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Bengaluru FC Media
Bengaluru FC finished off their Hero I-League campaign defeating Churchill Brothers 3-0, their sixth win (including AFC Cup) in as many matches. The result ensured they ended their campaign with 30 points from 18 matches at the 4th spot in the League table.
Churchill, on the other hand, finished with 20 points from 18 matches, their position in the table to be decided on the morrow.
Keeping an eye on the forthcoming Hero Federation Cup which kicks-off on May 7, BFC Coach Albert Roca preferred to rest a number of his star players. Goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte was handed his first I-League game with the Blues fielding just one foreigner — defender Juanan pairing up with Sandesh Jhingan in Central defence.
With the starting eleven boasting of five U-22 players, the hosts surged into the lead as early as the 5thminute – former AIFF Academy product Gursimrat Singh swaying an inch-perfect cross from the right flank for another former AIFF Academy product Daniel Lalhlimpuia to tap it in.
A minute before conceding the goal, Churchill, however, had bagged the first corner of the match which they failed to capitalise.
The visitors missed an easy chance to equalise a few minutes later when Anthony D’souza despite finding himself in a 1v1 with Goalkeeper Ralte failed to make the most of it.
Meanwhile, some silky touches from the talented Udanta Singh puzzled Churchill defence. And it was the slippery Manipuri who doubled the lead in the 35th minute.
Grabbing a through pass, he cut in past the onrushing rival keeper Naveen Kumar, controlled it, and slotted it home as BFC headed to the interval with a two-goal cushion.
Changing over, Churchill brought in striker Kromah, in an effort to add more thrust to attack. Both Kromah and his captain Anton Wolfe raided Bengaluru with solo efforts but an alert Bengaluru defence wasn’t to be broken.
The final goal for the Blues came in the 84th minute – winger Mandar Rao Dessai curling it in off a pass from Salam Ranjan Singh.
Mandar was adjudged the Hero of the Match.
AIFF Media
Bengaluru FC Media
With the sole intent of consolidating the good start, Hero I-League title contender Bengaluru FC (BFC) take on Mumbai FC (MFC) tomorrow at the Sree Kanterava Stadium, Bengaluru.
Both teams have made a perfect start to their league campaign – BFC winning both their home ties convincingly and MFC winning a home and away. Bengaluru tops the points table with a better goal difference.
MFC have always been a hard nut to crack for the champions. In the last three editions of I-League, they’ve manage to beat them only once, that is last year at home.
Roca, whose two timely substitutions in the last match paid rich divided sounded cautious. He said, “After two wins, they’ll come stronger mentally and they have enough talents to put us in trouble, but we’re ready for a hard battle.”
Thoi Singh and Karan Sawney, two former BFC men have truly prospered for Mumbai in the last match.
Bengaluru have signed few Indian players lately - Lenny, Harmanjot Khabra, and Mandar Rao Dessai among them have featured in the starting eleven.
According to Roca, “It is not easy for the new players to understand the philosophy of the new club from the first week. What I want from them is to be at par with the existing team at the earliest. But we have to give them time for that.”
“We are trying to build a superior team, this team is under construction, we’re adjusting things, and not completed yet!” added coach.
Roca is completely aware of opponents’ strength, which is speed. They have a good forward in Victorino Fernandes, he plans to cut the supply of long balls.
BFC’s philosophy is to build the game from behind against MFC’s counter attack theory. So for Roca it is important not to lose the ball and give Mumbai the opportunity to counter attack.
Bengaluru would want to bag full points before they play a difficult away game against East Bengal this weekend.
The Essel Group-owned MFC is trained by Santosh Kashyap, a shrewd coach capable of upstaging the big-wigs!
Talking to the media, coach sounded positive, “Great start for us in I-League, our players have put in the best effort, and team is high on confidence.”
Kashyap is targeting for a top three finish. “I have great respect for BFC, we are going to meet the strongest opponent. Believe tomorrow’s match is going to be a championship match for us.” he adds.
Mumbai will take the field sans foreigners, owing to transfer formalities, which is yet to be completed.
Kashyap is content with his current batch, “I believe in Indian players and they have responded positively in such a short span of time. Boys have been fantastic on home as well as away matches.”
“I have trust and confidence in them; they are doing good job!” adds the Mumbai-based coach who believes in playing attacking style of football.
The match is scheduled at 7 pm and will be telecast live on TEN2.
AIFF Media
On the auspicious day of Sankranti, in what could be termed as a South Indian Derby in the Hero I-league, Bengaluru FC, thanks to late goals from their substitutes Roby Norales and CK Vineeth, defeated Chennai City FC 2-0.
BFC started again with an all-Indian attack leaving Cameron Watson on the bench and having introduced Mandar Rao Dessai in the starting line-up.
