Seven Sisters Love Football: March 2014

Mizoram Fillip to Football in the Northeast

Football is a sport that can be played on the hills or beaches and if you have the talent, tenacity and temperament, no matter how bad the infrastructure you will succeed. Mizoram has proved just that. The tiny hilly state with a population of just 10.1 lakh showed it too can produce champions when it lifted the Santosh Trophy national football championships beating some of the better developed states. Yes, Mizoram is one of the few states in the Northeast that is not afflicted with the menace of insurgency. It is one of the states where community building takes precedence and society lives in harmony.
Even players who have done well for India go back and devote time for community service. They organise friendlies, raise money and promote the game. They realised they have the talent when players like Shylo Malsawmtluanga, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Lanrindika Ralte started making it to the top clubs and then to the national side.
They also knew there was a lack of state-of-the-art infrastructure in the state. So with the help of the national federation, the state body started promoting the sport in the grassroots and floated the Mizoram Premier League in 2012. That, according to officials and players, helped spot talent. With the popularity and will to do well, they started making rapid strides. The other factor that worked in their favour was the presence of the stars, who were representing top clubs all over India. Apart from being role models, they helped instill belief that no matter what the challenge is, it can be overcome with hard work. Their triumph in the Santosh Trophy is a combination of all these factors. Now, Mizoram will inspire other states in the Northeast. Football is the most popular sport there. What they lacked was some sort of infrastructure and a vision. With a model to follow and result in place, we will see more footballers from the hills capturing the imagination of the nation and winning the highest honours.

More of our players in I-League soon: Jeje Lalpekhlua

NEW DELHI: The outcome of progress has a prolonged phase of transition that usually gets overlooked.

Mizoram's triumph in the national football championship for the Santosh Trophy has caught the fancy of the nation's football lovers and it is pertinent to remind them that the Mizos won the junior nationals also, in Ranchi last September. It was a thumping 6-1 win over Assam for the U-17 BC Roy Trophy.

Sunday's victory, also a maiden one for Mizoram, was long time coming. One can say it was inevitable. Mizoram is what Manipur was some 10 years ago, its supply line giving players to clubs across the country. One season, there were 85 Manipur players in the National League.

"Well, Mizoram has some way to go to reach that level. But in the next five years, you will see a spurt in the number of Mizo players in the national circuit," said Jeje Lalpekhlua, currently playing for Dempo.

Jeje had been the mainstay of the Indian team and his combination with Sunil Chhetri was one of the few inspiring things about the national team under Wim Koevermans, till the 23-year old Mizo got injured.

For Manipur, football provided the escape route from the socio-political turmoil that the state was going through at the turn of the century. It is not the same for Mizoram.

Their success rests on the solid bedrock of organisation, planning, government support, some honest will and effort of people like Hmar. Perhaps, Mizoram is the template for other states to follow.

Mizoram book maiden final berth in Santosh Trophy

SILIGURI: Mizoram rode on both grit and luck to edge past Tamil Nadu 3-1 in extra time and book their maiden berth in the final of the 68th National Football Championships for the Santosh Trophy on Friday.

Some shoddy goalkeeping by Tamil Nadu custodian A Arun Pradeep coupled with a spirited second half display helped Mizoram rallied to get the better of Tamil Nadu in the first semifinals at the Kanchenjunga Stadium here.

Two-time finalists Tamil Nadu took the lead right at the stroke of halftime through A Reagan (45+1). But a rejuvenated Mizoram, aided by a goalkeeping gaffe, clawed back into the match courtesy a long range strike from substitute David Lalrinmuana (62nd minute) to take the match to extra time.

Two opportunistic strikes from Zico Zoremsanga (94th) and substitute F Lalrinpuia (119th) sealed the match in favour of Mizoram to the heartbreak of Tamil Nadu players.

Today's victory was the fifth for high-flying Mizoram in the final round of the competition and eight if the qualifying round matches are taken into consideration.

Tamil Nadu goalkeeper Pradeep was at fault during both the equaliser and the second goal of Mizoram. He failed to collect a harmless long range effort from 35 yards from substitute David Lalrinmuana. The ball bounced in front of the custodian, who misjudged the flight completely, and then rolled into the Tamil Nadu net.

He then mistimed his jump inside the six yard area in the extra time to hand Mizoram the lead.

A delighted Mizoram coach H V Vanlalthlanga said, "It is a great moment for Mizoram. This is the first time we are going to play in the final and I feel the boys deserved it for their good showing throughout the tournament."

"Tamil Nadu did very well to contain us in the first half. They played good football. But I am glad the boys came back strongly after the break," he said after the match.

