Indian football thread

AFC Challenge Cup 2012 : LIVE Updates – India v Philippines

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/afc-challenge-cup-2012-live-updates-–-india-v-philippines/ india v philippines live updates done by me

Hoping for a good game.

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! Phil.

Our throw-ins are always dangerous.

WOW WE'RE PLAYING GOOD! Am I dreaming?

Jaiii hindd!!!!
Wait.. why is the match played in Nepal?
We can never win.

Indian U-13 girl's team blasted nine past the Palestine side in their opening encounter of the on going AFC U-13 Girls Football Fest in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Future Looks Uttam For Rai As The Teenager Makes Waves Before The 2012 Dallas Cup

My article


Uttam Rai- the fifteen year-old prodigy from Sikkim scaled yet another height in his young footballing career as he was recently named in the list of “Top 10 Players To Watch Out For” at the Dr. Peppers Dallas Cup XXXII scheduled to be held at the FC Dallas Stadium between April 1-8, 2012.
This is huge news for the youngster who missed the 2011 edition of the tournament due to an injury. The Dallas Cup has acted as a stepping stone for some of the greats of modern football and it’s alumni list includes names such as Raul Gonzalez (Spain), David Beckham(England), Wayne Rooney (England), Michael Owen (England), Robinho (Brazil), Landon Donovan (US), Clint Dempsey (US), Maicon (Brazil) and Javier Hernandez (Mexico).

His future looks "Uttam" indeed
For someone who has followed the teenager’s career, his inclusion in this elite list of players should not come as a surprise as he has been creating waves in the Indian football circuit for quite sometime now. He has been awarded the “best offensive player” by the IMG academy and is currently in USA on scholarship from IMG itself.
He has a remarkable tally of 31 goals to his name in just three editions of the Subrata Cup and has even gone through trials for Swiss club Grasshoppers FC. He received a lot of praise for his performance in the 2012 U-16 AFC Championship qualifiers and blasted five past the Kyrgyzstan goal in the first match itself. He was the chief architect behind the Indian team’s qualification for the main tournament.
In the 2012 edition of the Dallas Cup, Uttam will be sharing the limelight with some other best upcoming talents in the world of football including Richard Sanchez, who was a part of the Mexican U-17 World Cup winning team and Will Keane, who made his first team debut for English giants Manchester United against Blackburn Rovers in December’2011.
Uttam’s brother Birbal Rai was extremely excited with the news of his brother’s inclusion in the list of players to watch out for and hopes this would provide an ideal platform for Uttam to achieve far greater success in life. “This is a great platform for Uttam,” Birbal says. “Hopefully playing with such big teams and academies he will get noticed and (he) will play to his best to make every one of us proud”.
Uttam is represented by Libero Sports India who currently represent 22 professional footballers in India and are very excited about the recognition their client has received at a very young age. Randeep Baruah, Manager for Player Representation has this to say about Uttam, “He’s up against some big names at the youth football level there so it will be a fantastic experience for him. We have always believed in him, and I know everyone does who’ve seen him play. (For Uttam) it’s all about enjoying his football and he needs to maintain the same focus and determination that he plays with the U16 National team. All of us at Libero – his managers and fellow professionals – wish him all the very best!”
Uttam Rai Factfile
• Born on December 20 1996 at Chumbong, West Sikkim
• Idolizes Sunil Chettri and fellow Sikkimese legend Bhaichung Bhutia
• Selected in U-14 category by Swiss club Grasshopper Zurich in Switzerland (2008)
• Scored 5 goals for India at the AFC U-14 tournament in Iran
• Represented India at the TATA Tea – Arsenal Soccer Stars in London (2010)
• Best Player at the Brazil tour in the U-15 category
• ‘Offensive Player of the Year’ at the IMG Academy, Florida (2011)
• ‘Most Promising Player’ at the Subroto Cup (2011)
• Scored 5 goals in one match vs. Kyrgyzstan at the U-16 AFC Qualifiers at Tashkent (2011).

parent url-: http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i...nager-makes-waves-before-the-2012-dallas-cup/

Very interesting, thanks for the article Sachin.
Bang in some goals, make us proud kid!

Really? ... No talk about this incident?

Indian footballer dies after collapsing on pitch​

The KFA source also revealed there was no ambulance present at the venue, so the player's team-mates hired a tuk-tuk to take him to the local hospital. However it is understood Venkatesh was pronounced dead at the hospital soon after.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a statement on its website: "Venkatesh came on as a substitute in the second half for his club against South Western Railway in a Bangalore District Football Association 'A' Division match and collapsed during the back end of the match."

The incident comes only days after Muamba's collapse in England, although he is recovering in hospital after receiving immediate medical attention. That situation has seen English Premier League officials review its medical procedures.

However in India there was a similar incident in April last year when HAL SC goalkeeper Arun Kumar collided with his team-mate Ankit Sharma during a training session. After the collision the goalkeeper was immediately taken to the hospital and was given medical treatment for a crack on his foot.

He was discharged from the hospital but later Arun complained of breathing problem and was declared dead due to cardiac arrest by the doctors.

Seven years ago, it was Dempo's Cristiano Junior who died after collapsing on the pitch during the Federation Cup final against Mohun Bagan.

Click to expand...

-Goal.com

The local football player is died while playing in the ground. The Bangalore Mars player Venkatesh who aged 28 years old collapsed during the league match ahead of his side’s game against SW Railway. This dreadful incident that again brought to show the deprived medical facilities provided for local football tournaments.

