KOLKATA:Atletico de Kolkata are unlikely to let go of the chance to compound the woes of their fierce rivals as they take on FC Goa in a fourth round encounter of the Hero Indian Super League at Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Kolkata, on Sunday.

Atletico de Kolkata are chugging along nicely in the Hero ISL with five points in their first three matches but their rivals from Goa are at the bottom of the table, unable to win in three attempts. Goa’s start to the league is the worst in three years and Atletico de Kolkata, who enjoy an unbeaten record against FC Goa in six matches, know they can now add to their points tally.

“I am sure it will be a tough match,” Atletico de Kolkata chief coach Jose Molina warned during the pre-match media briefing.

“FC Goa have not won as yet and they will fight to register a win. It’s not a problem for us. We are playing at home and we have to try to win. All of us, which includes me and the players, will give our best to win,” said the Spanish coach.

Atletico de Kolkata shared the spoils with Chennaiyin FC in the opening match, then pocketed all points from Kerala Blasters and drew against Mumbai City FC in their last match.

FC Goa, on the otherhand, have had the worst start to their campaign in the ISL, losing against NorthEast United FC, FC Pune City and defending champions Chennaiyin FC. Chief coach Zico, however, knows from experience in the ISL that all is still not lost for his team and the players.

“If we win two games we will be at par with ATK. So nothing is lost yet. In this tournament it does not matter if you finish first or fourth. What matters is making the play-offs. We are focussed on that. ATK are a nice side and we will do our best to neutralise their power,” said Zico.

The FC Goa line-up has not had a settled look and chief Zico will have to make quite a few big decisions. The choice of a goalkeeper will be uppermost on his mind as Laxmikant Kattimani has not been as impressive as last season in the first three matches and Subhasish Roy Choudhury is struggling with his fitness. Sukhadev Patil is the third goalkeeper, signed as part of Goa’s developmental player quota, and it remains to be seen if Zico is willing to consider him.

“All the matches that we have to play are tough games. We must have the strength to rectify the situation, especially against Atletico de Kolkata which is a strong team,” said Zico.

DELHI: Delhi Dynamos coach Gianluca Zambrotta has handed a “special invitation” to his team’s supporters to turn up in impressive numbers for their home match in the Hero Indian Super League against NorthEast United FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, on Saturday.

Unbeaten so far, Delhi Dynamos are playing their first home match of the season but are expected to be outnumbered by the away fans in the stands like the first two seasons. NorthEast United enjoy great support in Delhi and Zambrotta feels it’s important to match their opponents.

“Of course, we need the Delhi supporters and I am handing them a special invitation to attend. We need their support. In Kerala we played the last match in front of 60,000 supporters and it was not intimidating.  For the players, it’s encouraging to play in front of a nice atmosphere,” said the Italian World Cup winner.

Delhi Dynamos have four points from their first two away matches and Zambrotta said it’s important to maintain balance as matches come thick and fast.

“We had some difficulties against Kerala because the match came immediately after the Chennai match. We will try to do our best against NorthEast United. It’s impossible to play at the same level all the time but the important thing is to have the players focused in attack and defence,” he said.

NorthEast United FC coach Nelo Vingada also said it’s important to focus on the recovery, especially after the last match where they played for almost an hour with just 10 men. NorthEast United had the numerical disadvantage when defender Nirmal Chhetri was sent off but despite the setback, the league leaders regained the momentum to score a narrow victory against FC Pune City, who also had a player sent off in the second half.

“We played for one hour with 10 men. A lot of energy was spent but I believe our team’s character and effort can make for a good performance,” said the Portuguese coach.

“Since the beginning, we are seeing that all teams are improving. It’s been an intense campaign for NorthEast and we have already played four games. But there are no excuses. We will play our best against a good team which is playing at home for the first time,” he said.

NorthEast United are on top of the league ladder with nine points from four matches. Delhi Dynamos are placed fourth with four points from two matches.

MUMBAI: Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is arguably the greatest footballer that Sweden has ever seen, is in the wish list of Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos and Head Coach Gianluca Zambrotta is confident that he can bring the Swedish enigma to India once he is done with the Red Devils in summer of 2017.

Zlatan who played for the likes of Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint Germain in the past, made headlines when he joined Machester United on a one-year contract in July. At Old Trafford he is having a quite successful stint so far scoring 5 goals in 10 appearances, so there is no reason for him to join the Indian Super League at this point in time, but his former AC Milan team-mate Zambrotta is utmost confident that he can convince the Swedish to join the franchise based league.

“Here in India Zlatan has a tremendous fan following and I think he would want to come and end his career here. On my end, I will definitely try to convince him to play for Dynamos.” said  Zambrotta.

