Bagan two good in crunch game
Defending champions Mohun Bagan stayed true to their promise of performing when called for as they outplayed Mahindra United 2-0 in the concluding Group B encounter on Saturday to leapfrog ahead of the Mumbai side and make it to the last-four of the Federation Cup, reports Somshuvra Laha.
Defending champions Mohun Bagan stayed true to their promise of performing when called for as they outplayed Mahindra United 2-0 in the concluding Group B encounter on Saturday to leapfrog ahead of the Mumbai side and make it to the last-four of the Federation Cup. Strikers Jose Barreto and Edeh Chidi scored on either side of the break to go past Mahindra United who needed a draw to book a place in the semi-finals.
Karim Bencherifa's team took time to settle down in what seemed to be an even encounter for the first half-hour, during which both sides took the charge to their opponents. First, it was India international N.P Pradeep’s turn but Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Sangram Mukherjee brilliantly parried the free-kick.
Under-23 India captain Sushil Kumar Singh too forced Mukherjee to make another effort to his left to thwart his right-footed piledriver.
Mahindra, for all the compact gameplay exhibited by the midfield, came up short against Barreto and Chidi, who constantly threatened to break through. Ishfaq Ahmed too proved to be multi-utilitarian as he continued to replenish the forwards with crisp passes, at the same time withdrawing to man the defence.
After fluffing opportunities to pull ahead, the Barreto did score, from a penalty though.
Five minutes from half-time, Japanese medio Sueocka Ryuji did well to snatch the ball from an opposition defender and send a through to Barreto who barged ahead but D. Ravanan pushed him from behind.
Referee Dinesh Nair pointed to the penalty spot and Barreto converted it.
The green-and-maroon brigade again struck within five minutes of the second half, when defender Biswajit Saha put forward a cross to Chidi, who after juggling the ball twice to evade defender Justin Stephen, poked home to make it 2-0. “The win proved Mohun Bagan’s ability to perform under pressure and it will give us further confidence to do well in the knockout stages,” Bencherifa said.
Dempo skip practice
Armando Colaco, coach of last year's Federation Cup finalists, Dempo, is finding it difficult to come to terms with reality. So frustrated is the coach that he did not have a practice session on the eve of their last Group D encounter against Air India.
For Colaco, Sunday's match against Air India is "insignificant". "I told the boys to do some stretching and run up and down the hotel stairs. At this moment, I don't want to show my face outside," Colaco said. The team crashed out after losing to the newly promoted Lajong FC and Pune FC. Forget playing for pride, Dempo — who last lifted the Cup in 2004 — seem to have given up. “We will face them in the I-League, so what's the point in thinking about the losses,” Colaco said.
Live on ZEE Sports
Lajong FC vs Pune FC: 3.30 pm; Dempo vs Air India: 6 pm