Maharashtra pack off Kerala in Santosh Trophy

Chennai: Maharashtra defied the odds and packed off five times champions Kerala 1-0 with K. Sampathkumar scoring the match-winner in a pre-quarterfinal match of the 63rd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at Coimbatore today.

Also advancing to the quarter-final league were hosts Tamil Nadu who sustained their momentum for a 5-0 win against Haryana while Goa knocked out Mizoram 3-0 and Manipur steamed past the Indian Railways 3-1.

In the quarter-final league that commences on Tuesday after a day's break, Tamil Nadu and Manipur join defending champions Punjab and Bengal (Group A), while Goa and Haryana find themselves with last year's runners-up Services and Karnataka.

Kerala, despite enjoying partisan support, yielded ground to a determined Maharashtra who did well to see off the early overtures.

With Kerala muffing chances in the first-half, Maharashtra gradually fought their way back into the game and applied pressure on resumption.

Skipper Steven Dias cut through on the right flank and centred leading to a melee and Sampathkumar was on hand to tuck the ball in for the only goal of the match.

In Tiruchirapally, Goa turned on the heat and as the score-line suggested, were a cut above Mizoram. A two-goal strike by Marcus Mascarenhas (58th, 63rd) highlighted the Goan victory with Joaquim Abranches (44th) scoring the other goal.

In Chennai, Tamil Nadu kept up their high-scoring spree in handing out a 5-0 drubbing to Haryana with skipper Kulothungan (18th), Muthu (28th and 78th) and Riju (48th and 81st) doing the honours at the finish.

Following their huge victories in the preliminary league when they scored 25 goals in three matches, Tamil Nadu played with confidence that was fairly apparent from their attacking style of play that did leave a door open for a counter-attack.

However, on the day, the hosts were on target almost every time they came within the striking range even as the Haryana defence capitulated under the ceaseless onslaughts.

A notable feature of Tamil Nadu's performance Sunday was the functioning of their half-line with medio Prem Kumar enjoying a solid outing as he repeatedly prompted the forwards with a string of passes.

READ MORE - Maharashtra pack off Kerala in Santosh Trophy

Goa, Manipur storm into quarter-finals

CHENNAI: Hosts Tamil Nadu, former champions Goa and Manipur booked quarter-final berths with easy wins while Maharashtra barely made the grade in the 63rd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on Sunday.

Tamil Nadu rode on the goals scored by Muthu, Riju and Kulothungan to thump Haryana 5-0 here. Meanwhile, in another pre-quarterfinal match at Tiruchirapally, Goa blanked Mizoram 3-0, courtesy Joaquim Abranches (44th) and Marcus Mascarenhas (58th and 63rd) fine display on the field.

As if the pitch side temperature that hit an all time high was not enough, Mizoram appeared to test Goa’s resolve with a series of tackles. It took referee Santosh Kumar (Kerala) nine bookings - six to Mizoram - to restore some sort of order. After the initial hustle-bustle, where everyone seemed to kick anyone, Goa eventually settled down and won a spot kick after Reuben Zosangpuia was caught handling Marcus’ header in the 13th minute.

At Thiruvallore, former champions Manipur beat Railways 3-1, while Maharashtra edged past Kerala by a solitary goal in a close contest in Coimbatore. For Manipur, Reisangi Vashum (40th, 79th) and Subhash Singh (19th) scored while Nalanda Chakraborty reduced the margin in the 80th minute. On the other hand, Maharashtra depended on Kuttimani Sampathkumar’s quick reflexes to score in the 83rd minute.

Tamil Nadu, Goa, Manipur and Maharashtra now join four directly seeded sides - last edition winners Punjab, runners-up Services and two semi-finalists Karnataka and West Bengal - in the last eight league round which begins on Tuesday.

Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur and Tamil Nadu make up the Group A while Services, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa form the Group B. In the quarter-final league matches starting on Tuesday, Manipur takes on Punjab while hosts Tamil Nadu plays West Bengal in their first quarter-final league matches. Next day, Services will lock horns with Maharashtra while Karnataka will meet Goa.

READ MORE - Goa, Manipur storm into quarter-finals

Goa Coach Looking Forward To Sunday’s Match

Goa coach Mariano Dias is delighted with the progress his side has made so far in the Santosh Trophy and is looking forward to their pre-quarterfinal match against Mizoram on Sunday.

Goa started their Santosh Trophy campaign on Monday when they defeated Jharkhand 1-0 in Cluster IV. They then thrashed Orissa 4-0 in the same cluster on Friday to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals.

Speaking to Goal.com, Goa coach Mariano Dias said that he was happy with his side’s performance against Orissa, but warned that they have to maintain that level against Mizoram on Sunday.
Dias said, “We did not start our first match of the Santosh trophy well. But we played very well against Orissa on Friday.
“We now have to play well against Mizoram on Sunday to progress to the quarterfinals. We have some good players in our team, such as Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli. We didn’t have them in our side for the first match as they were playing in the AFC Cup but after they returned for the second match, our performance was very good.”
Dias insists that they are taking the Santosh Trophy very seriously and says that the people in Goa too take this competition seriously. He said, “This tournament is a matter of prestige for the people of Goa. We are taking this tournament very seriously.”

READ MORE - Goa Coach Looking Forward To Sunday’s Match

Tamil Nadu looks the stand-out team

Riju, who has scored nine goals, will be eyeing the ‘Golden Foot’ award
— Photo: K. Pichumani

