Bengaluru FC sign striker Cornell Glen

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC on Monday announced the signing of striker Cornell Glen on loan until the end of the season from local side Ozone FC Bengaluru. The signing adds firepower to the Blues’ strike-force ahead of the club’s 2017 Federation Cup campaign with Serbian striker Marjan Jugovic set to miss out with injury.

Unavailable for Bengaluru’s AFC Cup games as per regulations set by the Asian Football Confederation, Glen has previously turned up for Shillong Lajong in the I-League, scoring 30 goals in 38 appearances for the Northeast outfit before loan moves to ISL side NorthEast United and Mohun Bagan. He most recently represented Ozone FC in the BDFA Super Division, though his 2nd Division I-League campaign was cut short by an injury suffered on international duty earlier this year.

“It’s an honour to be a part of such a big club. I see Bengaluru FC as arguably the biggest club in India. It’s a club that aspires to win championships and I am happy to be a part of that. Since I’ve been in India, I’ve always played to win games and that’s exactly what I intend to do here. I have a quality team around me with a very good coach and I’m looking forward to it,” said Glen, who will wear number 9 for the Blues.

The Trinidad and Tobago World Cupper replaces Serbian Marjan Jugovic on the Blues’ roster for the Federation Cup after the latter suffered a torn meniscus in training last month and continues to recover following a successful surgery. Blues’ boss Albert Roca was full of praise for 35-year-old Glen, who has represented his country on 71 occasions, scoring 24 goals.

“It’s unfortunate that we lost Marjan just as he was regaining his fitness and scoring goals, but in Cornell we have an able replacement and someone who has plenty of experience playing in India. We saw him against us in pre-season for Ozone FC and we know what he is capable of. His presence in the squad will be important as we look to put out good performances in the Federation Cup,” said Blues’ boss Albert Roca.

The Blues face Abahani Limited Dhaka in the AFC Cup on Wednesday, a fixture Glen will play no part in, before their trip to face Shillong Lajong in the opening match of the 2017 Federation Cup, at the Barabati Stadium, in Cuttack, on May 8th.

Luck evades Bengaluru again as Chennai deny them the elusive away win

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC endured another frustrating night, this time at the Nehru Stadium, in Chennai, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chennai City FC on Wednesday. A second-half own-goal from John Johnson had given Chennai the lead only for Daniel Lalhlimpuia to equalize on a night when the Blues rued missed chances.

Albert Roca made changes to the side that beat Minerva Punjab FC 1-0 in Ludhiana over the weekend, choosing to start with Daniel, Mandar ahead of CK Vineeth and Jugovic.

Bengaluru had Chennai on the ropes from the get-go when Mandar saw his header from a cross, kept out by Karanjit Singh in the 4th minute. Daniel then had a shot on target kept out by Celesitine Echezona as the Blues attacked from all over the pitch. Sunil Chhetri too saw an attempt on goal from an Udanta cutback, saved.  

But for all of Bengaluru’s authority on the game, it was Chennai who found themselves with the lead in the 53rd minute when John Johnson headed a seemingly harmless cross from Nandhakumar on the right and watched in horror as it flew past Arindam Bhattacharya and into the Blues’ net.

A quick response was what Bengaluru needed and they found one within five minutes of conceding. Sent on a chase he won down the right, Udanta’s cross was pushed away by Karanjit Singh only to fall at Daniel’s feet and the striker calmly shot home the equaliser.

Sensing the need to build on the momentum, Roca brought on striker Marjan Jugovic for Mandar Rao Dessai as the Blues relentlessly pressed for a second. They came agonizingly close in the 63rd minute when Juanan saw a header from a corner saved off the line by Debabrata Roy.

Nishu Kumar then saw two delightful low crosses roll across the face of the goal with no Bengaluru body close enough to get a foot on them. Looking to shake things up a little, Roca made his final two changes in quick succession, replacing Cameron Watson and Daniel with Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Vineeth.

