go out and give our best tomorrow.”

Corbett FC plied their trade in the Uttarakhand state league and the I-League 2nd Division. Head Coach Caetano Pinho admitted that the Hero I-League Qualifiers are a competitive affair, and Corbett FC will need to rise to the occasion in order to give a good account of themselves in the tournament.

Pinho said in a pre-match press conference that Corbett FC has made adjustments to compete at this level. He said, “We have revamped the team so that we can compete at this level. The mood in the dressing room is positive after our first match. We have a couple of minor injuries from the game, but overall, the mood in the dressing room is to focus on the objective, which is to qualify for the I-League.”

Pinho remained upbeat and confident that his wards can unlock their potential and perform at a higher level in the upcoming matches, after a performance that calmed their nerves against ARA FC. He said, “I am confident that our levels will improve in the next matches. It is our debut at this stage, so it was important to get the first match out of the way and get a point from that game. Now that the players know what they can expect from this competition, I think we will take more confidence into our next matches and perform better. Even before I could speak to the team about a post-match analysis, the players themselves identified where they need to improve and had a chat with me. That was a very positive sign for me.”

The Group B encounter between Kerala United FC and Corbett FC will be streamed live on the Hero I-League’s official Facebook page.

 

Kenkre FC stage comeback to win 2-1 against Kerala United FC

AIFF Media 

Kenkre FC put up an impressive display of grit and determination to win their opening Group B encounter against Kerala United FC (KUFC) at the Bangalore Football Stadium. After going 1-0 behind early in the second half with a goal from winger Bujair Valiyattu, Kenkre FC came from behind to register a 2-1 victory over KUFC, thanks to goals from substitute Lester Fernandez and striker Ranjeet Singh. The win sends Kenkre FC at the top of Group B, with the remaining matches in the group yet to kick-off.

The match began with both teams going through the motions to grow into the game in the first ten minutes, as KUFC implemented a rigorous high press to try and win the ball back high up the pitch. In the 7th minute, KUFC left back Munmum Lugun had the first sighting of goal as he took on a shot from distance that drew the first save of the game from Kenkre FC goalkeeper Tenzin Samdup.

Kenkre FC had their first crack at goal in the 12th minute, after winning a free-kick in a promising position 20 yards from goal. Aravind Rajan stepped up to take the set piece for Kenkre, but the KUFC wall combined to block the direct free-kick.

By the 15th minute into the game, KUFC midfielders Akhil P and Adersh Mattummal were dominating proceedings for the side from Kerala. In the heart of the KUFC defence, Gabriel Lima remained a towering presence as he continued to diffuse opposition attacks, and initiated passing moves from the back.

As both teams tried to play through the middle and keep the ball, both midfields were working hard to win the ball back for their respective teams time and time again. Overall, the first half remained a fairly scrappy affair, as both teams went back and forth at each other. Kiran Pandhare tried to get on the ball for Kenkre and dictate play for his team from the heart of midfield.

In the 29th minute, the play was called to a halt for one minute by the referee for a cooling break. This has been a new post-pandemic introduction into the domestic game, which teams often use to regroup after the first phase of the match. KUFC immediately upped the ante after the cooling break, restarting play with a renewed attacking vigour. In the 31st minute, KUFC winger Bujair Valiyattu fashioned an excellent opportunity for himself, as he received a pass from Adersh and came onto his favoured left foot to take a shot from just inside the box. After creating a shooting opportunity, Bujair placed his fierce low drive just towards the wrong side of the near post.

The match remained at a stalemate at the halfway point, as the first half drew to a close. The Kerala side had the slightly better chances in the first half, but Kenkre FC remained in the game throughout, even shading the possession stats in their advantage, with 57% of the ball possession in the first half.

Kerala United made the first breakthrough three minutes after half time, as they eventually added final product to their promising patterns of play. As Akhil P fed the ball out to the left flank, Salman K found himself in space to produce a good cross, which was flicked on at the near post by Nimshad Roshan. Bujair Valiyattu timed his run perfectly to come in at the far post and rifle the ball high into Tenzin’s goal to make it 1-0 for Kerala United.

As KUFC took charge in the game and looked likely to add to their advantage, Kenkre FC were helped by the introduction of substitute Lester Fernandez, who brought a measure of experience and composure to Kenkre’s play. Fernandez expertly slotted away a penalty for Kenkre FC in the 65th minute, after Gabriel Lima gave away a foul inside the box with a mistimed lunging tackle.

After coming back on level terms, Kenkre FC made it a double whammy seven minutes later in the 72nd minute to turn the game around after going behind. Aravind Rajan sent in a peach of a low cross from the right flank after a fast flowing move, which Ranjeet Singh finished from close range to give Kenkre FC a 2-1 lead to hold onto for the remainder of the game.

Kenkre FC proved to be a resolute defensive unit for the final 15 minutes of the game, as they held on to the slender one goal lead in the face of continuous pressure from the KUFC ranks towards the end of the game. As KUFC dominated the ball and continued to try and force the issue, they were largely confined to chances from set-plays and attempts from range, as the Kerala side struggled to break down the Kenkre FC defence.

That match finished with a 2-1 win for the side from Maharashtra, leaving it all to do for KUFC for the rest of the group stage matches. Kenkre FC will now look forward to their next encounter against ARA FC on October 9, 2021.

 

10 teams to participate in Hero I-League Qualifiers 2021 in Bengaluru

AIFF Media 

The Indian Football domestic season is all set to get underway with the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2021, which is set to take place at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from October, 2021.

A total of 10 teams will represent as many states in the Hero I-League Qualifiers 2021, from within a centrally organised Bio Bubble in Bengaluru.

This edition of the Hero I-League Qualifiers will also see as many as seven teams make their debut – Hyderya Sports FC (J&K), Corbett FC (Uttarakhand), Delhi FC (Delhi), Madan Maharaj FC (Madhya Pradesh), Rajasthan United FC (Rajasthan), Kerala United FC (Kerala), Ryntih SC (Meghalaya). Meanwhile, the likes of ARA FC (Gujarat), Kenkre FC (Maharashtra), and FC Bengaluru United (Karnataka), who have played in the competition before, complete the lineup.

The aforementioned clubs have all gone through the process of nomination by their respective state FAs, and have successfully submitted the required documents for the league and club licensing on time.

The 10 teams who will be playing in the Hero I-League qualifiers are as follows:

• Hyderya Sports FC (J&K)
• Corbett FC (Uttarakhand)
• Delhi FC (Delhi)
• Madan Maharaj FC (Madhya Pradesh)
• Rajasthan United FC (Rajasthan)
• ARA FC (Gujarat)
• Kenkre FC (Maharashtra)
• FC Bengaluru United (Karnataka)
• Kerala United FC (Kerala)
• Ryntih SC (Meghalaya)