Bengaluru connection in Bangladesh football

Holding a UEFA Pro License coaching degree and joining another Spaniard, he landed up in the Garden City to head a private football academy more than a decade ago. He then joined the same country mate, assisting him in Goa for an I-League Club. Post that he was attached to a football academy as a Technical Director in Numaligarh Refinery Limited, Assam and then until Covid stuck the world, he was heading the La Liga’s interests in India. 

Javier Cabrera and Oscar Bruzon’s association go a long way. Javier continued Oscar Bruzon’s work at SPT Sports Bangalore and then joined him at Sporting Clube de Goa. 

So, after successfully managing the Bashundhara Kings club in Bangladesh when Oscar suggested Javier to apply for the Bangladesh Senior National Football team head coach, he grabbed the opportunity in both hands. His first experience independently managing a senior national football team after spending several years in the Indian subcontinent. 

The ongoing Bangabandhu SAFF Championship in the Garden City has generated a lot of interest among the Bangladeshi sports lovers. Around 20 media houses are present here. 

Javier is excited to be back in Bangalore. While there are several challenges of managing a senior football team, his contract was extended for one more year, till December 2023. 

Ranked 192 in FIFA ranking Bangladesh played an impressive game against 99th ranked Lebanon in their opening game. The minnows held the much higher ranked opponent to a goalless draw till 79th minute when the boys ran out of steam and succumbed to a two-goal defeat. 

Javier was impressed by the performance of his boys. The next game, against Maldives, again a higher ranked team, was a make-or-break game as far as Bangladesh is concerned. They were down by a goal when the game was 17 minute old, but the boys showed character, and rallied back to win by 3-1 margin.  

When this article gets published, Javier’s boys will be ready to take on Bhutan, ranked few notches above in FIFA ranking. Should Bangladesh win, which is well within the realm of the possible, they will make it to the last four of Bangabandhu SAFF Championship.

Bengaluru bow out of AFC Cup with a goalless draw against Bashundhara Kings

Bengaluru FC Media 

Marco Pezzaiuoli’s Bengaluru FC side bowed out of the reckoning in the group stages of the 2021 AFC Cup, following a goalless draw against Bashundhara Kings, at the National Stadium in Male, on Saturday. The result meant the Blues stayed third in Group D with one point, while Bashundhara climbed to the top with four points, ahead of ATK Mohun Bagan’s late clash against Maziya S&RC.

Pezzaiuoli made three changes to the team that faced ATK Mohun Bagan, with Parag Shrivas, Danish Farooq and Bidyashagar Singh replacing Sarthak Golui, Ajay Chhetri and Udanta Singh. At the other end, Oscar Bruzon fielded an unchanged side from Bashundhara's 2-0 win over Maziya S&RC.

The Blues started the game on the front foot, and the first good chance came with just five minutes on the clock when Danish's lob picked out Bidyashagar's run, and the youngster's shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Bashundhara skipper Topu Barman. Jayesh Rane's effort from the rebound rolled wide.

Bashundhara won a free-kick on the edge of the box in the 15th minute after Danish tripped Barman, but Suresh intercepted Robinho's pass and made sure the set piece came to nothing. Naorem Roshan Singh’s long diagonal in the 21st minute found Cleiton Silva, but the Brazilian’s attempted give and go with Bidyashagar found the winger crowded out by the Bashundhara defence. From that move, the Bangladesh side went on a counter-attack that forced Musavu-King into a tackle that saw him pick up the game’s first yellow card.

Three minutes later, Cleiton’s ball into the box was met by a diving Yrondu Musavu-King, whose header was straight into Bashundhara ’keeper Anisur Rahman’s gloves. At the other end, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu did well to get his palms to Jonathan Reis’ effort from well outside the box, to push away Bashundhara’s hopes of a first half goal.

On the stroke of halftime, Pezzaiuoli made the first substitution of the game, bringing on Sarthak in place of Parag. The Blues then had the final chance before the break, when Tariq Raihan Kazi tugged Cleiton back to give away a freekick and pick up a yellow card. The Brazilian’s effort was blocked and Bidyashagar’s shot from the rebound sailed high and wide.

Bashundhara made a change of their own on the other side of the break as Mohammad Ibrahim replaced Mahbubur Rahman. The visitors came close to taking the lead in the 57th minute through Brazilian winger Robinho, whose effort deflected off Gurpreet’s foot and was sailing goalward until Roshan cleared with an acrobatic effort. The ball almost spun back in before Gurpreet pushed away with an outstretched arm.

Attacking with intent, the Blues came close on several occasions. Cleiton skipped past his marker in the 72nd minute and saw his low cross was blocked by Topu. Only minutes later, Alan Costa’s header from Cleiton’s corner deflected off the underside of the bar and bounced on the goal line, before ’keeper Anisur managed to collect.