PROLIFIC: P.C. Riju, who has reaped it rich to emerge the highest scorer, has played a big part in host Tamil Nadu’s imperious progress into the pre-quarterfinals of the National football championship. CHENNAI: Eight teams in the fray and only four slots to fill. This is the bottomline at the end of the cluster phase of the Santosh Trophy national football championship. The winners of the four pre-quarterfinals — Kerala v Maharashtra (at Coimbatore), Goa v Mizoram (at Tiruchi), Railways v Manipur (at Tiruvallur) and Tamil Nadu v Haryana (in Chennai) — will join the semifinalists of last year’s nationals held in Srinagar in the quarterfinal league.
The winners in Chennai and Tiruvallur will join Punjab (holder) and Bengal in Group ‘A’, while those in Coimbatore and Tiruchi will join Services (last year’s runner-up) and Karnataka in Group ‘B’.
Among the aspirants, host Tamil Nadu stands out if only because it has scored the maximum goals in the cluster phase (25). Current top scorer P.C. Riju has already notched up nine goals and looks all set to win the Rs. one lakh Winwind ‘Golden Foot’ award instituted by a private company. But this goal-glut could also form Tamil Nadu’s weakness, for it has so far encountered sides way down in standards without exception, and is yet to be pushed let alone face a battle.
Master tactician That is also coach P. Thulasi’s worry. He has experimented with his bench strength and undoubtedly none lacked finesse. Clearly the I-league players’ influence is rubbing off on the entire side. Skipper Kulothungan looks a master tactician, nimble on his feet, clever with his distribution, and capable of doubling as striker and midfielder.
Up front, Muthu has vibed well with Riju, while Pradeep, Bengkok and Suresh Kumar raid down the wings with the hunger of predators. Tamil Nadu’s defence looks capable in the hands of Ravanan, Kali Allaudin, Premkumar and Mohanraj. In goal, Nidhin Lal is still to be disturbed and another class keeper in Sathish (the Dempo custodian) is still to make an appearance. Overall the picture looks rosy.
But not for Thulasi. Having watched Haryana down Bihar even if not on a spectacular note, he says, “Haryana is a difficult opponent. They are working their moves well.” Confirming his fear is the view of Haryana manager Hansraj who says, “it is not beyond my team to beat Tamil Nadu.”
At a time when there are serious efforts in Haryana to prop up football (and the results have begun to show at the junior level) the senior side — with a sprinkling of players from Amity United Club, a private sector effort to raise a professional side — has shown order in its approach.
Positive outlook The kingpin is skipper Pawan Kumar, who controls the game with his touches, free kicks and passes. Ball possession and cohesiveness have been Haryana’s plus points. Both teams are positive in outlook and the one that grabs the initiative will take all.
At Red Hills, Manipur has scored eleven goals and Railways just two, but that may not tell the true tale. Railways looked quite comfortable in both its 1-0 wins, and coach Soundararajan’s strategy of employing a midfield diamond with playmaker Mehtab Hussain of East Bengal just behind the strikers, has worked well. The return of striker Abhishek, who scored against Delhi but also got himself sent off to miss the Assam match through suspension, is a boost for Railways.
Manipur’s football is on a strong footing now after the Vision Asia programme, and this was reflected in the flair the players have displayed so far, particularly the overlapping fullbacks and the wingers. Right-winger Reisangmi Vasum, who plays for I-league winner Churchill Brothers, scored a hat-trick against Uttarakhand, and has looked lively throughout.
The pre-quarterfinal involving the two former champions could be a test between Railways’ tactical enterprise and Manipur’s flair, enough ingredients for a close match.
Biggest plus In Tiruchi, Mizoram, pitted against former champion Goa which has a quite a few I-league players in its ranks, seeks to advertise its natural flair.
“It is going to be a tough match. But the fighting nature of the boys is our biggest plus,” says T. Vanlalhluna, Mizoram coach. He is happy that Reuben Zosangpuia will be back after missing Mizoram’s earlier match through suspension. “He is a big asset and will strengthen our defence,” he adds. Mizoram has to cash in on its chances because Goa isn’t likely to provide too many.
Goa coach Mariano Dias says that the arrival of India players Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli has given the squad balance. Sounding cautious, he says, “We don’t take any opponent lightly and that too in the knockout stage. Gaining an early lead is important.”
Coimbatore is another centre which will witness a clash of former champions. Kerala has a young, capable side.
“The forward line is fresh and has plenty of ideas. And its understanding with the halfline has also been very good,” says the experienced coach K.P. Sethumadhavan. Maharashtra on the other hand has a neat blend of professional players. As Sethumadhavan puts it, “Their boys are individually very good. And, also most of them are professionals.” Kerala needs a clear strategy to upset Maharashtra’s calculations.
Says Maharashtra coach Arshad Hussain, “We know the strengths of Kerala players and our boys are going to play their natural game.” For the record, Kerala has twice fumbled to Maharashtra at the final hurdle and once in the semifinal of the national championship. Sethumadhavan and his boys thus have a task on their hands.
Sunday’s matches (pre-quarterfinals):
At Chennai: Tamil Nadu vs. Haryana.
At Coimbatore: Maharashtra vs. Kerala.
At Tiruchi: Goa vs. Mizoram.
At Tiruvallur: Railways vs. Manipur.
With inputs from Karthik Krishnaswamy (Tiruvallur), G. Prasad (Tiruchi) and Rayan Rozario (Coimbatore).

READ MORE - Tamil Nadu looks the stand-out team

Churachand Singh Trophy: A Historic perspective

The Churachand Singh Invitation Football Trophy is the biggest club tournament in the Northeastern state of Manipur.

The game of Football arrived in Manipur in the later part of the 19th century. With the formation of least teams in Manipur namely Maharaja Churachand team, Johnstone team and Battalion Football team, some Manipuri started to play football with the guidance of British teacher Pettigrew. Even though, it is slow in its stride to popularize, it has become a king of the games in our state.
After the end of the First World War, Manipur Town Club was established with its head, Phoni Mukherjee, a Bengali settled in Manipur. For the first time in the history of Manipur, the team participated in the football tournament held at Lamding, Assam. The team took the champion trophy with the maximum efforts led by His Highness Sir Churachand Singh, KCSI, CBE, (KCSI-Knight Commander Star of India and CBE-Commander of British Empire, the titles given by the British Emperor) who was the Maharaja of Manipur (1881-1941). He was also known as "Father of Modern Sports". Other than football, he took keen interest and initiated to introduce and popularize the games like hockey, cricket, athletics, badminton, tennis, polo and tennikoit, etc.

After the Second World War, the standard of modern football in Manipur had improved gradually. In the meantime, Manipur Town Club was converted to Manipur Sports Club (MSA) in 1947. They started to organize different sports disciplines in Manipur. Manipur was affiliated as a district to the Assam Football Association. The Manipur team was the Winner of the "1st All Assam Inter-District football tournament, 1947" held at Shillong organized by the Assam Football Association.

With the establishment of Manipur Sports Association (MSA), the members of the association had a strong ambition to organize some prestigious football tournaments in the state. Thus, by inviting some football team from the neighboring states, the most popular tournament known as "C.C. Meet" was instituted in 1950 in loving memory of the late Maharaja of Manipur, Sir Churachand Singh, KCSI, CBE. And now it has become a major football event in the North Eastern Region of India.

With the amalgamation of Manipur Sports Association and Manipur Olympic Association in 1954, the tournament came under the management of the All Manipur Sports Association (AMSA). The All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) became an affiliated unit of All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 1973 and the tournament was registered under the AIFF. Since then, the All Manipur Football Association has taken the reins of organizing the prestigious tournament, C.C. Meet as an All India Open Invitation Football Tournament. Again, the name of the prestigious tournament has been changed to a beautiful present caption-"Sir Churachand Singh KCSI, CBE Memorial Tournament".


Features of the tournament:

The winners trophy "Shield" was donated by Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh in memory of his beloved father, Sir Churachand Singh in 1950. The shield plated with gold at its centre was donated by Maharajkumar Tutendra Singh, son of Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh in 1956. The runners-up trophy "Shield" was donated by M.Y. Khan in loving memory of his beloved father, Raj Bahadur Khan Durani.

Some rolling trophies of the tournament are:

- Footballer of the Year (Men)
- Footballer of the Year (Women)
- Fair Play Team
- Best Goalkeeper
- Best Player
- Top Scorer
- Best Coach of the Year
- Best Defender
- Best Referee
- Man of the Final Match

Though this tournament has become one of the biggest events in Manipur, the long standing legacy of teams from outside the state participating in the tournament has been greatly reduced. So, the trophies with more cash should be encouraged. Therefore, it is right time that the AMFA should take up initiatives in bringing in more sponsorers from both governmental and non-governmental firms to strengthen the popularity of the game nationwide.

READ MORE - Churachand Singh Trophy: A Historic perspective

Santosh Trophy: Sanju Pradhan Rues Missed Chances

Sanju Pradhan spoke to Goal.com on Sikkim’s 0-2 defeat at the hands of Manipur which eliminated the former from the Santosh Trophy.

Sanju Pradhan with Coach Subhash Bhowmick (Mango Peel)

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After surprisingly drawing 2-2 against Utttarakhand in their first game, Sikkim had to beat Manipur on Friday to qualify for the pre-quarters.  

But Sikkim came up short and lost the game by two goals. Midfielder Sanju Pradhan said that it could have been a different scoreline had his teammates taken their chances.  

Speaking to Goal.com he said, “The game could have gone either way. Both teams fought hard and gave their best.  

“We failed to convert our chances while Manipur made the most of theirs, so they won the game.  

“Manipur are a good side but we could have easily beaten them today.”  

He also pointed out that a better preparation before the tournament could have avoided the disappointing draw against Uttarakhand.  

“We didn’t get much time to prepare for the tournament. In the Santosh Trophy if you are not prepared well, you will struggle.  

“That is why we made a few mistakes in the first game which left us much too do in the final game.”  

However he still praised the effort of the players and felt that their young side will gain valuable experience from this tournament.  

“All the players tried their best. We had a very young squad so I am sure we will learn from our mistakes and do well next time,” he concluded.

READ MORE - Santosh Trophy: Sanju Pradhan Rues Missed Chances

Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 6

Goal.com brings to you a round up of all the matches played on the sixth day of the 63rd Santosh Trophy.