Bangalore Football Stadium even not has the ambulance facility. Venkatesh’s team mates had lifted him to an auto rickshaw to bring him to the nearest hospital. Doctors declared he was died in a cardiac arrest. Doctor’s said if he had been given oxygen or right medicines at the time of the incident, he could have stood a chance. This incident makes depressing among sports area.

http://www.hottrendsindia.com/2012/03/22/football-player-venkatesh-died-in-cardiac-arrest/

Click to expand...

This is just sad..
May the guy RIP.

pipa said:

This is just sad..
May the guy RIP.

Click to expand...

Indeed...

Riposi In Pace, Venkatesh..

AIFF is totally corrupt bloody goons can't even arrange an ambulance for a match!!!

I-League ’11-12 Preview & Predictions (Round 21):The League Returns After The Int brk

Written by Me

Friday, March 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan
I-League ’11-12 Preview & Predictions (Round 21): The League Returns After The International Break

• 1

CHIRAG UNITED CLUB KERALA
V
SHILLONG LAJONG FC
Kaloor International Stadium, Kerala
24th March, 2012- 3:00 PM IST

• 2

DEMPO SC
V
HAL BANGALORE
PJN Fatorda, Goa
24th March, 2012- 5.30 PM IST

• 3

PRAYAG UNITED SC
V
MUMBAI FC
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
24th March, 2012- 6:30 PM IST

• 4

EAST BENGAL
v
SALGAOCAR SC
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
25th March 2012, 3:00 PM IST

• 5

PUNE FC
V
PAILAN ARROWS
Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune
25th March,2012-3:30 PM IST

• 6

SPORTING CLUBE de GOA
V
CHURCHILL BROTHERS
PN Margao, Goa
25th March 2012, 6:00 PM IST

• 7

AIR INDIA
V
MOHUN BAGAN
Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune
25th March,2012-6:30 PM IST

FOR COMPLETE PREVIEWS VISIT:http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i...league-returns-after-the-international-break/

AFC Cup 2012: Arbil SC v East Bengal – East Bengal’s Fight For Survival

Monday, April 9th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan
AFC Cup 2012: Arbil SC v East Bengal – East Bengal’s Fight For Survival

Runners up of Iraqi Premier League – Arbil SC play hosts to the runners up of I-league -East Bengal in the return leg of their AFC Cup Group B encounter on Tuesday evening at the Francouse Al-Hareeri Stadium. The Iraqi club will have the momentum coming into this match as they got the better of East Bengal in their first group clash last week, thanks to goals in the last quarter of the match at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Team News And Tactical Brief:​

Arbil SC:

Arbil left it late last week but one expects them to go on full throttle from the very first minute on Tuesday evening in the home leg. Last year semi finalists – Arbil picked up their first win of the group stage against the Indian club at the Salt Lake Stadium and would be hoping to notch up their second in front of their home supporters. Iraqi internationals Luay Salah and Saad Atiah – both of whom missed the first match due to injuries will most likely start on the bench and will be used by their coach Nizar Mahrous only in case of an urgency. Their Syrian midfielder Abdelrazak Al Hussain will be the biggest threat for the Indian outfit as he literally toyed with the Indian defense once Arbil acclimatized to the conditions in the second period.
Radhi who opened the scoring for Arbil is expected to start up front with Almas and Mustafa in the three man frontline. Mahrous is expected to field in the same midfield as they have already taken the measure of the Indian club. Saad Abdul-Amir alongside Al Hussain will most likely be controlling the pace of the game from the middle. Defender Ivan Bukenya and Ahmad Ibrahim will form the backbone of the defense up ahead of their skipper Sarhang Mohsen who will be standing between the goalposts.

East Bengal FC:

The biggest news coming out of East Bengal’s camp is that their British head coach Trevor Morgan along with their Australian star striker Tolgay Ozbey will not be traveling to Iraq for the fourth round of 2012 AFC Cup clash against Arbil SC.
“According to the travel advisories issued by the British and Australian governments, Morgan and Ozbey can go to Iraq only at their own risk. Obviously, they are reluctant to travel and in such a scenario we can’t force them as their safety and security are at risk,” ~ said East Bengal club secretary Kalyan Majumdar.
East Bengal’s assistant coach Ranjan Chowdhury will be the stand in manager for this fixture in the absence of Trevor Morgan.
Still searching for their first win of the campaign, the Kolkata based side will need to dig in deep, as a loss here will leave them with no chance to progress to the next stage of the AFC Cup. Baljit Sahni will most likely replace the Aussie striker for the Tuesday evening clash. The players of Red and Gold must be ruing the missed chances from their home leg against Arbil and would really want to come up with an exceptional performance in order to get a positive result from this tie; besides the technically superior Iraqi team they will also have to deal with the 28,000 plus home support which will make their task even more cumbersome.