Thanks to ISL, India has seen the likes of Robert Pires, Alessandro Del Piero, Freddie Ljungberg, Lucio, Florent Malouda, Roberto Carlos, Helder Postiga, Nicolas Anelka and Diego Forlan. But all them has came to India at the twilight of their career and as a result apart from a few glimpses of the performance from the past they have been lived in the shadow of their own.

However, if Delhi Dynamos can somehow manage to land Zlatan, who at the top of his game, then the entire thing will reach a whole new level. Though Zlatan did retire from International football at end of Euro 2016 but the 35-year old still has plenty to offer.

MUMBAI: Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC may have to do without their captains for their next round battle in the Indian Super League at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, on Friday.

Mumbai City captain and marquee player Diego Forlan, who was influential in his team’s first two victories, sat out of the last clash against NorthEast United FC and has not made the trip to Kerala.

“Diego hasn’t travelled with the team. He is working hard on his recovery with our medical staff and we hope that we can have him back fully fit at the earliest,” said Mumbai City coach Alexandre Guimaraes.

Kerala Blasters have worries of their own. Cedric Hengbart, who captained the side in the last game but limped out midway through injury, has a battle on his hand to recover and declare himself fit for the crucial clash against Mumbai City.

“I don’t know to be honest,” Kerala Blasters coach Steve Coppell said when asked whether he can count on Hengbart’s services for Friday’s clash.

“We will wait till the last minute to check his fitness. After the injury (in the last game), I thought he wouldn’t be available but he is such a warrior that he is working hard, rehabilitating and trying to make himself available for this match,” said the Kerala Blasters coach.

Fortunately for the home side, marquee player Aaron Hughes, a sparkling presence in Northern Ireland’s progress to the second round of Euro 2016, has completed his international assignments and is expected to return to the line-up.

Kerala Blasters have just a point from their first three matches and is the only team in the league to have not scored as yet, despite backing from approximately 55,000 supporters for each home game. Coppell said his players are trying hard and a change in fortunes could be just around the corner.

“The players fully understand the responsibility of trying to entertain these fabulous fans and the players went flat out to try and give them the victory that they desire. I personally feel we are very close (to winning). As a team, we are capable of winning five or six matches on the bounce,” said Coppell.

Mumbai City FC have made an encouraging start to their league campaign this season. Yet unbeaten, Mumbai City have seven points from their first three matches and even though coach Guimaraes said he was targeting “nine points” from the first three matches, he has plenty to be happy about.

“I would have liked to have nine points and I think we played with the intention of getting maximum points. But that’s how the game is. More than the points, what needs to be focused on is the performance. Our efforts from our pre-season training are now showing results and I am very happy,” said the Costa Rican coach.

Mumbai City FC played all three matches at comparatively smaller stadiums in Pune and Mumbai and now have to prepare themselves for a massive fan onslaught in Kerala where 55,000 supporters throw their collective might behind Kerala Blasters. The Costa Rican coach is aware of the challenge.

“It’s the first time we’ll be playing in these kind of circumstances but my players have shown confidence and I am hoping we put up an equally good, if not better performance tomorrow against Kerala Blasters,” he said.

PUNE: NorthEast United FC returned to the top of the Indian Super League table with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Pune City at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Balewadi-Pune, on Wednesday.

In a match that saw fortunes-fluctuating and both teams reduced to 10 man, NorthEast United scored the only goal of the match through Emiliano Alfaro in the 79th minute.

The win took NorthEast United back to the top of the table with nine points from four matches, although this encounter will be better remembered for the two red cards that were issued to Nirmal Chhetri (NorthEast United) and Eduardo Ferreira (Pune City) in the 36th and 72nd minute respectively.

NorthEast United were adventurous at the start and seemed determined to make up for the loss in their last match against Mumbai City FC. Rowlin Borges and Katsumi Yusa were in fine fettle and Nicolas Velez was creating plenty of problems for Pune City defenders.

In the 13th minute itself, NorthEast United’s Romaric went close with a shot from just outside the box which missed the target after Borges and Katsumi had done the spadework. NorthEast United’s next chance came five minutes later. This time it was Katsumi who slid the ball for Emiliano Alfaro, and the Uruguayan striker did well to sell a dummy for Velez, who couldn’t give the finishing touches from inside the box.

Just at the half an hour mark, Velez turned provider for Alfaro with an excellent cross which Pune defender D Ravanan missed but Alfaro was inches away from the ball.

The match turned on its head in the 36th minute when NorthEast United defender Nirmal Chhetri was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Anibal Zurdo. The sending off pegged NorthEast United back but the visitors did well to hold fort at the change of ends despite repeated attacks from Jonatan Lucca and Mohamed Sissoko of Pune City.

Pune knew they had the numerical advantage in the second session with NorthEast United reduced to 10 man. They tried to attack in numbers but NorthEast were defending well, allowing very little space for their rivals.