29-May-2009 6:16:29 PM

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Santosh Trophy 2009 : Haryana Vs Gujarat

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Meghalaya 0-3 Maharashtra

Maharashtra went through to the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy after defeating Meghalaya 3-0 in Cluster II at Coimbatore. Maharashtra were the better of the two sides in the match but couldn’t score in the first 45 minutes. They did score eventually four minutes after the hour-mark when Paresh Shivalkar scored. Three minutes later Maharashtra doubled their lead when Sampat Kumar Kuttymani hit the Meghalaya net. The 3-0 scoreline was complete two minutes later when Kuttymani scored his brace.

Orissa 0-4 Goa

Goa defeated Orissa 4-0 in Cluster IV to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh trophy. Goa took the lead through Marcus Mascarenhas and stretched their lead in the 33^rd minute when Beevan D’Mello scored. It became 3-0 to Goa a minute before the half-time whistle was blown when Dempo star Climax Lawrence scored. Goa continued to dominate the match in the second half too and made it 4-0 in the 70^th minute when Riston Rodriguez scored.

Sikkim 0-2 Manipur

Manipur defeated Sikkim in Cluster VI at Thiruvallore to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy. Manipur went ahead as early as the 14^th minute when Khan Tang Paite was fouled inside the Sikkim penalty area. Paite pulled himself up and scored from the resulting penalty. Manipur increased their lead four minutes before half-time when Subhash Singh scored. Manipur didn’t allow Sikkim to make much inroads in the second half and duly won the match 2-0.

Bihar 0-3 Haryana

Haryana defeated Bihar 3-0 in Cluster VII at Chennai to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy. They scored eight minutes into the match through Surender Kumar. It became 2-0 to Bihar in the 42^nd minute when Pradeep Kumar scored and the 3-0 scoreline was accomplished in the dying minutes of the game when Kumar scored his brace.

READ MORE - Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 6

Manipur cruise in Santosh trophy

Chennai, May 30 : Manipur defeated Sikkim in Cluster VI at Thiruvallore to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy.

Manipur went ahead as early as the 14th minute when Khantang Paite was fouled inside the Sikkim penalty area.

Paite pulled himself up and scored from the resulting penalty.

Manipur increased the lead four minutes before half-time when Subhash Singh scored.

The former champions did not allow Sikkim to make much inroads in the second half and duly won the match 2-0 .

Maharashtra also went through to the last 18 stage after defeating Meghalaya 3-0 in a Cluster II match at Coimbatore.

Maharashtra were the better of the two sides in the match but couldn't score in the first 45 minutes.

They did score eventually four minutes after the hour-mark when Paresh Shivalkar scored.

Three minutes later Maharashtra doubled their lead when Sampat Kumar Kuttymani hit the Meghalaya net.

The 3-0 scoreline was complete two minutes later when Kuttymani scored his brace.

Goa trounced Orissa 4-0 in a Cluster IV clash to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the 63rd National Football Championship.

Goa took the lead through Marcus Mascarenhas and stretched their lead in the 33rd minute when Beevan D'Mello scored.

It became 3-0 to Goa a minute before the half-time whistle was blown when Dempo star Climax Lawrence scored.

Goa continued to dominate the match in the second half too and made it 4-0 in the 70th minute when Riston Rodriguez scored.

In another match of the day, Haryana defeated Bihar 3-0 in Cluster VII at Chennai to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy.

They scored eight minutes into the match through Surender Kumar.

It became 2-0 to Bihar in the 42nd minute when Pradeep Kumar scored and the 3-0 scoreline was accomplished in the dying minutes of the game when Kumar scored his brace.

READ MORE - Manipur cruise in Santosh trophy

Manipur beats Sikkim, enters pre-quarterfinals

Karthik Krishnaswamy
— Photo: K. Pichumani

FAST GAME: Subash Singh of Manipur (centre) tries to dribble past the Sikkim players in the Santosh Trophy on Friday. Tiruvallur: Manipur entered the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy here on Friday with a 2-0 win in its final Cluster VI match against Sikkim. Manipur will face Railways, winner of Cluster V, in the pre-quarterfinals on Sunday.
In its first game, Manipur had thrashed Uttarakhand 9-0, with its front four enjoying vast amounts of space and time on the ball.
Here, Sikkim’s midfield, instead of sitting deep like Uttarakhand’s, closed down these spaces with industry. Manipur as a result took a while to find any measure of fluency.
Regardless, Manipur took the lead in the 14th minute, through a penalty slotted home by left winger Khanthang Paiti.
Reisangmi Vasum, hat-trick hero against Uttarakhand, won it on the right edge of the box, brought down from behind — needlessly, for he had his back to goal — by Sikkim left winger Bikash Jairu.
Manipur made it 2-0 in the 41st minute through the cruellest of sucker punches. Goalkeeper Lokeshwar Singh, picking up the ball after he had nearly spilled a Jairu free kick into goal, launched it long beyond the Sikkim defence. Timing his run just right, striker Subash Singh reached it an instant before Sikkim keeper Karma Lepcha and poked home adroitly.
The Nirmal impact Sikkim emerged from the break with a re-jigged line-up, with skipper Nirmal Chhetri moved from centre back to centre forward, in an attempt to bomb the Manipur defence with long balls.
The East Bengal defender made an immediate impact, winning headers at will, knocking the ball on for runners from either side.
Twice in a minute, he had efforts denied – a header blocked by centre back Syed Fareed and a low shot saved by Basant Singh, who had replaced a rattled-looking Lokeshwar in goal.
A goal might just have thrown Manipur into disarray, but Sikkim didn’t quite manage to find that incisive final ball or cleanly struck shot.
The result: Manipur 2 (Khanthang Paiti 14’; Subash Singh 41’) bt Sikkim 0.

READ MORE - Manipur beats Sikkim, enters pre-quarterfinals

Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 5

We bring to you a round up of all the matches played on the fifth day of the 63rd Santosh Trophy.

Pondicherry 0-4 Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh defeated Pondicherry 4-0 in their Cluster III match on Thursday. MP took the lead in the 25^th minute through a Krishna Kumar Singh penalty and sustained their lead until the half-time break. MP doubled their advantage just before the hour mark when Santosh Rajak scored. Four minutes later it became 3-0 as Rajak scored his second of the match and the 4-0 scoreline was completed in the 88^th minute when Bhagwan Das added his name to the scoresheet.

Kerala 3-0 Chhattisgarh

Kerala defeated Chhattisgarh 3-0 in a Cluster I match on Thursday to qualify for the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy. Kerala went 1-0 up in the 25^th minute when NP Pradeep scored. Kerala got the better of the chances in the remainder of the first half and even had a penalty but failed to add to their tally. However, they did eventually score and that was in the 62^nd minute when Zubair K headed past Gurpreet Singh. Sushant Matthew, who had seen his penalty get saved in the first half, made amends in the second period as he blasted home a 35-yard screamer to round up a convincing 3-0 victory for Kerala.

Mizoram 3-0 Jammu & Kashmir

Mizoram inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Jammu & Kashmir in a Cluster II match on Thursday. It was goalless in the first half but Mizoram went into the lead six minutes after the restart when Lalamunpuia scored. They played better football than J&K from then on and got their second goal in the 76^th minute when Jeje Laleekhlua scored. Mizoram added their third of the match in the 88^th minute when H. Lalrochama scored.

Assam 0-1 Railways

Railways registered their second successive victory in Cluster V when they defeated Assam 1-0. It was an entertaining match right from the match with both sides trying to get at each other and it was Railways who scored. Their goal came in the 39^th minute when Amrinder Singh scored. The second half was an eventful affair as neither side failed to dominate over the other.

Rajasthan 3-2 Himachal Pradesh

Rajasthan defeated Himachal Pradesh 3-2 in a Cluster VIII match on Thursday. In what turned out to be an entertaining match, Rajasthan scored first in the 18^th minute through a Vikas Gupta spot-kick. It stayed 1-0 until the 50^th minute of the match when akir Ahmed scored to make it 2-0 t Rajasthan. Himachal Pradesh, though, made an instant comeback as they pulled one goal back the very next minute, thanks to a strike from Gaurav Kumar. Rajasthan increased their lead back to two goals when Sourav Das made it 3-1 in the 73^rd minute. Although HP did make it 3-2 in the dying minutes of the match through Luv Kishore, it was too little, too late.