Mehtab Hossain, who came on as a sub, did not have a influential presence against Arbil at the Salt Lake Stadium but with the talent at his disposal, he is expected to be fielded against Arbil tomorrow again. This is only East Bengal’s second away game of the group stage. They were completely outplayed in their first away match against the Kuwaiti side Kazma who are leading the table at the moment.
This will most certainly prove to be yet another challenging clash for the Indian club but the fact that they were able to hold on to last year’s semi finalist for almost three quarters of the match, last week will definitely act as a moral booster for the visitors.
Expected Starting Line-up: Sandip (GK), Nirmal, Gurwinder, Okpara, Soumik, Mehtab, Khabra, Vasum, Penn, Baljit, Robin.
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TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch out For:
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Abdelrazak Al Hussain (Arbil SC)
Robin Singh (East Bengal FC)
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TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
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Arbil SC 3-0 East Bengal

link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/afc-cup-2012-arbil-sc-v-east-bengal-%E2%80%93-east-bengals-fight-for-survival/

Salgaocar SC v Al Wehdat – AFC Cup 2012 Preview: Goans’ Fate Is On The Line

Monday, April 9th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan
Salgaocar SC v Al Wehdat – AFC Cup 2012 Preview: Goans’ Fate Is On The Line
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After receiving a thrashing at the hands of eleven times Jordanian champions Al Wehdat SC last week, the current I-league holders must be eagerly waiting to settle the score with them once Jordanian side – known as “The Green Ultras” – travel to Goa for the fourth round of the AFC Cup. This is Salgaocar’s maiden appearance in the AFC Cup and they managed to turn some heads when they held FK Neftchi Farg’ona, the current group leaders, to a 2-2 draw in Salgaocar’s only home game of the competition so far.
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Team News And Tactical Brief:​

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Salgaocar SC
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The Goan side were never the favourites when they took on Al Wehdat in Jordan last week, but not many would have predicted that a five-goal drubbing for them, especially after their performance against the Uzbek side FK Neftchi Farg’ona in March.
Salgaocar are bound to be demoralized after being completely outplayed by their next opponents in an earlier match, but they are an altogether different side in home conditions; something which should help them regain confidence ahead of their crucial group encounter on Tuesday night. Anything less than a win will virtually kick them out of the competition, whereas a win will act as a much needed shot in the arm of the Goans.
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Salgaocar are expected to field in as many as four international players; Chidi and Sueoka right at the top with their lastest signing Frenchman Maxime Belouet in the middle of the pitch and defender and captain Brazilian Luciano Sabrosa in the heart of defense. Karim Bencherifa will most likely field Fernandes, Tomba Singh and Rocus Lamare in the midfield for the hosts and if this midfield gels together, they do possess the quality to spring up a surprise for their visitors.
Captain Sabrosa along with Khelemba have to be inch perfect with their tackles tomorrow in order to prevent Al Wehdat from running riot at the Fatorda stadium. Slack defending from the Indians in the second half was the prime reason why Salgaocar ended up with a humiliating scoreline against Al Wehdat.
This is expected to be the ultimate test for the Goan side as it is certain that they will not be lifting the I-league title at the end of this season, so a win here will still keep them in a hunt for a major trophy.
Probable Starting Line-up: Karanjit, Luciano, Khelemba, Randeep, Saha, Ishfaq, Francis, Tomba, Rocus, Ryuji, Chidi.
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Al Wehdat SC
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Last year’s AFC Cup semi-finalists completely dismantled the first timers Salgaocar in the third round of the group stage last week and their Serbian head coach Branko Smiljanić would be hoping for a similar performance from his side when they take on Salgaocar at the Fatorda stadium tomorrow.
The Jordanians scored only one goal in the first forty five minutes of their home leg. However, once they got the measure of the Indian club, they completely decimated their opponents with four more goals.
Smiljanić knows that the 5-0 drubbing will still be looming large in the minds of Salgaocar players and he would be trying his level best to take full psychological advantage of their last win into this match.
A win here for Al Wehdat will take them to the top of Group D as the other group match starts over an hour later, and a win for them here will put tremendous pressure on both Neftchi and Al-Oruba. Both, defender Basem Fathi and midfielder Rafat Ali, are back from suspension and this will add an extra edge to the Jordanian club’s lineup.
Skipper Mahmoud Shelbaieh has played a pivotal role in his team’s success as a unit for over a decade now, both at the national and at the continental level and come this Tuesday, he is expected to be the prime threat for Salgaocar.
Probable Starting Line-up: Mahmoud Khandil, Belal Daim, Mohammed Aldemeiri, Basem, Tareq Khattab, Ahmad Ali, Mohammad Jarrar, Rafat, Mahmoud Shelbaieh, Amer Karim, Basem Othman.
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TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch out For:
Edeh Chidi (Salgaocar)
Mahmoud Shelbaieh (Al Wehdat)
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TheHardTackle’s Prediction:
Salgaocar SC 1-2 Al Wehdat SC
link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/salgaocar-sc-v-al-wehdat-afc-cup-2012-preview-goans-fate-is-on-the-line/