The match then took another dramatic turn in the 72nd minute when the encounter saw a second red card, this time for Pune City. Eduardo Ferreira was adjudged to have fouled Romaric and the referee had no hesitation in booking the defender. It was his second Yellow booking of the match and had to be sent off.

NorthEast United were now back in control of the match and were rewarded in the 79th minute. Velez started it all with a fine run on the right and relayed the ball to Alfaro. The Uruguayan striker then passed the ball on the left to Yusa, whose shot from inside the box took a deflection and fell nicely for Alfaro again who put it across a diving Pune goalkeeper Edel Bete.

Host FC Pune City have three points from three matches after picking up their second loss today and rally at 5^th position on the points table with Mumbai City on 2^nd (7 points); ATK on 3^rd place (5 points) and Delhi on 4^th place (4 points).

FC Pune City XI: Apoula Edel (GK), Mohamed Sissoko (c), Eduardo Ferreira, Jonatan Lucca, Anibal Zurdo Rodriguez (Dramane Traore – 75′), Jesus Tato , Francis Fernandes, Zodingliana Ralte, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Gouramangi Singh (Arata Izumi – 46′), Lenny Rodrigues (Sanju Pradhan – 57′).

NorthEast United FC XI: Subrata Paul (GK), Nirmal Chettri, Didier Zokora (c), Koffi Christian N’dri, Emiliano Alfaro (Wellington Priori – 88′), Katsumi Yusa, Rowllin Borges, Holicharan Narzary (Reagan Singh – 58′), Nicolas Leandro Velez, Gustavo Lazzaretti, Shouvik Ghosh.

FC Pune City XI: Apoula Edel (GK), Mohamed Sissoko (c), Eduardo Ferreira, Jonatan Lucca, Anibal Zurdo Rodriguez (Dramane Traore – 75′), Jesus Tato , Francis Fernandes, Zodingliana Ralte, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Gouramangi Singh (Arata Izumi – 46′), Lenny Rodrigues (Sanju Pradhan – 57′).

NorthEast United FC XI: Subrata Paul (GK), Nirmal Chettri, Didier Zokora (c), Koffi Christian N’dri, Emiliano Alfaro (Wellington Priori – 88′), Katsumi Yusa, Rowllin Borges, Holicharan Narzary (Reagan Singh – 58′), Nicolas Leandro Velez, Gustavo Lazzaretti, Shouvik Ghosh.

CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC chief coach Marco Materazzi has challenged his team to show their love for the club and start winning, or risk not just missing out on a place in the Hero Indian Super League semi-finals but also his association with Chennai.

Materazzi, a World Cup winner with Italy, has been the chief coach of Chennaiyin FC since inception in 2014 and won the Hero ISL title last season. This year, though, Chennaiyin FC have just a point from two matches and Materazzi knows they need massive improvements against FC Goa at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on Thursday.

Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa contested a fiery final last season with Chennaiyin FC scoring twice at the fag end of the match to emerge 3-2 winners in dramatic fashion.

“If I had the chance to change all 11 players, possibly 12 if you can include me, I would have done that in the last game (against Delhi Dynamos). But the regulations say I can change only three. I have to put in the best eleven tomorrow,” said Materazzi, expressing his disappointment over the 1-3 loss against Delhi Dynamos which in his opinion was the worst in the three editions of ISL.

Asked whether last year’s hotly-contested final will have any bearing on tomorrow’s performances, Materazzi said, if he had lost the trophy how FC Goa did in the last couple of minutes, he would have plenty of reasons to be upset too.

“If I was leading till the 89th minute and lose at the end of the game, I would be upset as well. They will show the hunger to win but we are coming into this game after a loss against Delhi and will have to put in something extra as well. If we can manage that in the future, we will make it to the play-offs. If not, it will be bad for us. If things don’t turn out well, I will not be here as head coach for next year. You have to show your love for the club,” said Materazzi.

FC Goa remains the only team without a point at the end of the second round and chief coach Zico said his team was prepared to turn things around after consecutive losses against NorthEast United FC and FC Pune City.

“We are well prepared to look for a good result. We played well in the first two matches although we didn’t get a result. We are prepared for a nice match,” said Zico, adding that he does not look into the past for any added motivation.

“In the first two matches, we created so many opportunities. If you look at the stats, the two best players were the goalkeepers. We are playing an attacking game but unfortunately the goals are not coming. That confidence to score is missing,” said Zico.

MUMBAI: Mumbai City FC moved to the top of the table with a point against Atletico de Kolkata after an entertaining 1-1 draw in a Indian Super League clash at Mumbai Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai, on Tuesday.