The Blues had a flurry of late chances as they looked to break the deadlock, with Cleiton involved in the thick of things. The Brazilian’s deflected shot was pushed away by Anisur in the 82nd minute, and Chhetri was first to get the rebound. With the ’keeper off his line, Chhetri found Rane unmarked, but the midfielder’s effort was blocked by Topu. Minutes later, Leon tried to turn Kazi in the box but the defender stood his ground and did enough to block the winger’s attempted shot.

Pezzaiuoli’s final throw of the dice saw B-Team graduate Sivasakthi Narayanan make his debut, replacing Suresh, but it wasn’t enough as both sides took a point each in their penultimate group stage game. 

The Blues will be back in action on August 24, at the same venue, when they take on Maziya S&RC in their final Group D game.

AFC Cup Group E: Roca aims to keep winning streak intact

Bengaluru FC Media 

The Sree Kanteerava Stadium will play host to its first game since the Indian Super League final when Albert Roca’s Bengaluru FC side welcome New Radiant SC in a 2018 AFC Cup group stage clash, on Tuesday. Having won their six previous AFC Cup games on the trot, Roca stressed the need for his Blues to maintain consistency in a competition in which they have reached the semifinal stage for two consecutive seasons.

“New Radiant are a very good side and have some quality players in their ranks. We saw them play against Aizawl and in Dhaka and we’re sure that we will have to be at our best to take anything away from them,” said the Spaniard, speaking at the pre-match press conference.

Bengaluru claimed a 1-0 win at the Fortress in their opening match of the 2018 AFC Cup group stages with a win against Abahani Dhaka before a 3-1 away defeat of Aizawl in Guwahati earlier this month. Striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia scored in both games, and could be set to make a start on Tuesday.

“We have some players who are in form and others who have been waiting for their chance. I will have to rest a few key players because we have a Super Cup quarterfinal coming up but I am sure that those who take the field will give their best,” added the Spaniard.

The Blues sit atop the standings in Group E, with two wins from two games, having scored four goals and conceded just one. Bengaluru boast a perfect record against Maldivian sides, with six wins from as many games over three seasons of the continental competition. The only major doubt for the Blues is central defender Juanan Gonzalez, who is nursing an injury sustained in the closing stages of the Indian Super League.

New Radiant, AFC Cup semifinalists in 2005 and the only Maldivian club to have progressed beyond group stages in the AFC cup on multiple occasions, come into the game with numbers identical to those of Roca’s men, having won their opening game against Aizawl 3-1 in Henveiru, before a 1-0 win against Abahani Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Talismanic striker Ali Ashfaq is the man in form and Roca admits the Bengaluru back line will need to be sharper than usual. “We were all upset with the way we conceded against Aizawl but we showed enough character to come back. We cannot afford to make those mistakes against New Radiant who have quality in attack. The game is a chance for us to go ahead on points alone and it’s one we must work hard to make count.”

Kick-off at the Fortress is at 8 pm and will be telecast live on the AFC Cup Facebook page.

Anto Xavier signs for Sporting Clube de Goa

After representing country thru the junior ranks, this Austin Town boy is ready for the big stage - Anto Xavier will be seen in Flaming Orange colors in the coming season! Few weeks back, Anto signed a three-year contract with the Goan I-League team Sporting Clube de Goa. 

Primarily a left-half midfielder, Anto has represented India in several age groups - U-16 team in South Africa tour, U-19 tours, and Asian Cup. 

He started with Southern Blues, a B Division team in the BDFA League. He was playing in the Super Division for ADE in the 2012-13 season when he was seriously injured from a terrible challenge against South United. Anto broke his shinbone, got operated, and was out for the rest of the season. 

Anto made a strong comeback this season with A Division team, Students Union at the Kumar Memorial Trophy. Also, he was a part of the Karnataka team in the Santosh Trophy, where he scored a goal. 

Bengaluru FC look to end season on a high

I-League champions Bengaluru FC make a return to Goa exactly a week after they rewrote Indian football history, taking on Sporting Clube de Goa at the Nehru Stadium, in Fatorda, Goa, on Monday. Ashley Westwood’s history men became the first club in the League’s history to win the championship in its debut season beating Dempo 2-4 at the same stadium and the Englishman will want his team to end the season on a memorable high. 

With the title sealed, Westwood could be tempted to rest a few of his regular starters, making way for the younger lot. A suspended John Menyongar and Thoi Singh should see Darren Caldeira starting. 

Goa has been a happy hunting ground for Bengaluru who have won three out of three games in the beach city and Oscar Bruzon’s Sporting are well aware of the fact. Though the hosts cannot progress beyond 4th position, Sporting would be keen to exact revenge of the 5-3 defeat by Bengaluru in the Federation Cup. The only other game the two sides have played was a 0-0 draw at Bangalore in the League. 