Tamil Nadu 7-0 Tripura

Hosts Tamil Nadu have qualified for the pre-quarterfinals after thrashing Tripura 7-0 in a Cluster VIII match at JN Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. Both sides came into this game with two wins each but Tamil Nadu only needed a draw to qualify because of a superior goal difference. The hosts opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Pradeep. Tripura had a few chances to get the equalizer but they could not take their chances. In form striker Riju made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute and then captain Kulothungan got the third five minutes later. Muthu who scored a hat-trick in the 11-0 win over Himachal Pradesh, scored the fourth goal of the game in the 30th minute. There were no more goals before halftime but Tamil Nadu kept dominating. The first goal of the second half came in the 65th minute when Riju scored his second of the game. Muthu also got his second in the 87th minute and in injury time Alamurugan scored the seventh goal. Tamil Nadu scored 25 goals in three cluster games and will face either Haryana or Bihar in the pre-quaterfinal.

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READ MORE - Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 5

Railways enters pre-quarterfinals

Tiruvallur: Railways progressed to the pre-quarterfinals of the Santosh Trophy with a 1-0 win over Assam in the final Cluster V match here on Thursday.
Having taken the lead in the first half, Railways soaked up spells of intense pressure from Assam, for whom a draw would have been enough to progress. Before the match began, Assam and Railways had a win each against Delhi, and identical goal difference, with Assam ahead on goals scored.
Both teams played attractive, on-the-carpet football, the only difference being their respective areas of attack. Railways moved the ball more centrally, with its midfielders arranged in a narrow diamond, while Assam’s more orthodox 4-4-2 facilitated greater use of the wings, particularly the skilful F. Wary who buzzed with menace down the left.
Railways took the lead in the 39th minute through a clever bit of play from midfielder Nalandar Chakravarthy, who cut in from the right flank.
He drew two defenders towards his run, and threaded the ball to the now unmarked striker Amrinder Singh, who slotted calmly past goalkeeper Bilfang Narzary with his left foot.
Assam began the second half with palpable urgency, and twice came close to equalising, denied both times by alert Railways defending. First, left-back Suvendu Hui cleared over his own crossbar, facing the danger of scoring an own goal as he chased a low cross from Wary who had twisted and turned past two Railways players to infiltrate the box.
Minutes later, centre-half Suresh Das timed to perfection a last-ditch sliding tackle on Assam striker Durga Boro, bearing down on goal in pursuit of a long ball from Narzary.
In control The Railways midfield took control after that, particularly the deep-lying Rajesh whose astute positioning cut short a number of Assam moves.
In addition, Railways disrupted Assam’s rhythm with time-wasting tactics, exaggerating mild knocks, taking time over substitutions, and generally doing what teams do to protect a slender lead.
The result: Railways 1 (Amrinder Singh 39) bt Assam 0.
Friday’s match: Sikkim v Manipur (Cluster VI), 4 p.m.

READ MORE - Railways enters pre-quarterfinals

Mizoram gets past J & K

G. Prasad — Photo: M. Moorthy

INTENSE DUEL: Je Je Lalpekhwa of Mizoram (right) and J & K’s Hatchi battle it out during their National football championship match for Santosh Trophy in Tiruchi on Thursday. TIRUCHI: Mizoram ensured a berth in the pre-quarterfinals of the National football championship for the Santosh Trophy, with a 3-0 win over Jammu & Kashmir in the final Cluster III league match here on Thursday. Mizoram topped the cluster with seven points from three games.
Mizoram gained early control over the proceedings on a hot day, when stamina was on more test. Je Je Lalpekhwa was supplied with some excellent passes from both flanks. But he missed at least three sitters within the first 15 minutes.
Kashmir badly missed the services of forward Taufeek (Kashmir’s only scorer in both its earlier encounters), who was suspended for the match after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament against Puducherry.
Kashmir got its first chance at the half-hour mark. Zubair’s pass found an unmarked Sameer Hussain, but his left footer was well saved by the Mizoram custodian.
Curling cross And the lemon break came in as a relief for both the teams toiling under the hot sun. Mizoram intensified its attack in the second session. In the 51st minute, Lalmuanpuia, who was all along sending in threatening crosses, netted a goal by himself; his curling cross from the right flank found the target taking the goalkeeper off-guard.
The goal lifted Mizoram and it piled on pressure. A tired-looking Kashmir side suffered a blow when it was reduced to 10-men in the 65th minute, after skipper Imran Rafiq was expelled for his second yellow. Lalpekhwa made it 2-0 in the 75th minute, when he chipped the ball over goalkeeper Vickramjeet Singh. And Lalrochama struck in the 88th minute to settle the issue beyond doubt.
The disappointment for Kashmir, quarterfinalist in the last edition of the Santosh Trophy, got perpetuated as Shahnawaz was sent off for a second yellow card in the 90th minute.
In the other Cluster III engagement earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh thrashed Puducherry 4-0. MP opened the scoring on a penalty kick by Krishna Kumar Singh in the 25th minute. In the second half, MP frequently raided the rival defence. Santosh Rajak, Sonu Rajak and Bhagwan Das scored a goal each to complete the tally. MP took the second spot in the cluster with five points from three games.
The results:
Mizoram 3 (Lalmuanpuia 51, Je Je Lalpekhwa 75, Lalrochama 88) bt Jammu & Kashmir 0; Madhya Pradesh 4 (Krishna Kumar Singh 25, Santosh Rajak 59, Sonu Rajak 63, Bhagwan Das 88) bt Puducherry 0.

READ MORE - Mizoram gets past J & K

63rd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy

Manipur crush Uttarakhand in first match

Imphal, May 26: Manipur took over the mantle of largest victors from Tamil Nadu as they hammered Uttarakhand by nine goals in their opening match of the 63rd Santosh Trophy 2009 .

Elsewhere, Haryana put six past Gujarat at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai to start their campaign on a winning note.

Maharashtra also bagged three points as they beat Uttar Pradesh by three goals while Goa managed to edge past Jharkhand by a solitary goal from Freddy Mascarenhas.

The great run of north-eastern states in this edition of the Santosh Trophy continued with Manipur the latest team to join the party.

Uttarakhand had to bear the brunt of a severe Manipuri assault as they conceded nine goals without reply in their first match of the Santosh Trophy.

Manipur opened the scoring through Bisheshwor Singh in the 33rd minute and then grabbed two more just before half time thanks to Mutum Bijen Singh and Reisangmei Vashum.

They continued the assault in the second half and increased the lead further through Singam Subash Singh in the 59th minute.

Four minutes later, Reisangmei Vashum turned up with his second of the match and Bisheshwor Singh followed suit in the 73rd minute.

Singam Subash Singh became the third player to score a brace in the 77th minute till Reisangmei Vashum went one step further to complete his hat-trick in the 89th minute.

Sporting Clube de Goa's Thoudam Joychandra Singh rubbed salt into Uttarakhand wounds by adding a ninth goal in injury time to round off a fantastic match for the Manipur team.

They seemed to be in control throughout the match and this massive victory is a giant leap towards progression in the tournament, more so because Cluster VI has only three teams, the other being Sikkim who start their campaign against Uttarakhand on May 27 .

Day 2 results at a glance:
Cluster II (Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore)
Maharashtra 3-0 Uttar Pradesh
Cluster IV (St.

Joseph's College Ground, Tiruchirappalli)
Goa 1-0 Jharkhand
Cluster VII (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai)
Haryana 6-0 Gujarat.

READ MORE - 63rd National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy

Big wins for Manipur, Haryana in Santosh Trophy

Former champions Goa edged out Jharkhand 1-0 at Tiruchirappalli while Maharashtra began their campaign with a 3-0 win over Uttar Pradesh in Coimbatore in the Santosh Trophy group league qualifiers on Monday.
In other matches, Haryana trounced Gujarat 6-0 while former champions Manipur had little difficulty in disposing off Uttarakhand 9-0.

