EAST BENGAL
v
SALGAOCAR
Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake, Kolkata
Kick-off: September 29, 2011; 18:00 IST
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Defending Federation Cup Champions Kingfisher East Bengal will square off against I-League winners Salgaocar SC in an eagerly anticipated Fed Cup final on Thursday. Neither team has lost a match in this year’s edition so far, so fans will be expecting a nail biting encounter which befits the occasion.
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Performance in Semi-Final
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Both Salgaocar and East Bengal were stretched to their limits in their respective semi-final matches. They didn’t perform to their potential in these games and could have easily lost their respective matches.
Salgaocar faced off against the vibrant Lajong FC in first semi-final. Lajong had reached their 2nd Fed Cup semi-final in three seasons after piping Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan in group stages. The team from Shillong troubled the I-League champions from the starting whistle with their pace and superior fitness. Lajong curved out as many as five goal scoring chances in first half but were let down by poor finishing from strikers. John Menyongar was a livewire up front as he found himself one on one with Karanjit Singh multiple times. The Salgaocar ‘keeper was up to the task as he denied the Liberian player everytime, including a brilliant double save in injury time.
Chidi rescued Salgaocar in semi-final
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Edeh Chidi was the stand out player for the Goan greens on the other end. He created numerous opportunities for his strikers. Gilbert missed two gilt edged chances while Ryuji Sueoka was guilty of missing a couple of sitters. With Salgaocar looking ragged and tired in the face of Lajong’s constant running Karim Bencharifa introduced Elijah Junior late in the game. Junior had an instant impact as his long ball released Edeh Chidi who expertly headed past Ralte. The late, late goal earned Salgaocar a passage to Fed Cup final for the first time since 1997.
United SC has troubled East Bengal in recent seasons, famously defeating them on their way to the Durand Cup title last season. The 50,000 strong crowd in Salt Lake stadium was stunned into silence as Snehashis Dutta put Prayag United ahead with a well taken goal. Dutta, a winger, had also scored against East Bengal for Aryan SC in last season’s KFL. Without Raju Gaikwad and Mehtab Hussain, East Bengal lacked muscle and Tolgay, Alan Gow were easily marked by USC defenders. The ex-Blackpool striker was tripped inside the box by Bello Rasaq in 36th minute as East Bengal got a penalty. Gow himself converted the spot kick to make the score 1-1.
United SC enjoyed lion’s share of the possession in second half as East Bengal struggled to play in their usual rhythm. The Durand Cup champions had a strong shout for penalty kick turned down when Naoba Singh brought down Yakubu inside the box. The turning point of the match came between 76th and 80th minutes as USC lost both Johimar and Deepak Mandal due to double bookings. The Red & Golds didn’t make any mistake to take advantage of the situation as Khan Thang Paite scored the winning goal in 82nd minute. East Bengal has now reached four Fed Cup finals in last 5 seasons.
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Team News and Tactical Brief
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East Bengal
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East Bengal will have a full strength squad for the final. Mehtab Hussain and Raju Gaikwad have recovered from their injuries and should be back in the starting line-up. Robin Singh will also be back in the team after serving his one match suspension. Trevor Morgan will field a 4-1-3-2 formation with Raju Gaikwad partnering Uga Okpara in the heart of the defence. Mehtab Singh will be playing in the “Makalele Position” shielding the defence and connecting the three man midfield with the backline. Sanju Pradhan and Harmanjot Khabra will add width along with the overlapping full-backs.
If Robin Singh is drafted back into the starting XI then Alan Gow might drop back behind the two strikers to play the role of an attacking midfielder. The variation of this system will see Penn Orji play as the attacking midfielder instead of Gow. Given Gow’s form in Federation Cup, it is unlikely that the man with the lethal left foot will be benched.
East Bengal players celebrate the winning goal against United SC
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Tolgey Ozbey was shadow of his usual self against Prayag United. Arnab Mandal kept a tight leash on the Australian striker, preventing him to cut back from the wings. His partnership with Robin Singh has worked wonders for East Bengal in past and Salgaocar’s biggest threat will be the control the “Roly-Toly” pair.