Much of Monday’s focus will be on Bengaluru skipper Sunil Chhetri who stands the chance to finish the League as top scorer. Chhetri is tied on 14 goals with Shillong Lajong striker Cornell Glen who failed to build a lead, not scoring in Sunday’s 1-2 loss to Mohun Bagan. The Incisive striker has been a revelation on the left – a position he had never played in before Westwood decided to use him there. 

“We are really looking forward to end the season in the same professional manner we have shown all through the campaign. It is going to be a good occasion for the players to play in, knowing they will be going into the game as champions. It’s something that the players should really be proud of,” said Westwood on the eve of the game.

[VIDEO] Post-match Press Conference - Bengaluru FC Vs Sporting Clube de Goa

Video created by Tridib Bose 

Ashley Westwood - Bengaluru FC




Oscar Bruzon - Sporting Clube de Goa

Bengaluru FC look to get back to winning ways

Airtel I-League comes back to the Garden City, when our own, 3rd placed Bengaluru FC lock horns with 4th placed Sporting Clube de Goa. 

Exactly a month ago, Bengaluru FC played their last home game when they thrashed Dempo 3-1. Post that, their three away matches yielded them only a point and they are looking nothing but getting back to winning ways. 

Both the teams are tied with 14 points (after today’s Shillong Lajong Vs Rangdajied United game, the former too is on 14 but after playing one extra game). A win will ensure them a second/third spot in the points table. 

Stepping out of a comfort zone, Coach Ashley reckons was good, “The away games were pretty close, in last two matches we allowed goal in last minute and also missed a penalty.” 

Sunil Chhetri, who recently became India’s highest goal scorer in international matches, is also looking forward to the Sporting match as he too wants his team to get back to winning ways. 

“They are a good side, we are going to go all out against them. Our target is to bag full points from this match and get back to our winning habit,” said Chhetri. Chhetri will be hoping to maintain his good form, after having scored for India against Philippines and Nepal. 

Sporting Clube de Goa is hoping to end Bengaluru FC’s unbeaten run at home. Having beaten Pune FC and snatching points against East Bengal in their last two matches, the Goan side is high on morale. 

 “We know Bengaluru FC has been playing well at home, but we have come here to win,” said Coach Oscar Bruzon. “Our opponent is a good team, we’re good too, and we know our strength and weaknesses”, he added. 

The Panaji-based team has a strong local presence. The current squad in Bangalore has as many as ten Goan players. They are serious in Youth Development too, five players from this squad touring to Bangalore are product of their Youth Development System. 

Sporting is likely to miss four players due to injury. Mackroy Peixote, Joseph Pereira, Stephen Barretto, and Dawson Fernandes are on the injured list, but the Spanish coach is not worried too much about it. “I have seen Bengaluru FC’s matches on TV and I have chalked out a plan to counter them.” said Bruzon. 

‘tiki-taka’ coming to India?

Do not use pictures without permission of gcsstars.com
Photo credits: Oscar Bruzon

As Round 9 of I-league comes to an end, we’ve seen as many as five teams changing their coaches. Latest in the addition is Sporting Clube de Goa. After a lackluster show till date with only two wins, the Goan team has appointed Spainard Oscar Bruzon for a better show.

Now that this appointment news is doing rounds for few days - not unknown to anyone! Let's begin where it all started.

Care to read…

A wintry morning at the Bangalore Football Stadium last season saw a medium-height foreigner witnessing the practice session of a visiting I-League team.
 
He looked fit, a fellow scribe remarked, “Aww, must be a football agent” another added, “Nahi, looks like a talent spotter”. 

After stepping out from the stadium, met him once again, gentle eye contact and a nod of head - gesture of hello! 

So he comes and introduces, Oscar Bruzon Barreras. His business card mentions UEFA A Pro coaching license along with some coaching experience with few clubs in Spain. 

“Hmm, impressive, so what are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m on a vacation, was in Pondicherry for a while and will be visiting to Goa soon. But I would like to take up some coaching assignments here.” 

“Goa or Kolkata would be the destination for you. There’s barely any team here in Bangalore where you can ply your trade.” 

“I would still like to try my luck here.”

“Okay!” 

Scribbled down couple of websites/addresses of football training institutes.

Cut to the tolerable summer-of-Bangalore – noticed a huge poster on my way to office: 

Football coaching camp, get coached by UEFA certified football professional

Ahh, those scribbling worked, it took no time for me to understand! And days later, as teasingly acknowledged by Oscar, “You’re the main culprit behind this engagement!” 

Oscar is now employed with SPT Sports, a sports management company having interests in grassroots football. He is at the helm of the football wing, using Oscar’s expertise, his employer ventured in providing training to several of football academies across the country. 

His new assignment – coaching a team for country’s top-level league, is definitely a challenging one. Not that something he’s done here before. Oscar is up for this big challenge. 

To recapitulate in his own words, “It is a big challenge, hope to revive the current situation”.  

The last line, quite an interesting one, at least on a personal note, “My path in India has begun with you, thanks my friend” 

Best wishes Oscar!