For Manipur, Reisangmi Vasum scored a hattrick (43rd, 63rd and 89th) while Bisheshwar Singh (33rd and 73rd) and Subash Singh (59th and 77th) added a brace each with Bijen Singh (44th) and Joychandra Singh (92nd) netting one apiece.

Jaswant Singh Parmar (52nd and 54th) scored twice for Haryana who romped home over Gujarat with a goal each from Vikram Saini (16th), Sunil Kumar Sharma (56th), Vivek Singh Karia (68th) and Pawan Kumar (70th).

Goals from Anas Edathodika (31st), Alex Ambrose (55th) and Zahid Ansari helped Maharashtra thump Uttar Pradesh.

READ MORE - Big wins for Manipur, Haryana in Santosh Trophy

Will Lajong be forced to play away from home?

Not only Shillong, not only Meghalaya but the whole Northeast was overjoyed last week when Lajong SC qualified for the I-League's Premier Division. But might the pride of Meghalaya be forced to play their home matches away from home, away from Shillong?

If the current state of infrastructure in Shillong is taken into account then the AIFF will be forced to ask Lajong to play their home matches somewhere else.

The main Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium nor the alternative SSA First Division Ground are upto the necessary standard. The grounds would need overall redeveloped be it the pitch and also the stands otherwise the football fans in Shillong could be deprived of I-League football.

And what could be the alternative? The first option would be Guwahati, which isn't to far away. Guwahati's Nehru Stadium isn't the best of options but then there is the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium build for the National Games which is a top class venue.

But the advantage of playing at home would be lost.

Then there is the problem of connectivity. Shillong does not have an airport, so visiting teams would have to fly into the Assam capital Guwahati and then take a bus, which takes about three hour for the 100 plus kilometres to reach Shillong.

READ MORE - Will Lajong be forced to play away from home?

Facile win for Mizoram

G. Prasad
— Photo: M. Moorthy

INTENSE ACTION: Taufeeq (right), the scorer for Jammu and Kashmir, trying to keep the ball away from Mohammad Wasim.

TIRUCHI: Mizoram blanked Puducherry 4-0 in a Cluster III league match to get off to a flying start in the National football championship, for the Santosh Trophy, at the St. Joseph’s College ground here on Sunday.
Mizoram went into an attacking mode right from the beginning and could have secured the lead within the first five minutes but for some good saves by the Puducherry custodian Mouttouramane.
Rohminthanga gave finishing touches to a pass from skipper Zaidinmawia Hmar to put Mizoram ahead in the 16th minute. And Je Je Lalpekhwa made it 2-0 a few minutes later.
Puducherry’s best chance of scoring came at the half hour mark but Manikandan’s strike hit the post.
Mizoram repeatedly raided the rival defence in the second session and Lalmuanpuia increased the lead in the 55th minute.
Disappointingly, Puducherry hardly made any attempts to score. Hmar struck from the spot in the last minute to complete the scoreline.
Drawn encounter In another Cluster III match, Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh played out a 1-1 draw. J & K drew first blood when Taufeeq in the 42nd minute.
Madhya Pradesh fought hard in the second half and equalised in the 85th minute through Athoiba Maitai.
The results: Mizoram 4 (Rohminthanga 16, Je Je Lalpekhwa 23, Lalmuanpuia 55, Zaidinmawia Hmar 90) bt Puducherry 0.
J&K 1 (Taufeeq 42) drew with Madhya Pradesh 1 (Athoiba Maitai 85).
Monday’s match: Goa vs. Jharkhand (4 p.m.).

READ MORE - Facile win for Mizoram

Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 1

The 63rd Santosh Trophy kicked off earlier today. We bring to you a roundup of all the matches played.

Santosh Trophy: Jammu & Kashmir vs. Madhya Pradesh (Mango Peel)


Jammu & Kashmir 1-1 Madhya Pradesh (Cluster III) Venue: St Josheph College
Ground, Tiruchirappalli

The game between Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh was the inaugural match of the tournament. Madhya Pradesh started the game well and looked likely to open the scoring in the first half. But three minutes before the break, against the run of play Taufeeq gave Jammu & Kashmir the lead. That goal gave J & K the confidence to push for the second after halftime but they couldn’t take their chances. MP piled on the pressure in the last fifteen minutes to get the equalizer and their efforts were finally rewarded in the 87th minute when Athoiba Maitai scored to deny Jammu and Kashmir a winning start.

Chattisgarh 0-0 Chandigarh (Cluster I) Venue: Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore
The match between Chattisgarh and Chandigarh ended in a goalless draw. Chattisgarh appeared to be the better of the two sides and has more possession of the ball. But they couldn’t keep most of their shots on target, thereby garnering a single point from this fixture.

Mizoram 4-0 Pondicherry Cluster III) Venue: St Josheph College Ground, Tiruchirappalli
Mizoram dominated the match from start to finish and took the lead as early as the 16th minute through Rohming Thanga. It became 2-0 to Mizoram just seven minutes later when Jeje Laleekhlua scored. It was 2-0 at the break and any dim hopes of a Pondicherry comeback evaporated ten minutes into the second half when Lalmuanpuia made it 3-0 to Mizoram. Mizoram added salt to injury in the 90th minute as Zaidinmawia converted a spot-kick.

Delhi 0-1 Railways (Cluster V) Venue: DBYC/Wisdom Town Stadium, Redhills, Thiruvallore
Railways gained a surprise 1-0 victory over Delhi in this Cluster V fixture. Railways scored the only goal of the match in injury time of the first half through Abhishek. Delhi did exhibit more urgency and attacking prowess in the second period of the match but the Sunil Chettri-led team failed to restore parity.

Tripura 2-0 Himachal Pradesh (Cluster VIII) Venue: J.N. Stadium, Chennai
Tripura and Himachal Pradesh contested a good match in Cluster VIII. The match eventually finished 2-0 to Tripura, with goals from Paltu Dutta Chowdhury and Rupak Majumdar. Chowdhury gave Tripura the lead on the stroke of half-time and Majumdar secured all three points in the 71st minute.

Tamil Nadu 7-0 Rajasthan (Cluster VIII) Venue: J.N. Stadium, Chennai
Tamil Nadu are the hosts of the 63rd edition of the Santosh Trophy and got off to a flying start in their opening game in Cluster VIII as they thumped Rajasthan 7-0 in a hugely entertaining match. The hosts scored as early as the 14th minute through Riju. They increased their advantage 12 minutes later when Pradeep scored. Tamil Nadu virtually wrapped up all three points from this match when they scored their third goal just before half-time through Suresh Kumar.

Nadu started the second period of the match in equally ruthless fashion. They got their fourth of the match in the 54th minute when Suresh Kumar scored his second of the match. Riju scored his brace in the 77th minute and Ravana made it 6-0 five minutes later. Riju completed his hat-trick just two minutes later in the 84th minute to round off an astounding 7-0 victory for the hosts.

via [ sinlung.com]

READ MORE - Santosh Trophy Round Up: Day 1

63rd Santosh Trophy Chattisgarh 0-0 Chandigarh while Mizoram beat Pondicherry by 4-0

The cluster I match between Chattisgarh and Chandigarh of the 63rd National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, played at Coimbatore’s Nehru Staduim ended in a goalless draw as both the teams failed to capitalize on the chances that came their way and had to be contend with a point each on Sunday.

Chattisgarh were better off the two teams as they had better ball possession but they forwards lacked the experience and failed to convert the chances that they had. Most of their shots were either off target or were not powerful enough.

With scorecard reading goalless at the end of the first half the second half was no different as both the teams lacked experience and never had a clear shot at the goal.

in the another match of the 63rd National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, played at the St Joseph College Ground, Tiruchirappalli, Mizoram scored a 4-0 victory over Pondicherry on Sunday.

Mizoram dominated the game right from the start and took the lead in the 16th minute itself. Rohming Thanga gave his team a 1-0- lead and the lead gave Mizoram team the much needed confidence to capitalize on the situation as they had no problems in intruding into the opponents den at their will.