My piece on the relegation battle going on in the I-league

Friday, April 20th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan

I-League: The Relegation Battle For The Final Spot Intensifies

ONGC FC and United Sikkim have clinched the two promotion spots from the division two to the first division of the I-league for next season. There are no prizes for guessing that HAL SC would be one of the clubs who these two will replace in the I-league in 2012-13, but with every passing day the relegation battle for deciding the second team which would be joining the Bangalore based club in division two is getting extremely intense.
With Pailan Arrows set to remain in the top flight on Indian football despite being on the 13th position, the fight for the second relegation spot is taking place between the 12th placed Chirag United Club Kerala and the 11th placed Mumbai FC with Mumbai leading Chirag by seven points having played two games more. TheHardTackle, here takes an in- depth look at the relegation scenario in the division one of the I-league which is bound to go down to the fire with both the teams in question set to meet in the last round of the league in May.
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Mumbai FC
Record-: Played -25, Points- 24, Game In Hand- 1
Mumbai were the surprise package during the last season and turned quite a few heads after they finished the season at 7th place.
They carried forward the form from last year to 2011-12 as well, as they started the current season with a thumping win in the Mumbai derby over Air India. But their happiness was short-lived as they were quickly brought down on their knees with a string of massive defeats against the powerhouses of Indian football. Rattled by these defeats, it took Khalid Jamil’s men quite some time to recuperate but eventually they slowly but surely started crawling back into the league table; earning close to 60% of their total points in the first half of the season itself.
It was at the turn of the year, that the things started going really haywire for Mumbai. A crucial defeat at home to Chirag United closed the gap between the two clubs to three points and brought them at the brim of the relegation zone. Their defeat against Chirag triggered a six match losing streak, which came to a halt only in February as they handed Churchill Brothers a shock 2-1 defeat – earning their first points of the year. The club went pointless for the next three matches and it was finally in April that their fortunes turned. April has by far been their best month in the season as Mumbai have managed to remain not just undefeated but have also picked up seven points from three matches including two invaluable wins over Shillong and HAL SC.
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Having played twenty five of their scheduled twenty six matches for the season- Mumbai FC finds themselves sitting seven points clear of Chirag United with their fate in their own hands as their remaining match is set to take place in Kerala against Chirag itself on the sixth of May.
The odds are heavily in favour of Khalid Jamil’s men as a defeat to Chirag United against either Pailan Arrows or Salgaocar SC will provide a safe haven to Mumbai FC even before they clash against Chirag in their last league fixture.
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Chirag United Club Kerala
Record-: Played -23, Points- 17, Games In Hand- 3
Like, Mumbai FC, Chirag also started their I-league campaign with three points but later fizzled out after losing some close fought encounters against some of the top sides. Unlike, Mumbai FC they were not completely outplayed by the big guns of the league but they missed out on many crucial points after conceding goals in the final minutes of their matches.
Although Chirag are seven points behind Mumbai, they have two games in hand, with final league encounter also lined up against the relegation threatened Mumbai club.


-
Earlier this week, the side from Kerala was on the verge of starring in the biggest upset of the season as a hat-trick from David Sunday helped them to come from two goals down against the mighty East Bengal only to be cruelly denied later by strikes from Tolgay and Robin Singh who snatched away three much needed points from the grasp of Chirag United.
This loss can come back to haunt the South Indian side but for the time being Biswajit Bhattacharya’s men should try to draw inspiration from their fight back against the “Red and Golds” up ahead of their remaining three league matches as even one defeat in any of these matches will bring down the curtains over their chances to remain in the top flight of I-league for next year.
Matches pending
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Vs Pailan Arrows (25th April)
Chirag have to play each of their remaining three matches as a final and a match against the struggling Pailan Arrows is first in line for them. Managed by Sujit Chakravarty the young boys from Arrows are yet to notch up a win this season. One expects Chirag to walk out of this home match with nothing less than three points as Arrows have been really shabby in the league and have the worst offensive and one of the worst defensive records this season.
Vs SalgaocarSC (29th April)
Salgaocar away, is by far the toughest match left for Chirag United. The defending champions who are already out from the title race and also from the 2012 AFC Cup would be hoping to go all out in their last two I-league matches in order to finish at least at a podium place in this season. The last win for Salgaocar in all competitions came almost three weeks ago against Air India. With a tough home match lined up against Al- Oruba in the AFC Cup on the twenty fourth of this month, expect the Goans to come all guns blazing against Chirag on the 29th of April.
Vs Mumbai FC (6th May)
This match will be of relevance only if Chirag manage to prevent themselves from suffering a defeat in either of their two previous matches. A defeat against either Arrows or Salgaocar or even draws against both these sides will mean that Chirag will have to relinquish all their dreams of staying in the top division for the upcoming season. If the Club from Kerala manages to win both their matches walking into their final tie of the season then it will leave them with 23 points from 25 matches in comparison to Mumbai FC’s 24 points from 25 matches. A draw then would be sufficient for Chirag United to remain in the top flight as they enjoy a better head-to-head record against Mumbai FC having won their previous encounter by two goals to nil. If they manage to win one and draw the other match before taking on Mumbai FC then the Kerala club will need nothing less than a win over Mumbai FC to remain in the first division.
After HAL SC’s exit, Chirag United are the only flag bearers of South Indian clubs left in the top flight of Indian football. This makes their presence in the first division for the next season even more important as they bring regional diversity to a league which is being completely dominated by the teams from Bengal and Goa.
Only time will tell whether Chirag will be able to stay in the top flight despite the odds stacked heavily against them or will Mumbai FC manage to stay afloat, but one thing is certain that this battle for the final relegation spot will go down to crunch.

link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i-league-the-relegation-battle-for-the-final-spot-intensifies/

Dempo SC are crowned the champions of India!!!!
Dempo wins the I-league for the 5th time.
Congrats to all Dempo fans in here

AFC Cup Preview – Matchday 6: East Bengal Host Kazma SC

AFC Cup Preview – Matchday 6: East Bengal Host Kazma SC On The Last Day of Group Matches

EAST BENGAL FC
V
KAZMA SC
Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Kolkata
9th May 2012, 15.30 hours IST
***

Having finished their I-league campaign last weekend as the runners up for a second year running, East Bengal would take on Kuwaiti club Kazma SC in AFC Cup on Wednesday in their penultimate match of the season. This match is important for both the clubs but at an altogether different level. While Kazma SC is still in reckoning for a place in the next round of the AFC Cup, East Bengal has been knocked out of the tournament and would be playing for their pride in front of home crowd, looking to notch up their first win of the tournament.