Chennai City FC almost had the same first eleven from their last match sans the Afghani international Haroon Amiri and throwing the Brazilian forward duo Charles and Marcus in the starting eleven.
The hosts looked in superior touch from the go in their usual flair – concentrating on possession, trying to build up the game from back. Bengaluru FC were sailing through Chennai City FC defence and came close to scoring.
The first shot for the visitors came only in the 23rd minute of the match. Till then the visitors looked no match for the hosts, a team yet to settle down.
Chennai City FC defence kept doing double duty, focused more on clearing the ball rather building any attack. The strikers managed to squeeze past Bengaluru FC defence in few occasions but were ineffective in front of the goal.
Much to the wonder of supporters, Bengaluru failed to score in the first half.
At the beginning of the second-half, Chennai City FC substituted Marcus for local Bangalore boy Michael Regin.
Bengaluru FC were looking for an opening, brought in debutant Roby Norales for another debutant Mandar Rao Dessai and CK Vineeth for Daniel.
The Much awaited goal finally came in the 77th minute. The Honduran striker, Roby Norales, took advantage of a deflected ball and smashed it into the back of the net.
Bengaluru FC doubled the lead in three minutes from a dexterous cross by Udanta from the right flank, which Vineeth charging inside penalty box banged home.
What a super choice of substitution Albert Roca made, both substitutes came in the goal scoring party!
Bengaluru FC play their next game at their home in four days’ time against arch-rivals Mumbai FC.
Chennai City FC keeper Karanjit Singh was adjudged the Hero of the Match.
AIFF Media
Bengaluru FC Media
Bengaluru FC (BFC) start defending the Hero I-League title when they host the highlanders Shillong Lajong FC (SLFC) tomorrow at the Kanteerava Stadium. It has been an astounding 2016 for the club from the Garden City - winning Hero I-League title, soaring at the Asian-level by reaching the AFC Cup final.
It is a beginning of a new I-League season and the Steelmen know the importance to start well. Coach Albert Roca made it clear, “We have to go for three points and you have to play tough from the very first minute if you want to achieve the title again”.
The former Barcelona assistant coach added, “There’s pressure, challenge - that’s football, and we are ready for the moment. The fact that we have achieved in the AFC Cup will help our self-esteem tomorrow. We have to go 100% as the difference between us and them (SLFC) are not that big.”
Mid-fielder, Cameron Watson who stuck a formidable combination with Álvaro Rubio in the AFC Cup, the later will be missed in I-League. “Álvaro brought so much to the game - his footballing knowledge prevailed in the field. It was a privilege to play alongside him”, said Watson.
Coming back to I-League, he added, “This (I-league) is a new experience for me, I haven’t seen any I-League teams playing other than the individual players playing in the ISL. Owing to the success the club achieved last year, it is going to be tougher this season. For now I’m concentrating on the Shillong game.”
BFC have strengthened their squad by signing top Indian players Harmanjot Khabra, Lenny Rodrigues, Mandar Rao Desai, and Arindam Bhattacharya. Roca sounded positive, “It is always difficult to settle down in a new team, but the new players have shown they are up for the challenge. They are experienced, played I-league for many years, and have already played with some of the teammates before. They know the other I-League teams and their style of playing, so it is time for them to show at the level that they deserve.”
Bengaluru FC have been tough for the team from North East, especially in the past three seasons. The only time SLFC won was at home that too a couple of years ago.
Head Coach Thangboi Singto, who has been with the team from the very beginning is appeared positive for tomorrow’s match, “It’s good to start with the best team, might be difficult for us, but helps you to know where you stand. We will come as the best we can.
Thangboi promised a good game and hopeful of taking points away from the home team.
Goals for SLFC came far and few in last season - that should be the primary concern for the SLFC coach. “This year we have strengthened in the scoring department, hopefully the players on board will do the needful. But it is not going to be easy, if you look around the teams, every team has toughened including the new entrants who will try to make a mark in the league.”
Other than their foreigners Dan Ignat, Yuta Kinowaki, Aser Pierrick Dipanda, Fábio Pena and keeper Vishal Kait, SLFC comprise of players from North-East with many U-23 players flourished from their football academy.
Policy of SLFC from the beginning is to promote talents from the North East region. They have done reasonably well in doing that. Players from SLFC have progressed well in the years including Lalthuammawia (GK), Eugeneson, and Chuaante who are in Bengaluru FC.
Keeping the optimism, Thangboi summed up, “At the end of the day, goals win matches, and we need to better that. Hopefully we’ll start doing that from our first match!”
The match is scheduled at 7 Pm tomorrow (January 7, 2017) and it’ll be telecast live on Ten 2.