The victors increased the lead in the 23rd minute through Jeje Laleekhlua. Pondicherry was of no match to the Mizoram side as they never got any clear chance and never had any control of the game.

With a 2-0 lead in the first half the start of the second half saw Manipur getting their acts together in the 55th minute and extending the lead to 3-0.

And this time round it was Lalmuanpuia who added his name to the scoring sheet to take the control of the game beyond Pondicherry and help his team pocket three points from their opening encounter.

Mizoram added one more to the tally as Zaidinmawia Hmar scored through a penalty kick in the 90th minute to seal the fate of the game in his teams favour.

READ MORE - 63rd Santosh Trophy Chattisgarh 0-0 Chandigarh while Mizoram beat Pondicherry by 4-0

Santosh Trophy kick-off to-day

The national football championship for the ‘Santosh Trophy’ kicks off on May 24 (Sunday) with matches in the eight clusters to be held in four centres – Tiruchi, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Coimbatore. Each venue will host two clusters.
The league fixtures in cluster III and IV and a pre-quarterfinal encounter between the winners of the two clusters will be held at St. Joseph’s College here.
The cluster III features Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram and Puducherry, while the other cluster consists of Goa, Orissa and Jharkhand.
Addressing media persons here on Thursday, the Tiruchi District Football Association (TDFA) president A. K. Yussouf said the tournament would be a treat to the local fans with some good sides participating.
He said Ravanan, alumni of St. Joseph’s College, as player (Tamil Nadu), and G. Thambiraj as referee would be the two men representing Tiruchi in the tournament.
“We have plans to honour former footballers from Tiruchi who made a mark in the national arena during the tourney,” Mr. Yussouf added.
Inaugural
Collector T. Soundiah will inaugurate the tournament here in the presence of Tamil Nadu Football Association president S. Cletus Babu and other dignitaries.
The TDFA secretary P. Ukramakali informed that entry is free for the spectators.
May 24: Jammu & Kashmir vs. Madhya Pradesh (7 a.m.), Puducherry vs. Mizoram (4 p.m.); May 25: Goa vs. Jharkhand (4 p.m.); May 26: Puducherry vs. Jammu & Kashmir (7 a.m.), Madhya Pradesh vs. Mizoram (4 p.m.); May 27: Orissa vs. Jharkhand (4 p.m.); May 28: Madhya Pradesh vs. Puducherry (7 a.m.), Jammu & Kashmir vs. Mizoram (4 p.m.); May 29: Orissa vs. Goa (4 p.m.); May 30: Rest day; May 31: Cluster III winner vs. cluster IV winner (4 p.m.).

READ MORE - Santosh Trophy kick-off to-day

APJA inch into last 4

- Asomiya Pratidin, DY 365 and Shillong Press Club win

Moments from the match between Photo Journalists’ Association (in yellow) and Doordarshan Kendra at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Friday. Pictures by Eastern Projections Inter-media meet Guwahati, May 23 : Defending champions Assam Photo Journalists’ Association (APJA) and last editions’ runners-up Asomiya Pratidin today made it to the semi-finals of the Leo Advertising Harendra Nath Baruah Trophy inter-media football tournament. The meet is being organised by Assam Sports Journalists Association as part of the first Airtel North East Media Sports Festival at Nehru Stadium here. The semi-finals are slated for tomorrow. The lensmen, today, edged past Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati, 6-5 via tiebreakers after the regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw. Asomiya Pratidin edged past Agradoot via a sudden death goal, after a goalless draw and 4-4 draw in the tiebreakers. DY 365 and Shillong Press Club are the other teams to make it to the last four. DY365 blanked NE TV 2-0 and the Shillongites edged past Amar Asom 1-0. In chess, M.A. Venugopal of Shillong Press Club, Diganta Saharia of Janasadharan and Mridumoloy Lukhurakhan of The Assam Tribune led the points tally with full three points each after three rounds on the first day of the two-day Swiss League event at the Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium here. Seven players — Darshana Goswami, Hildul Gogoi, Manoranjan Bari, Imtiaz Ahmed, Nabajit Talukdar, Nitam Singh and Kalyan Das — shared the second position with two points per head. Others who have tallied points so far include Madhab Das (1.5), Ajit Saharia (1.5), Gauravananda Talukdar (1), Sushanta Talukdar (1) and Pradip Das (1).

READ MORE - APJA inch into last 4

Three teams promoted to MSL

IMPHAL: Three have been promoted to the Manipur State League for the2009-10 season.

Manipur Brothers Sporting Union, Wahengbam Leikai and Anouba Imagi Mangal have performed well enough in the district leagues to gain promotion to the main state league, which is part of the AFC Vision India Project Manipur programme.

It will be the fourth edition of the league in a state that boasts football as its number one sport.

Manipur is one of four Vision India projects along with Delhi, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Football-strong states Goa and West Bengal are also set to join.

READ MORE - Three teams promoted to MSL

Football Veteran win comfortably

11th Challenge Cup

Imphal, May 20 : Football Veteran Welfare Association blanked XI Star Sporting Union by 2-0 goals in the 11th Challenge Cup Veteran Football Association played at Mapal Kangjeibung today. The Football Veteran Welfare Association were attacking in their approach right from the whistle and forward L. Dhonen Singh scored in the second minute of play. B. Sanahal Sharma running along the left sent a goalmouth pass to L. Dhonen Singh, who leapt and sent a slicing kick to ruffle the XI Star net to bring up the goal. The XI Star Sporting Union veteran looked in good touch but found hard to capitalise on their chances and the frequent attack by their opponents kept them at bay. As pressure kept mounting on the XI Star veteran, Football Veteran Welfare Association found the second goal, after E. Rajen Singh scored in the 15th minute of the match. Although XI Star Sporting Union went all out in the second half, their attacks were fruitless.

READ MORE - Football Veteran win comfortably

Manipur Santosh Trophy team announced

On the recommendation of the its technical committee, the AMFA has selected 12 players playing in other States and eight others playing at different clubs in the State to represent Manipur in the 63rd National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2009 in Tamil Nadu.

The selected players include Goal Keepers : S Lokeshore (Assam Rifles), S Basant (NEROCA) and Y Surchandra (NISA) .

Defenders : Kh Jiban (East Bengal), Syed Fareed (Air India), Samananda (Sporting Club De Goa), A Raju Mangang (Churchill Brothers), Benjamin Kamson (NISA), S Thomas (NEROCA) and H Deban (NEROCA) .

Midfielders : Khenthang Paite (Churchill Brothers), Bisheshwor (Sporting Club De Goa), R Vasum (Churchill Brothers), Chitrasen (Churchill Brothers), Sabir Ali (TRAU) and M Bidyasagar (NISA).

Strikers : Subhas (Air India), Joychandra (Sporting Club De Goa), M Bijen (Salgaocar) and N Jimmy (NISA).

The selected players should report to coach Dr Ksh Birbal daily at 8 am from May 5 at Khuman Lampak with training kits for further training, said an AMFA release.

READ MORE - Manipur Santosh Trophy team announced

Nagaland drub N-E Veterans

Challenge Cup

A tussle for the ball during the match between Nagaland Veterans and North Eastern Veteran Football Association at Mapal Kangjeibung in Imphal on Monday. Telegraph picture Imphal, May 19 : Nagaland veterans blanked North Eastern Veteran Football Association, Imphal, 4-0 in the 11th Challenge Cup Veteran Football Association played at Mapal Kangjeibung today. Nambol Area Veteran Football Association also registered a 4-0 victory against Ibudhou Marjing Veteran Football Association. In the first match, Nagaland forward Senti proved to be the golden man for the day, coming up with three goals. Further on, Nagaland player Yambemo broke the North Eastern defence cordon to shoot home a grounder. Senti netted his second goal in the 26th minute. With three goals in their kitty, Nagaland came up with their fourth goal when Senti scored a lofted shot into the North Eastern goalmouth, which overshot keeper Herachandra Singh in the 31st minute. North Eastern Veteran Football Association tried to regain lost ground in the second half, but luck did not favour the team. In another match, Nambol Area Veteran Football Association drubbed Ibudhou Marjing Veteran Football Association 4-0. The Nambol team took an early lead in the 4th minute of play after Th. Sarat Singh scored while R.J. Thangkhup added another goal in the 18th minute. Thangpu and T. Rihong Khang scored the third and fourth goals to collect three points.