Pune FC look to extend good run in I-League

Second-placed Pune FC boast of an enviable record against Shillong Lajong in the past three seasons, but a much-improved Meghalaya outfit can prove to be tricky customers when the two meet in their I-League Round 20 match in Pune on Saturday.
Pune will be without skipper Anas Edathodika, out with an injury, while Nikhil Kadam too will sit out, but the hosts will be keen to add crucial points to their kitty in a bid to catch up with leaders Bengaluru.
Pune currently have 29 points, two less than Bengaluru FC.
The team would pin hopes on stand-in-skipper Douhou Pierre, who has taken up the role of a playmaker, while striker Riga Mustapha will be eager to find the gaps against Shillong.
Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh and defender Gurjinder Kumar return from national duty and will add to their strength, while Lester Fernandez, the latest player to join the club, will beef up the attack.
For Shillong, Glen Cornell and Subash Singh will lead the attack and will be backed by Sandeep Singh, Robin Gurung and Rakesh Pradhan.
In Kolkata, struggling Mohammedan Sporting take on Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium. Sporting are only a point above the one relegation spot and trail Bagan by four points. The latter have played two games less.
Skipper Odafa Okolie’s return from injury is good news for the team, but it remains to be seen if the Nigerian will start against his former club.
In Goa, Sporting Clube de Goa are concerned about fitness to leading players as they aim to narrow the gap at the top when they meet Dempo Sports Club.

Mizoram finishes league with an all-win record

Mizoram finished with an all-win record, defeating Uttarakhand 2-1, in the concluding Group A league encounter of the 68th National football championship for the Santosh Trophy at Siliguri on Tuesday.

Lalnunmawia put Mizoram ahead in the 21st minute before David Lalrinmuana added to the tally in the 74th.

Though Saurabh Rawat pulled one back in the 86th minute, the goal came a bit too late for Uttarakhand to mount a comeback.

Cheriyath scores

In the first match, Nasaraudheen Cheriyath gave Kerala the lead in the 26th minute, and the goal proved to be the match-winner.

Services was reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute when its captain Anthony Chetri was given the marching orders.

Mizoram topped the standings with 12 points (four wins), while Maharashtra took the second spot with nine (three wins and a loss).

Last year’s runner-up Kerala missed the cut, finishing third with six points (two wins), while defending champion Services won only one match and lost three. Uttarakhand, a newcomer at the elite level, finished at the bottom.

The results: Group A: Kerala 1 (Nasaraudheen Cheriyath 26) bt Services 0; Mizoram 2 (Lalnunmawia 21, David Lalrinmuana 74) bt Uttarakhand 1 (Saurabh Rawat 86).

Lajong FC thrash Green Valley 4-0

SHILLONG: Shillong Lajong FC blanked Guwahati-based Green valley FC 4-0 in the Under 19 I-League North East Zone Qualifiers at the JN Stadium on Tuesday.

Lajong FC coach Alison Kharsytiew made a few changes in the line-up for the match in which keeper Nihal replaced an injured Nitin Meel, while upcoming talents Ksanpukar, Hardy and Nabin were also included.

The home team, which remained unbeaten till date, dominated throughout the match with the first goal coming early in the 6th minute when Hardy Cliff Nongbri slotted the ball home from outside the box.

The first half ended with a scoreline of 2-0. In the second half too, the home team dominated ball possession.

The Guwahati team found it extremely hard to get past Lajong's defence and were losing the ball very easily and lacked focus and concentration.

Bipin Singh, who failed to convert his chances in the first half, made no mistake when provided the opportunity in the second half as he took a beautiful shot to give his team a 3-0 lead in the 64th minute.

Captain Redeem Tlang then made it 4-0 in the 70th minute.

Mizoram shines in Santosh trophy

Siliguri, Mar 3 : In what was the biggest upset of the Santosh Trophy this year, Mizoram, which has never played in the finals of the 72-year-old tournament, thrashed defending champions Services 4-1 in a group-A match and extended its unbeaten Santosh Trophy run this year to six matches at the Kanchenjungha Stadium in Siliguri today.

The Mizo outfit,went ahead in the 27th minute after KC Lalchhuanmawia exploited poor defending, four minutes before Lalchhuanmawia crept up on Services goalkeeper M Nanao Singh who was caught unaware while bouncing the ball, leading to a brilliant goal by skipper Zico Zoremsanga from close range.

With its pride dented by two quick goals, Services, which won the tournament in 2012 and 2013,pushed to reduce the margin and against the run of play, striker Arjun Tudu pulled one back in the 43rd minute.

However, Mizoram struck to its attacking postures and the third goal by substitute V Laltanpuia in the 71st. minute was the one that removed all doubt, giving the north-eastern state a 3-1 lead in the game and a certain place in the last four.

The Mizo team, which trounced defending runners-up Kerala 3-1 at the same venue on the opening day on February 24, made sure of the third consecutive win in the final round with Lalbiakhlua's right-footed shot from outside the area three minutes before the final whistle.

The team is now at the top of the table with nine points from threematches.