Team News and Tactical Brief

East Bengal FC
On Wednesday, Trevor Morgan’s men would take the filed for one last time in 2012 AFC Cup and with home crowd rallying behind them, they could turn out to be the party poopers for Kazma SC. Absence of their midfield supremo- Penn Orji along with Subodh Kumar due to suspension can hamper the chances of the hosts - as both these players have been the first choice of their manager in the starting eleven. Captain Sanju Pradhan has been in a lethal form of late and against Kazma SC, he would have to lead from the front and set an example for the rest of his teammates.
Although, East Bengal conceded four goals against Al-Oruba in their last group encounter, Edmilson did score the club’s first goal of the competition which could provide them some much needed self-belief ahead of their clash against Kazma SC. Nigerian national Uga Okpara will have his task cut out as Kazma SC’s young striker Al-Sulaiman is in red hot form.


It is indeed going to be a difficult task for the home side to get a positive result out of this encounter and they would go into this match as the underdogs - but football is a strange game. Playing in front of their ever vocal supporters, East Bengal would love to end their AFC Cup campaign with a winning result.

East Bengal FC expected Line-up: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu [GK], Okpara, Gurwinder Singh, Lalthalma, Saumik Dey, Mehtab, Sanju (C), Khabra, Edmilson , Tolgay, Robin Singh

Kazma SC
Kazma SC, placed second in the group, are tied on points with Al-Oruba of Yemen and a win here will assure them of a passage to the next round of the tournament. If both Kazma and Al-Oruba finish tied on points then the Kuwaiti side will go through on better head to head record. Their Czech manager Milan Macala will be fairly confident up ahead of his side’s trip to India especially after they completely outplayed East Bengal during their first group clash.
Defender Nasser Bader Al Wuhaib won’t travel with the squad as he has been ruled out due to suspension but the 2011 Kuwaiti Emir Cup winners won’t lose any sleep over it as Mohamed Hamada Barakate makes his way back into their defensive setup after serving his one match suspension against Arbil SC in the last group match. Skipper Nawaf Abdullah Al Humaidan will be at the heart of his team’s midfield assisted by Al-Fadhel and Ivorian Alex Somian and can cause some serious damage to the Indian side.
Twenty one year old Yousef Nasser Al-Sulaiman has been Kazma’s top scorer for the tournament with four goals and is bound to start for the Kuwaiti side at the Salt Lake stadium. Al-Sulaiman has been exceptional so far in the 2012 AFC Cup and his runs both on and off the ball has been a cause of a concern for all his opponents. Expect him to keep the East Bengal defenders on their toes for a large part of the match on Wednesday afternoon.

Kazma SC expected Line-up: Kankoune [GK], Barakat, Jammeh, Al-Gharib, Dashti, Al Humaidan (C), Alex Somian, Al-Fadhel, Mohammed Al Hadhoud , Al-Sulaiman, Al Ouihan

TheHardTackle Players To Watch Out For:

Yousef Nasser Al-Sulaiman (Kazma SC)
Sanju Pradhan (East Bengal)

TheHardTackle’s Prediction :

East Bengal 1-2 Kazma FC

written by me
source link- http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/a...st-kazma-sc-on-the-last-day-of-group-matches/

Prayag United Season Review 2011-12

Monday, May 21st, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan
Prayag United Season Review 2011-12