READ MORE - Nagaland drub N-E Veterans

Punjab lads bring glory to region

Chandigarh: Punjab lads once again showed that when it comes to talent, they have got plenty of it. On May 16 when Punjab defeated Mizoram by 3-2 to lift the Under-21 National Football Championship for Dutta Ray Trophy at Goa, there was a sense of satisfaction on everybody’s face. Everybody had put in their effort and they were rightly awarded for that.

Kuldip Singh, assistant coach, JCT, who has recently undergone AFC ‘B’ Licence coaching course, was the in charge of the team that tasted success by lifting the title. Then, JCT’s Pawan Kumar, who was the goalkeeper as well as striker for the team, was the skipper of the team. Punjab maintained their superiority throughout the championship and did not lose even a single game.

In the preliminary Round (Cluster- III) matches, they went on to beat Orissa by 4-1 on May 1 after which they outplayed Manipur team by 2-0 on May 3 to qualify for the quarterfinal league. Then, in quarterfinal league (Group–B) matches, they defeated Meghalaya team by 3-2 on May 7 and then they recorded victory over Kerala team after beating them by 6-0 on May 9. They faced some resistance from Haryana but were able to draw the match 1-1 on May 11. In this way they entered semifinal as Group B winners. There they met strong title contenders West Bengal but they outclassed them in the match which they won by a solitary goal on May 14.

In the final, they faced the most consistent and powerful team of the tournament- Mizoram. However, Punjab lads held their nerves and then rallied to beat Mizoram team by 3-2 on 16th May. As many as 14 JCT players were playing in the Under-21 team. JCT Academy’s Ajay Singh scored nine goals while Vijay Kumar found the back of the net five times. Midfielders Maninder Singh and Gurpreet Singh scored three and two goals, respectively.

READ MORE - Punjab lads bring glory to region

Mizoram in final

MARGAO: Mizoram pumped in two extra-time goals against a resurgent Haryana, winning 3-1 in an entertaining semifinal of the National under-21 football championships at the Nehru Stadium (Fatorda) on Wednesday.

David Lalthansanga found his placement slipping through the rival goalkeeper’s hands and Lalrinfela headed in the third goal for the winner. Both the teams were locked 1-1 at full-time.

Earlier, Thaker Singh almost scored against the run of play in the 28th minute for Haryana, swivelling past his marker and placing the shot to the left corner. Mizoram custodian Zomuankima got his fingertips to the ball at full stretch, conceding a corner. Pawan Tyagi, dangerous on the break, tested Zomuankima with a long ranger.

Grabbing the lead Mizoram cashed in on delightful build-ups and tricky passing by grabbing the lead in the 36th minute with Christopher Lalthlamuana jabbing the ball into an empty net. Lalrinfela and Haryana goalkeeper Pardeep Kumar got into a tangle chasing a lob, the ball rolled into Christopher’s path.
Haryana, outsmarted in the first half by cascades of Mizoram attacks in which Lalrinfela featured prominently, fought back with a 49th-minute equaliser via Roshan Singh, whose floater from the right swirled into the net. Zomuankima, caught by surprise on the goal-line, watched the ball sail beyond reach and land in the far corner.
Mizoram ruled the first half on the strength of exceptional ball control and audacious passing. Haryana recovered poise after the breather and hit long passes down both flanks, stretching the rival defence. The contest led to many close misses before the extra-time decided the winner.
Punjab and Bengal will contest the second semifinal on Thursday.

READ MORE - Mizoram in final

Kerala defeat Meghalaya 2-0 in inconsequential match

Margao , May 13 : Kerala defeated Meghalaya 2-0 to finish third in group II of the 18th U-21 National Football Championship for Dutta Rao Trophy at Nehru Stadium here today.

In an insignificant match, Kerala took the lead in the 31st minute through Mohammed Sameer whose 35-yards left footer beat rival keeper Enborlang Nongtdu to find the far post.

They increased the lead seven minutes before the end when Mudbun Wilwet shot home from inside the box after Sabir S did the spadework on the left.

Meghalaya, who came with counter moves, also had their chances to score but Shachin Khongsit and Dan Mukhim failed to get past the rival goalkeeper Irfan Mohammed.

Thus, Kerala and Meghalaya, who have completed their league engagements, finished third and fourth with four and zero points respectively.

READ MORE - Kerala defeat Meghalaya 2-0 in inconsequential match

Mizoram starts favourite

Panaji, May 13 : Mizoram start favourites when it takes on Haryana at the Nehru Stadium on Wednesday in the first semifinal of the I8th under-21 National football championships for the Dutta Ray Trophy.

Mizoram, which had a smooth sailing so far with an unbeaten record after getting past defending champion Goa and West Bengal comprehensively in the quarterfinal league to top Group I, has the edge against Haryana, which finished second in Group II after getting the better of Meghalaya and holding Kerala and Punjab to a draw.

Mizoram has maintained consistency throughout the tournament and played well as a unit with its strikers and midfielders working in tandem, that left the rival defence reeling. The midfield revolves around playmaker David Lalrinmuana, who has kept its upfront busy along with Zodinliana and Lalrinfela.

Strikers Malsawmzuala and T.C. Lalhuapzauva have been in outstanding form.

READ MORE - Mizoram starts favourite

The status of Indian football

Anatomy of a mission

Way back in 1964, the Indian football team finished runner-up to Israel in the 1964 edition of the Asia Cup after beating South Korea 2-0 and Hong Kong 3-1 in Tel Aviv. The last time India figured in the Asia Cup was in Singa­p­ore in 1984 when the team finished at the bottom of a gr­oup including China, Iran, UAE and Singapore.

Twenty-four years later, India defeated Tajikistan 4-1 in the final of the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 to earn a place in the final rounds of the Asia Cup in 2011. With Indian football having made the grade after so many years, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has charted the national team’s campaign plans in the form of a programme called ‘Mission 2011’ that will prepare India to take on Asian heavyweights like South Korea, Japan, China and teams from the Middle East. Initially, the AIFF wanted to hold a two-year camp for the senior national te­am. This would have required clearance from various clubs plus a bill of Rs 40 crore to meet the salaries of the players. Reluctance of the clubs plus the cost factor forced the AIFF to revise its plans and come up with the version of Mission 2011 detailed under ‘action plan’.

Positive signs

How prepared Indian football is for the future can be gauged from the fact that the team’s goal-scorer in a recent 1-2 loss to Hong Kong was skipper Baichung Bhutia, who made his international debut in the 1995 Nehru Gold Cup. That Baichung continues to be the national team’s main striker is a tribute to his talent and fitness but also a cause for wo­rry beca­u­se, even after 14 long ye­ars, he still doesn’t have a worthy re­p­laceme­nt in the line-up.

Till Uzbekistan’s Rustam Akramov assu­med charge as India’s coach in 1995, the team’s approach in int­ernational matches was to first defend, prevent the opposition from scoring and then try to score if possible. Akramov, during his two stints with the team, ensured that India too played an attacking game by stressing that attack is the best form of defence. As a result, the national team has tasted success, albeit in a very limited sense, at the international level. India won the LG Cup, the Nehru Cup and more recently the AFC Cup to qualify for the final rounds of the Asia Cup in 2011, having last played at that level in the continent in 1984.

Given this recent run of creditable performances, will the All India Football Federation (AIFF) ride on the momentum to raise the standing of Indian football in the international arena? That is the question.

From the ill-advised, impractical idea of putting the senior national team in a two-year-long camp that would cost nearly Rs 40 crore, the AIFF has now drawn up a more sensible programme aimed at putting up a good show in the final rounds of the Asia Cup in 2011.