Possible Starting XI (4-1-3-2): Nandy; Naoba, Raju, Okpara, Soumik; Mehtab, Khabra, Gow, Sanju; Tolgay, Robin
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Salgaocar
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Karim Bencharifa is likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation with Edeh Chidi playing as the lone striker. Rahul Kumar will slot in the heart of defence along with club captain Luciano Sabrosa. Salgaocar’s defence has been exceptional in Federation Cup so far and is yet to concede a goal. Karim Bencharifa’s teams are usually known for their attacking fluidity and lack of solidity at the back – Salgaocar has buckled the trend so far this season.
Tomba Singh and Rocus will act as defensive screen in front of the four man defence. Their clash with Mehtab will be one of the deciding factors in this match.
Salgaocar’s I-League triumph was characterized by the pace and precision with which their wingers operated. Gilbert Oliviera was a revelation last season and his combination with left winger Francis Fernandez was unstoppable. The 20 year old Salgaocar Academy product had a somewhat quiet outing against Lajong and had to be replaced by Ishfaq Ahmed in second half.
Ryuji Sueoka will play the role of a classical trequartista behind ex-Mohun Bagan striker Edeh Chidi. Chidi has been in brilliant form in Federation Cup and has seamlessly filled up Yusif Yakubu’s boots. Like Yakubu last season Chidi also drops back as a withdrawn center-forward allowing Sueoka and Gilbert to move up as strikers. The Bencharifa-Chidi combination was one of the main reasons behind Mohun Bagan’s famous 5-3 victory over East Bengal two years ago. They will certainly look to re-create that magic.
Possible Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Karanjit; Parmar, Sabrosa, Rahul, Biswajit; Tomba, Rocus; Francis, Sueoka, Gilbert; Chidi
Key Clashes
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Sabrosa v Tolgey – Tolgey might have had an off-day in semifinal but he still remains the most dangerous player for Red & Golds in final third. The Salgaocar captain has been a rock of Gibraltar for his club in past 2 seasons and will be looking to keep the Australian under tight marking.
Okpara v Chidi – Trevor Morgan’s tenure in East Bengal has been marked by flawless defensive performances and a chunk of the credit for this goes to Uga Okpara. The Nigerian kept Edeh Chidi quiet for most of the time during Kolkata derbies and will need to do the same in Fed Cup final.
Tomba v Mehtab – Tomba was one of the most consistent players for Salgaocar last season. He can be the most potent antidote in Bencharifa’s disposal to tackle one of the most effective players in Indian football right now.
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Three Key Stats
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Salgaocar is the most successful non-Kolkata team in Federation Cup with 3 titles.
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Honours were even last season in I-League. East Bengal won 1-0 in Kolkata while Salgaocar won 3-2 in Goa in a match which eventually proved to be a turning point in I-League.
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Should they win, East Bengal will be the second team after Mohun Bagan to achieve a hattrick of Fed Cup titles.
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TheHardTackle’s Players to Watch Out For
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Tolgey Ozbey (East Bengal)
Ryuji Sueoka (Salgaocar)
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TheHardTackle’s Blast from the Past
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Salgaocar has a good record in Fed Cup final against teams from Kolkata. They have lost to Mohun Bagan twice but have defeated both East Bengal and Mohammedan SC in final. Between 1987 and 1990 Salgaocar established Goan football on India’s map by reaching Fed Cup final 4 consecutive times, winning twice. East Bengal reached the Fed Cup final 5 times in a row between 1995 and 1998 but managed to win only once.
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TK Chattuni’s Salgaocar took on PK Banerjee’s East Bengal side in one of the most famous Fed Cup final in 1997. East Bengal had sensationally trounced Mohun Bagan 4-1 in semi-final via a Baichung Bhutia hattrick and was clear favourites in front of a 70,000 strong Kolkata crowd. The Goans took the lead through Bruno Coutinho but Samy Omollo equalized for East Bengal.
The keenly contested match went into extra time as both team tired under humid conditions. Despite his coach’s instructions Omollo ventured forward in extra-time and failed to intercept Savio Mediera’s excellent through ball from center circle. Bruno Coutinho latched on to the pass and finished with emphasis. His “finger on lips” celebration after scoring the golden goal is still remembered fondly in Goa.
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TheHardTackle’s Prediction
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East Bengal 2-1 Salgaocar