Although, Prayag United ended their 2011-12 campaign without adding any silverware to their cabinet, they surely made people to stand up and take notice of them in almost every tournament in which they participated. Finishing as the Runners -up in both Duand Cup and IFA Shield along with a top four finish in the Federation Cup is no mean feat for a club which had a number of players who were playing in the club for the very first time.
With forty two points, Prayag United finished their I-league campaign on seventh position (one spot below what we had predicted at the start of the season) much to the disappointment of their fans - especially after they enjoyed a nine game unbeaten streak at the start of the season. Picking up a win against the eventual champions Dempo SC and pulling up a league double over Mohun Bagan were the highlights of their I-League campaign. If players like Yakubu and Lalkamal Bhowmick - who had an exceptional year with the purple brigade - had not missed out on a number of matches due to injuries, Prayag United could have finished the league much higher than their current seventh spot.
As far as the domestic state league is concerned, Prayag ended their season with yet another podium place finish as they ended their CFL Premier League campaign on third spot with eighteen points only behind the mighty East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
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Key Highlights
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Finished Runners-up in both Durand Cup and the IFA Shield.
Defeating Mohun Bagan in all of their meetings (two in I-League and one in CFL) this season.
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The Low- blows
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Dropping points against the teams from the bottom half of the table.
Inability to cope up with injuries to their key players.
Losing momentum in the second half of the season.
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Star Performer of The Season: Lalkamal Bhowmick
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Despite missing out on a number of matches due to injury, Prayag United’s skipper Lalkamal Bhowmick had one of his best spells on the pitch this season as he had the biggest influence on the midfield linking up brilliantly with the strikers and the backline. His importance for his side could be gauged from the fact that it was only after he got injured and was rested for Prayag’s tenth I-league match that their dream run of nine unbeaten matches came to an end. His partnership with midfield partner Denson Devadas was widely appreciated as well. Lalkamal was always in the thick of the action for his side and as a result he even got called up for national duty.
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Bhowmick: If only he was not injured
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Goal of The Season : Deepak Mondal
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Veteran defender Deepak Mondal, who was deemed a surplus to the requirement in Mohun Bagan squad at the end of last season, came up with a world-class strike to dump his old club. With the game tied at 1-1 by the hour mark, the AIFF Player of the Year – 2002 produced a scintillating right-footer from approximately 30 yards out which left Sangram Mukherjee shell-shocked and crashed on to the back of Mohun Bagan net. “Old is Gold”, indeed! Those, who reckon this proverb to be a cliché– should have a look at this fabulous strike.
Flop of The Season: Lack of Bench Strength
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Prayag United started of the season with an exceptional undefeated streak of nine games but as the season progressed, the shortcomings in Prayag United were clearly evident. Prayag United were caught napping whenever their key players Lalkamal Bhowmick and Yusif Yakubu were out injured as they did not have any suitable replacements. Their stand in midfielder and strikers just failed to click together and Prayag looked like a different side altogether in the second half of the season due to which they slipped several spots in the table.
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Match of The Season
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Prayag United SC 3-2 Mohun Bagan AC
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Prayag United met the mighty Mohun Bagan three times this season and emerged victorious on all three occasions. In their first encounter with the Green and Maroons, Prayag twice came from behind to win by three goals to two which has been picked by TheHardTackle as Prayag’s match of the season.
Prayag United met Mohun Bagan for the first time this season in the seventh round of the I-league at the Salt lake stadium in the month of November. Despite Prayag starting off as the aggressors, it was Mohun Bagan who were in the lead by the twentieth minute. Absence of Barreto and Jewel Raja was working in favour of Prayag but Josimar’s inability to finish the moves was acting as a road block for Prayag United. Finally in the 41st minute Prayag were awarded for their persistence as Shankar Oraon slotted in a Josimar rebound which fell at his feet after hitting the crossbar.
Mohun Bagan quickly restored their lead in the first minute of the second half through Odafa’s strike but their joy was short lived as Yakubu restored the parity yet again when he converted from the spot in the 56th minute after Bagan’s Kingshuk Debnath handled the ball inside their box. Mohun Bagan were yet to recover from Prayag’s second equaliser as Yakubu scored his second and his club’s third in a space of two minutes from skipper Lalkamal’s corner to give Prayag United the lead in the Kolkata derby. Yakubu’s twin strikes completely rattled Mohun Bagan and the Mariners never recovered from it as the match ended in favour of Prayag United.
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Most Disappointing Match of The Season
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Churchill Brothers SC 5-2 Prayag United SC
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Prayag suffered their biggest defeat of the I-League campaign when they travelled to Goa to take on Churchill Brothers in the 22nd round of the campaign. Churchill opened the scoring through Beto and the Brazilian Maestro quicly doubled his side’s lead in the 35th minute. Yakubu got one back for Prayag United couple of minutes before the halftime but an own goal by Sukhen Dey restored Churchill’s two goal advantage before the halftime whistle. Henry and Ralte added two more to Churchill’s tally in the second half. Josimar reduced the gap seven minute from time but by then the game had already been decided.

parent link- http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/prayag-united-season-review-2011-12/

Raju Gaikwad, India U-23 Captain: THT Exclusive Interview

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan

Raju Eknath Gaikwad, the India U-23 captain began his professional career with Indian football giants Kingfisher East Bengal. A Tata Football Academy graduate, Raju was the captain of the first AIFF XI/Indian Arrows team, the developmental team of the All India Football Federation. Known for his “Rory Delap” – like long throw-ins from the touchline and his firm and resolute defending, Raju has already made his way into the senior national team as a defensive mainstay, and has a highly promising future ahead of him.
TheHardTackle caught up with the youngster from Mumbai to take a little peek into India’s most promising young defender.

Q1. Tell us something about your early days as a footballer. What drove you to the beautiful game and made you choose it over other sports?

Raju: I come from a sporting background, in the sense my father was a boxer and even though I wanted to be a boxer, I chose football as I liked it more. After school I joined Tata Football Academy as I wanted to play football professionally. My brother is also a footballer and plays for Air India. So you can say sports pretty much runs in the blood! (smiles)

Q2. Who has been your inspiration throughout your journey as a footballer?

Raju: Mahesh Gawli. When I wanted to be a professional footballer I liked the way Mahesh bhai played and that was a stage when I was growing up. Then I shared the stage with him at the national team camp. He was always different from other defenders, very comfortable and a leader. I’ve played with a lot of different defenders at club and the national team camps but I just like the comfort and difference he brings to the pitch.

Q3. You hail from Mumbai which has a great heritage in football despite not being the frontrunners in the national league and cricket is more popular. What do you think can improve to make Mumbaikars follow football?

Raju: Grassroots development is essential for the growth of football, not just in Mumbai but in the whole country. There must be more football academies and programs for younger players who are just starting to enjoy playing the game – 8 year olds, 10 year olds. Mahindra had a fantastic setup and during that time the football culture was very strong. It was a very professional team which made a difference in the state.

Q4. You were the captain of the Indian Arrows team and also are the captain of the India U-23 team. How do manage the responsibility and do you enjoy it?

Raju: I think the responsibility for the India U-23 team was a great learning experience for me. It was the first time I was chosen as a captain and learnt how to manage and handle a team. I loved the captainship of Indian Arrows and thoroughly enjoyed it!


Q5. How would you rate East Bengal’s huge fan base? Sometimes they do behave emotionally and are over demanding. Is it an added pressure on the Red-&-Gold footballers?

Raju: It depends also on the players and how they receive the adulation as much as the brickbats. While some players take the pressure upon themselves, the crowds and fans sometimes put more pressure on a particular player. I believe it’s good to have an experience like this as it brings out the true mettle of a player and I have seen many players not being able to adapt to it, while some have come through successfully. And of course, it is great to play in front of such huge and emotional crowds as in Kolkata.

