Dempo take on Pailan Arrows; Salgaocar face Sporting Clube


Source: AIFF
KOLKATA: Table toppers Dempo SC take on second from bottom placed Pailan Arrows in the 20th round I League encounter, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Sunday.

Dempo SC are on 40 points from 19 matches but lost their last match to Pune FC while Pailan Arrows have 8 points from 17 matches.

Dempo SC will be without the services of Debabrata Roy, who is suspended with a double booking while Pailan Arrows will be missing Bijendra Rai for the same reason.

Dempo coach Mauricio Afonso on their last loss to Pune FC said, “It was unfortunate that we lost as it was an opportunity for us to break away from the rest of the teams. Although we are still on top now, we have to win tomorrow and regain our advantage as well as confidence.”

“Pailan Arrows is a fit side and play well at home as most teams have come here and found out,” he added.

Pailan Arrows coach Sujit Chakraborty said, “There is pressure on us and now we have to prove ourselves and perform.”

 “Dempo being on top of the table speaks for itself, and it being a tough team, a good result against them would really boost our confidence and help us to improve in the remaining matches left in the season,” Chakraborty quipped.

The kick off is slated for 2:00 PM.

From the History book:

Pailan Arrows - 44th match and scored 39 goals in I League

Dempo Club - 278th match and scored 438 goals in I League/NFL.

Ranti Matins (Dempo) with 4 goals is the highest scorer in matches between the two sides.


Head to head in I League:

Total Matches - 3

Pailan Arrows Won - Nil

Dempo Club Won - 2

Drawn - 1

Pailan Arrows Goals - 3

Dempo Club Goals - 9

Meeting in the First Leg:

Dempo SC beat Pailan Arrows 3-0 (06/11/11)


Highest Margin of Victory:
Dempo SC beat Indian Arrows (Pailan Arrows) 5-2 (16/04/11)

Salgaocar face Sporting Clube

GOA: Sporting Clube de Goa technical director Alex Alvares has picked up Salgaocar Sports Club striker Edeh Chidi as the key to the team’s 20th round I-league clash at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Sunday.

Sporting Clube put it across Salgaocar in an exciting first leg clash and Alvares believes Sunday’s battle also will go down to the wire.

“It will be tough. We will have to be at our best to get full points out of this game,” said Alvares.
Alvares said Salgaocar striker Edeh Chidi could be the essential difference between the two sides, as the Nigerian striker’s movements up front can cause plenty of problems to any side that leaves him unmarked.

“We need to come up with a strategy to contain Chidi. He is their key player, in a sense he holds the ball, allows the midfield to join the attack and also makes the crucial pass for his teammates who can then do the damage. We have studied his game and are confident that we can contain him,” said the Sporting

“We have done very well in recent games and hope to continue doing the same against Salgaocar. Luckily, we do not have too many problems and we will field almost the same squad that defeated Chirag United Kerala 3-0,” disclosed Alvares, adding that midfielder Adil Khan is doubtful after sustaining an injury in training.

Just like Sporting, Salgaocar, too, have had a revival in recent games and look good to match the best in the business. The defending champions are placed fourth on the table and look good enough to move up.

“There are no targets as such. All that we plan to do is take it match by match, round by round. We intend to finish third or second by the time the 20th round ends. Once we achieve small targets, the bigger target will be achieved automatically,” said Salgaocar coach Karim
Bencherifa.


Pune FC hope to continue momentum

PUNE: Beating Dempo in Goa has surely soared the spirits of Pune FC and when they meet Prayag United Sports Club in the 20the I League match at the Balewadi Sports Complex, on Sunday, the home team knows that there is a lot at stake.

Besides wanting to set the record straight after losing the first leg 1-5, Pune FC’s worst loss since their inception, the home side would want to drive the home advantage and go further up in the standings.

The league table as it stands separates position 2-7 by just four points which means full points will surely make them move up.

“We need to perform to our potential,” said Pereira. “All credit to the boys to come back from the difficult time of having to deal with defeat against Sporting Clube de Goa in 18th round. They performed well after the demoralizing match wherein a 2-0 lead ended with a huge defeat,” the coach referred to Pune FC’s the Goa tour.

About Prayag, the coach said, “They are a good side. A well balanced side and very importantly have an experienced back-line.”

Though Prayag with 32 points, one more than Pune FC, is a formidable side, they are not good travelers having picked up only 7 points from six games out of Kolkata, the lowest amongst the top nine teams. Moreover, Pune FC have not lost at home in an I-League game.

Pune FC will also be at advantage that Prayag will be without at least two of their foreign strikers. In the 19 previous games, the Kolkata team has played two from Kayne Vincent, Yusif Yakubu and Josimar Martins always, but Josimar is suspended and Kayne injured, leaving only Yakubu to do the attacks.

“We are in better shape that the last time we played them,” Pereira said referring to the first-leg played in Kolkata. “Keita (striker) was not in the team back then… and that match is the past.”

On Prayag missing the services of three key players skipper Lalkamal Bhowmick (injury) included, the Coach said, “we need to take advantage of the situation. But then again it remains an eleven versus eleven situation and we need to perform to potential.”

Pune FC will have a full squad to choose from, with defender Chika Wali getting back into the squad after serving a one-match suspension against Dempo SC in Goa. However, coach preferred to keep his views at, “There will be changes in the 18-man team.”


Chirag United challenge for Air India

Pune: Air India would probably be playing their last home match of this season at the Balewadi Sports Complex, when they take on Chirag United Kerala here on Sunday, before the I-League takes 40-odd-day break.

This 20th round clash provides Santosh Kashyap’s side yet another chance to prove that they have the will to be among the top teams as they would be breaking the 30-point mark if the Mumbai team is able to beat their Kerala counterparts.

In their last match against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, Air India played superb football—fast paced game for full 90 minutes something that is seldom seen in domestic matches.

Now that Air India is fully secured, there is no reason why the Mumbai team will not go all out and earn full points from the games against Chirag.

Takayuki Omi and Sandeep Sangha were at the brilliant best, creating several chances for their forwards Manandeep Singh, Allan Dias and Henry Ezeh. Kashyap was content with benching striker Sandesh Gadkari for most part of the match before sending him substitute late in the second half.

In defence, Lamine Tamba was the most active. He in fact moved up and down and had tussle with the HAL defenders that invited yellow card from the referee. But Tamba and Collin Abranches have been Air India’s key defenders on whom custodian Pawan Kumar relies on. The ‘keeper himself was very active under the bar and saved several shots at the goal, if not all were threatening shots.

Currently placed at No 9 with 27 points, a win will not necessarily push them upwards as No 8 ranked Sporting Clube de Goa are already on 30 points. But a win going into the break will give Air India some sense of respite that their campaign has been fruitful so far, unlike their fellow Mumbai counterparts, Mumbai FC.

Chirag United Kerala on the other hand have themselves to blame for their state. At No 12 position with 11 points, the Kerala outfit has one foot in the drop zone even as they have one extra match to play. While HAL would most likely to be relegated, the fight for second spot is between Chirag and Mumbai, which currently has 17 points.

When Chirag came here last, they beat Mumbai in a shock result, and Air India would be wary of that. Chirag in a sense is a balanced side, but luck has not been with them on most occasions, so when they take the field on Sunday afternoon, Mohammed Nizam Packeer Ali’s side will at least like to put up a good show and see if they can repeat their performance at the Balewadi yet again.

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