Bengaluru then had a shout for handball turned down deep into injury time but the Blues’ best chance of the half came when Lyngdoh’s looped free-kick into the area was nodded into a dangerous area for Dharmaraj Ravanan to clear off the line in what was to be the last action of the night.

The Blues next face Mohun Bagan at the Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.

Bengaluru keen to turn corner with Minerva challenge

Bengaluru FC Media 
AIFF Media

Albert Roca said he was confident his Bengaluru FC side would dig deep and turn up with the goods as they begin a key month of football with a trip to Jalandhar to take on Minerva Punjab FC at the Guru Nanak Stadium, on Sunday. The Blues travel to Chennai next before hosting Mohun Bagan twice in a span of four days in the League and the AFC Cup and Roca felt that there was no better time than now to get what’s been a difficult season for Bengaluru, back on track.

“We can’t change results that have gone by. What we can do is work harder to make sure results ahead go our way. Minerva away from home will be a game that will require us to give everything if we are to change our fortunes. We play four games in nine days and it’s important that we start this phase well,” said Roca on the eve of the game.

Bringing some much-needed respite to a side that’s been hit with injury, a run of frustrating results and patches of poor form, is the return of John Johnson to the squad. The central defender, who has missed four games this season owing to a rib injury, has made the trip and could start alongside Juan Gonzalez.

Also grabbing focus will be new striker Marjan Jugovic who has put in a few training sessions with the team and it remains to be seen whether or not Roca chooses to start with the Serbian.

“It’s good to have John back in the squad as he’s always been a positive influence on the team and is one of the voices on the pitch and I’m certain he will have a key role to play tomorrow. We’re also glad to have Marjan who has showed more than just glimpses of his experience, in training. These inclusions give the squad the kind of strength we need at the moment,” said Roca.

The pitch conditions at the Guru Nanak Stadium haven’t been the best and Roca voiced his concern while admitting that his side would have to find a way around it. “I hope everyone realises that a pitch like this is bad for the show. They are the home team and will have a better understanding of the surface. So, it’s up to us to adapt as quickly as possible.”


Minerva put behind a shaky start to the League, steadied things and are now on an unbeaten run of six games. The side from Punjab managed to snatch a very lucky point when they came to the Fortress in February. A stray cross caught the foot of Sandesh Jhingan before looping over a wrong-footed Amrinder Singh in a game that Bengaluru dominated completely.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 04:30 PM and it’ll be aired live on Ten 2.

Bengaluru FC sign Serbian striker Jugovic

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC have signed Serbian striker Marjan Jugovic in a bid to add some much-needed sting in attack, the club announcedon Monday. Thirty three-year-old Jugovic fills in the slot for the fourth foreigner after the Blues released Honduran Roby Norales early this month, and is on a deal that will keep him at the club till the end of the season.

Standing a little over six feet, Jugovic comes with the experience of having played in the Europa League and the AFC Champions League. Widely traveled, the Serbian has turned out for clubs in Poland, Syria, Iceland and Indonesia and last played for Lebanese club Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli Aley for whom he scored 18 goals in 31 appearances.

“We hope the arrival of Marjan will add impetus to our attacking department. He’s tall, a proper target man and has very handy experience gathered across continents. We have been creating so many chances but have struggled to put them away and Marjan’s got his task cut out. I’m sure he will help get our season back on track,” said Bengaluru coach Albert Roca.

Jugovic, who will wear the No. 36 shirt for the Blues, said he was pleased on signing with Bengaluru. “I’m very happy to join a big club in India and one that’s famous across Asia too. I hope to help the team have a successful finish to the season and will be giving my 100% to the fans, my teammates and the club. I was at the stadium on Saturday and saw the passion of the fans and I’m very excited to play for them,” said Jugovic who arrived in the city on Friday.

The striker will, in all likelihood, make the trip to Punjab when Bengaluru take on Minerva Punjab on March 5.