Q6. You have had an injury-ridden season for the last year but are now looking to have come back to much form and fitness. How frustrating was it to sit out for most of the season and watch from the bylines?

Raju: Having a long term injury teaches you a lot; you get to learn how to deal with frustration and disappointment. It makes you stronger as a person and you realize that as a professional athlete you have to stay on top of your body at all times and that comes from the knowledge of knowing where exactly are your weaknesses and how to overcome them.

Q7. Please tell us something about your association with Libero Sports and how having representation can benefit a player like yourself for his career and future?

Raju: It has been very interesting to work with Libero Sports thus far. They are getting to know us (players) more and help us out with our present and future careers. For the future too , it will be good for younger players to become associated with the agency to safeguard their interests and also find meaningful opportunities for them in football.


The Rapid Fire Round!

1. Favorite sports apart from football?
Ans: Boxing, tennis and basketball.
Raju Gaikwad
2. Favorite cuisine?
Ans: Pao-bhaji
Raju Gaikwad
3. Best India player in the current U-23 squad?
Ans: Jeje
Raju Gaikwad
4. Best coach you have worked under?
Ans: Colin Toal.
Raju Gaikwad
5. Favorite Indian player of all time?
Ans: Mahesh Gawli
Raju Gaikwad
6. Favorite football player of all time?
Ans: Rio Ferdinand
Raju Gaikwad
7. Favorite player of current generation?
Ans: Shilton D’Silva (Pailan Arrows)
Raju Gaikwad
8. Your most memorable performance so far?
Ans: The East Bengal vs. Mohun Bagan derby this year – coming back from injury straight to play the match; that was a dream come true and the one chance I’ve got so far to play in the derby. I was not supposed to play but I ended up playing for 10-15 minutes after one of my teammates got injured.

Raju Gaikwad is exclusively represented by Libero Sports.

ABOUT LIBERO SPORTS
Libero Sports is a full service professional athlete representation and corporate consulting company operating with offices in multiple regions throughout the world. Libero works with professional athletes and football clubs to provide professional footballers “on the field,” and also with businesses looking to launch marketing campaigns or other initiatives in the football industry “off the field”. Libero provides a unique viewpoint, and unique skills and opportunities to all its clients.
Currently, Libero Sports represents 22 professional footballers in India including Johnny Menyongar and Raju Gaikwad.

parent link-http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/raju-gaikwad-india-u-23-captain-tht-exclusive-interview/

Uttam Rai, India U-16 Sikkimese Phenomenon: THT Exclusive Interview

Friday, June 8th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan


Uttam Rai is a 16 year old footballer from Sikkim who has already carved a name for himself in Indian football lore with his outstanding performances at the international stage, and is now looking to script history for India at the AFC U16 Championships later this year. Uttam scored five goals vs. Kyrgyzstan in a U16 AFC Championships Qualifier, and also picked up the Offensive player of the Year Award 2011 at IMG Academy, Florida, which he attended as part of the IMG-Reliance Scholarship program. He was named as one of Top 3 Indian strikers in 2011 on Goal.com, and recently was mentioned as one of ‘10 Players to Watch Out For’ at the largest international youth football tournament, the Dallas Cup.
Sachin Madaan of THT caught up EXCLUSIVELY with the Sikkimese Phenomenon on his return to Indian shores after another successful year at the IMG Academy:

read the interview here-:http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/uttam-rai-india-u-16-sikkimese-phenomenon-tht-exclusive-interview/

Indian Football Transfers – Live Updates, June 10th

Sunday, June 10th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan | Edit
Indian Football Transfers – Live Updates, June 10th
Edit This Post
Click here to read a THT exclusive interview of Uttam Rai (India U-16 Striker)
Even before the current I-League season comes to a conclusion, Indian transfer market is buzzing with a host of activities. TheHardTackle will bring you LIVE! transfer updates from clubs all over India. Keep a tab here to know the recruiting activities of all the Indian clubs for the up-coming 2012/13 season.
You can also contribute by sending us any transfer updates you come across. Send your updates toindia@thehardtackle.com mentioning the source and we will be happy to put up your update here duly crediting your contribution.
289. Mehtab making the switch?
As per Bengali daily ‘Kolkata Saradin‘ Mehtab Hussain has reportedly signed for Mohun Bagan for a monumental fee of Rs 92 lakhs. He has one more year left on his contract with their arch rivals EastBengal but according to FIFA rules, players over 28 can break their contracts but their current club needs to be paid compensation. Mohun Bagan has sent all the relevant documents to FIFA as well.
THT Verdict: Unlikely
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288. Shillong Lajong retain National team players, Sign several more
Lajong have extended the services of Indian internationals Renedy Singh and Sushil Kumar despite the fact that Sushil was heavily linked to Mumbai FC. They have also signed defender Govin Singh from rivals United Sikkim and medio Jibon Singh from Arrows. Rolin Son of Pune FC and local player Basant Singh have also been added to the roaster
THT Verdict: Confirmed
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287. Mohun Bagan Submits List of Players
Mohun Bagan have submitted an initial list of players to the IFA for their registration for the upcoming season. These players are-:
Retained: Odafa Okolie , Shilton Paul, Rakesh Masih, Rahim Nabi, Sourav Chakraborty, Manish Maithani, Jewel Raja, Manish Bhargav , Deepak Somnath Kumar
New Players: Arindam, Navin Kumar, Milton, Aibor Singh, Rajib Ghosh, Nirmal Chettri , Warundeep Singh, Khelemba Singh, Mehraj Uddin, Mohun Sarkar, Denson Devdas, Bijendra Rai, CS Sabeeth, Dipendu Biswas, Eche, Stanley, Tolgay Ozbey (F)
THT Verdict: Confirmed

link-: http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/indian-football-transfers-–-live-updates-june-10th/

Wim Koevermans Unveiled As The New Coach of Indian Football Team
link-:http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/wim-koevermans-unveiled-as-the-new-coach-of-indian-football-team/

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/indian-football-transfers-–-live-updates-june-21st/ Prayag united setting the stage on fire. On the verge of signing Costa Rican and Australian Internationals

Sunil Chhetri joins Sporting Lisbon.

necromancer said:

Sunil Chhetri joins Sporting Lisbon.