From trai­n­i­ng camps at home and abroad to friendly matches and the bigger tasks of qualifying for the Asian Games and Olympics, Mission 2011 includes all consideratio­ns. The current coach, Bob Hou­gh­ton, has little reason to complain about the team’s calendar.

Shaping the future

In the 2000 World Cup qualifiers, India defeated a strong United Arab Emirates team 1-0 in Bangalore and lost 0-1 in the away game, drew with Vietnam and beat Brunei. The team missed making it to the second round of the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign by just one point. Subsequently, however, with AIFF politics taking precedence over the development of football in the country, the team returned to its losing ways.

From its highest-ever FIFA ranking of 99 in 1993-94, India has steadily declined and is now placed 147 out of 202 nations. Moreover, the current senior Indian team lacks the balance needed to make an impression at the Asian level. The defence wears an iffy look. Though the presence of Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh of Churchill Brothers, the best defender in this year’s I-League, and Rakesh Masih of Mohun Bagan is refreshing, the ex­­perienced Deepak Mondal and Mahesh Gawli might find the going tough when the Asia Cup comes up two years from now. Then, apart from Anthony Miranda of Dempo and Baljit Singh Jr of JCT, the midfield too doesn’t show signs of potency. Steven Dias, Renedy Singh and Mehraj Din Wadooo can be destructive, but where will the passes come from? Even if there is a consistent flow of passes, there isn’t exactly an overflow of strikers. Baichung is already 33 and two years older if he leads the attack in 2011. While Sunil Chhetri has potential, Abhishek Yadav has injury problems to contend with.

“In my time, national-team players were concentrated in one or two clubs; today, they are scattered all over the country. Sponsors are coming in; there is much more money for the players. The game has changed a lot now. The boys are doing their best and it is possibly a question of time before India makes its mark at the international level,” says Nigerian Chima Okerie who, in 1990, became the first foreigner to play for Mohun Bagan.

Houghton would do well to prepare players from the last under-23 team like Manjit Singh and Branco Vincent or Beevan D’Mello of the under-19 squad for bigger roles. Also, young defenders like Debabrata Roy, Ravana, Sunil Kumar and linkmen like Chitrasen Chandam Singh, Praveen Rawat Rocus Lamare or Zaidinmawia Hmar, Tshering Lepcha and Lalramluaha must be provided enough opportunities to hone their skills so that they are ready to deliver in 2011. One thing that Houghton can’t complain about is shortage of time to prepare for 2011.

READ MORE - The status of Indian football

David Beckham: Career in pics

David Beckham was born in Leytonstone, London on May 2, 1975. He joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1991. In 1993, he signed a professional contract and two years later was sent on loan to Preston, before returning to help win the double in 1996


In the same year he made his England debut, but it was his goal from the half-way line against Wimbledon (pictured) that put him in the limelight. 1997 saw another championship for United, with Beckham named PFA Young Player of the Year award


At the beginning of 1998, he announced his engagement to Victoria Adams - aka Posh Spice - and scored England's opening goal in the World Cup finals in France, against Colombia quickly winning public adoration


But he was to experience another side of public attention after he was sent off for kicking Argentina's Diego Simeone as England were knocked out of the World Cup. He was the focus of vicious chants at grounds around the country on his return


Beckham made the headlines when he scored a late equaliser in England's 2-2 draw with Greece in their final World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford to secure his country's progress to the finals in South Korea and Japan


Off the field, Beckham was offered several lucrative deals with high-profile fashion houses


When Beckham fashioned his new hairstyle on Robert De Niro's character Travis Bickle form Taxi Driver, newspapers splashed pictures of the England captain across the front pages and young boys up and down the country copied their idol


Beckham atoned for his sending off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup finals when he scored the winning goal from the penalty spot against the South Americans in the group stages to ensure England's progress to the 2002 knock-out stages


Following Argentina's elimination, Diego Simeone - the player Beckham fouled before being sent off in 1998 - shook hands with the England captain


During an international friendly with South Africa, Beckham, in his capacity as England captain, met former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela (centre). Beckham was accompanied by his South Africa opposite Lucas Radebe


United manager Sir Alex Ferguson became increasingly frustrated with the amount of time Beckham was spending on non-footballing activities. The fiery Scot was said to have kicked at the midfielder during a team talk as the rift between the two grew


July 2003 saw Beckham move to Real Madrid for £25 million. Madrid were widely reported to have bought the player to use as a vehicle to sell shirts ahead of his footballing skills


Real Madrid used Beckham as they looked to expand business opportunities in the Far East

In April 2004 Sunday newspapers published a story claiming that Beckham had had an affair with his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos, who also revealed that the player enjoyed sending her explicit text


Beckham endured a miserable time at the Euro 2004 in Portugal where he had a penalty saved in England's 2-1 defeat to France by former team-mate Fabien Barthez and missed the decisive penalty in a quarter-final shoot-out against the hosts


The player's popularity appeared to cross all boundaries when artist Sam Taylor-Wood produced an installation at the National Portrait Gallery simply called 'David'. Beckham even managed to make headlines in his sleep


After winning over the Santiago Bernabeu management and supporters, Beckham bowed out on a high. Real clinched La Liga - their only title during the Englishman's time at the club - on the final day of the season after beating Mallorca 3-1


After playing for two of the biggest clubs in the world, Beckham's move to America came as a surprise to most within the game . . .


. . . although local traders had no complaints as a new generation of supporters flocked to watch Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center


The Beckhams took no time in making new friends. Tom Cruise (left) and his Katie Holmes had already been spotted watching David at work in Madrid, but Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith (right) were new additions to the family album


During the American season's close season Beckham returned to England and trained with Arsenal in an effort to keep himself fit and prolong his international career


Teenage girls replaced Madrid's Ultras Sur with banners that would look more at home at a pop concert


In a further attempt to extend his England career, Beckham joined seven-time European Cup winners AC Milan on loan


Beckham first wore the famous colours of the Rossoneri during a Dubai Football Challenge match against Germany's Hamburg at the Emirates Sevens Stadium in Dubai


Beckham made himself feel at home during Milan Fashion Week as he sat alongside rugby union player Danny Cipriani and his girlfriend Kelly Brook at the Emporio Armani show


Alongside his wife, Beckham could be seen advertising the Italian fashion house on billboards all around the world


As Beckham arrived in Rome for his Serie A debut, crowds and camera-men gathered to greet him


Beckham marked his full competitive debut for Milan with a goal against Roma


After impressing coach Carlo Ancelotti, Milan tried to make Beckham's transfer permanent. However, LA Galaxy refused and after much negotiation, the midfielder stayed at the San Siro club on what has been described as a timeshare deal


Friends reunited: David Beckham (centre), former United midfielder, joined in the post-match celebrations with his old team-mates Gary Neville (left) and Ryan Giggs

READ MORE - David Beckham: Career in pics

Goa humble Assam 4-0

Goa humbled Assam 4-0 to begin their quarterfinal league of the 18th U-21 national football championship for the Dutta Ray Trophy on a bright note at the Nehru Stadium in Margao on Wednesday.

Goa, who led 1-0 at half time, scored through Agnelo Monteiro (32nd), Cajetan Fernandes (51st), Disckson Rogtao (61st) and Dawson Fernandes (injury time).

Goa play their next match against Mizoram on 8th May.
Assam, who looked good in the attack initially, came up with a couple of shots that saw an N Kukit long ranger sail inches over the bar.

However it was Goa, who had easy outings in the preliminary rounds, who took the lead in the 32nd minute.
Following a free kick from the right, defender Agnelo Colaco took a powerful shot which keeper Daoga Bramha blocked, the deflection came to Agnelo Monteiro who shot it in.

The goal spurred Goa as they attacked with more vigour and increased the lead in the 51st minute.

Placio Carvalho from the right sent a low cross which the Assam custodian failed to intercept as the ball slipped underneath his hands and Cajetan Fernandes who was following the move, shot in.

READ MORE - Goa humble Assam 4-0