Click to expand...

Its Nirmal Chettri no relation to Sunil.

eidt: fuck! u're right but wtf

Their reserve team. Mostly a marketing move.
http://www.sporting.pt/English/News/news_eng_clubcommunication_040712_95440.asp

fuck Sunil Chhetri. overrated piece of shit.

your LB - Nabi (iirc) is class tho.

I-League 2012-13: International Flavors To Spice Up The Indian Curry

Friday, July 27th, 2012 | Posted by Sachin Madaan

It’s that time of the year again when from online forums to the tables of that beloved sports bar in neighborhood, everywhere the topic is the same. Who is going where? Shall he be sold or the club should just loan him off? Is it the right time to go for an expensive acquisition? These are some of the constant terms one would see flying around the beer tables. No, the talks are not about the share market, although the significance of these discussions are as important for the concerned people, as buying or selling of stocks is for an investor. While the later invests his life savings the former puts not just his time but also his emotions into the “football transfer market”.
From blaming the management of their beloved clubs to worshiping them like demigods, a football fan goes through truckloads of emotions in the transfer season; for this is the time period when his club’s foundation for the next season will be laid. Arrival of a world class player can make them forget the disappointments of the past season, whereas the departure of the same can send chills through the spine of even the defending champions.
While European transfers steal the limelight and make the cover stories of the leading dailies, this time around the Indian football transfer market has also managed to attract its fair share of attention. Ranging from the departure of our national players to Europe to the arrival of several international names to our domestic league; the Indian transfer window has had its fair share to talk about as well.



In this article, we take a look at the international players who have joined the I-League this season, thereby adding a dash of flavor to the Indian curry. Along with that we will take a quick glance at the foreigners who have made a move within the I-League for the upcoming season.
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Bertrand Benik Tequwa Bong (From Al-Shamal, To Sporting Clube de Goa)
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We start off with the twenty five year old Cameroonean striker, better known as Bong Bertrand who became the latest international entrant in the I-league as he signed up for Sporting Clube de Goa earlier in the week. He arrives in the I-League from Al-Shamal - a Qatari second division club and earlier used to ply his trade in Oman and Egypt. He is expected to add some much required physical presence to the squad of the Flaming Oranje who finished in the bottom half of the league last season. It’s outrageous to compare him with legends like Roger Milla and Samuel Eto, but Bong will certainly prove to be a handful for the Indian defenders in the I-League, especially with his precise headers. He becomes the third African player in the present Sporting’s squad along with skipper Kalu Ogba (Nigerian) and defender Keita (Guinean).


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Bilal Shiekh El Najarin and Akram Moghrabi (From Nejmeh SC To Churchill Brothers)
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The Goan outfit Churchill Brothers signed not one, but two Lebanese internationals - a striker and a defender – in the space of a fortnight. The 2011-12 I-League’s second runner-ups started off by strengthening their defense when they signed the 6’2″ tall center back Bilal Shiekh from top Lebanese Premier League outfit Nejmah SC. The veteran defender, who has played for Lebanon’s national side for almost eight years now, will bring a lot of experience to Churchill’s backline. Besides his defensive skills, he is also known for scoring crucial goals through quick counter attacks and corners. A very good signing indeed by the Goans, who would be aiming to go all the way to the coveted I-League crown in the upcoming season.
Striker Akram Moghrabi was never the first choice for the Goan outfit. Reports coming in earlier this month suggested that they were aiming to sign the twenty two year old Ghanaian Bismakh Idan, who played for Turkish second division side Göztepe SC. It was only after their talks with the Ghanaian fell that the Lebanese international surfaced on their radar. If reports coming in from Panaji are to be believed, then it was Churchill’s latest recruit, defender Bilal Shiekh, who seemed to have recommended his teammate from Nejmeh to their techinal direct Subhas Bhowmick. Akram has played for his national side since 2009 has scored six international goals. He can also play as a attacking midfielder behind the strikers, if the need arises and is a known for his clinical finishing.
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Carlos Hernandez (From Melbourne Victory To Prayag United)
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An awful lot has already been written about this signing. Prayag United set the heads rolling when they managed to sign Costa Rica international Hernandez, who featured in 2006 World Cup, from Melbourne Victory for a period of ten months. Prayag United have made their intentions for the next season quite clear with the signing of Hernandez and I-League top scorer Ranti Martins in the same transfer window. In Carlos Hernandez, the Kolkata side has made arguably the most high profile international signing in the history of I-League and by spending more than two crores to get Ranti Martins from Dempo, they have made the most expensive I-League signing ever. Prayag United have sounded the war bugle already, are the other clubs listening?
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My latest piece on Indian football

parent link-:
http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/i...onal-flavors-in-the-indian-curry-this-season/

Feyenoord picks up Harmeet Singh from Valerenga.