Mumbai City FC were looking comfortable after Matias Defederico provided them the lead in the 27th minute but the home side were jolted when midfielder Pronay Halder was sent off for two yellow cards. The numerical advantage worked in Kolkata’s favour and they forced the equaliser in the 82nd minute to stay unbeaten in the league.

Atletico de Kolkata now have five points from three matches, while Mumbai City, also unbeaten, are at the top with seven points.

Mumbai FC were forced to leave out marquee player and star striker Diego Forlan after he failed to recover from a knock in the previous clash against NorthEast United FC. Forlan’s absence paved the way for Boithang Haokip to start for the first time and the talented youngster was the one who had the best looks at the rival goal.

Haokip’s first chance was as early as the ninth minute when Defederico picked him up with a wonderful through ball but Atletico de Kolkata goalkeeper Debjit Majumder left his charge to avert the danger even though there seemed to be a possible contact.

Haokip again tried his might on goal after being fed by Defederico but this time even though he beat the goalkeeper, the ball struck the crossbar and bounced back into play. The rebound could have been pushed into the goal but nobody got a real touch as the visitors escaped.

Mumbai City got their deserving lead, thanks to some brilliant work from Defederico in the 27th minute. The Argentinean showed remarkable skill to control the ball with his first touch and then did even better to leave two defenders behind and slot the ball past a diving Atletico de Kolkata goalkeeper.

Atletico de Kolkata were struggling to find their feet in the first session but they were all over the Mumbai territory after the change of ends. Borja Fernandez and Javier Lara were doing all the orchestrating and their best chance to equalize came in the 65th minute. Lara’s cross from the right fell unexpectedly for Sameehg Doutie inside a crowded Mumbai goalmouth but Doutie only managed to tap the ball wide from handshaking distance.

The match swung in the visitors’s favour in the 72nd minute when Mumbai midfielder Pronay Halder was sent off for a second bookable offence. Atletico de Kolkata capitalised on the numerical advantage and got their equaliser through Lara. The Spanish midfielder was class personified as he got away from Jackichand Singh on top of the box and let got a fierce shot that sailed into the top corner of the nets.

With eight minutes still left to be played, Atletico de Kolkata pressed hard for the winner but the Mumbai defence did well to troop out with a point.

Mumbai City FC XI: Roberto Volpato Netto (GK – C), Aiborlang Khongjee, Gerson Vieira, Lucian Goian, Lalhmangaihsanga Ralte, Krisztián Vadócz, Léo Costa (Sony Norde – 68′), Boithang Haokip (Jackichand Singh – 63′), Pronay Halder, Sehnaj Singh (Anwar Ali – 78′), Matías Defederico.

Atlético de Kolkata XI: Debjit Majumder (GK), Tiri, Arnab Mondal, Pritam Kotal (Lalrindika Ralte – 81′), Prabir Das, Borja Fernández (C), Sameehg Doutie, Bikramjit Singh (Avinash Ruidas – 46′), Javier Lara Grande, Juan Belencoso, Iain Hume (Stephen Pearson – 46′).

Photo Credits: ISL

PUNE: FC Pune City are targeting a maximum of nine points from their next three matches, all at home, and gallop closer towards a place in the semi-finals of the Indian Super League.

FC Pune City opened their account with a late winner against FC Goa last week and now return home to tackle NorthEast United FC at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Balewadi-Pune, on Wednesday.

The NorthEast United clash will be followed by two more home matches against Kerala Blasters (October 17) and Chennaiyin FC (October 23) even as assistant coach Miguel made it known that they would settle for maximum points and nothing else.

“We have three games at home and these games are very crucial for us to get the nine points which will help us to go ahead in the league and qualify for the semis. We start with NorthEast and we know they are in good form but we are playing at home and with the Goa win, it will increase our confidence to play well,” said Miguel, who will continue to hold charge till chief coach Antonio Habas returns to the side after serving a four-match suspension.

FC Pune City needed a dramatic 90th minute winner against FC Goa to collect full points against FC Goa for their first win. The performance was encouraging, and with marquee Mohamed Sissoko stamping his authority on debut alongside Jonatan Lucca in midfield, there was all-round appreciation.

“It was the first game they played together. They can do better but they performed really well as they understand each other,” said Miguel.

NorthEast United FC were grounded by Mumbai City FC after two consecutive wins at home and coach Nelo Vingada will have to do a lot more to ensure that his side does not remain giants only at home.

“I am proud of the players even though we made some mistakes, missed a couple of chances… But this is football, these mistakes happen because we play with men and not with robots and machines. I am leaving with this performance and not the result. I am leaving Mumbai more optimistic than I was even before we lost,” the Portuguese coach said after his team lost by a solitary goal, thanks to a penalty from Diego Forlan.

NorthEast United FC had their chances to get at least a point from the game but missed far too many chances against Mumbai. Should they need more than a point in their next away match, such luxuries will have to be avoided.

NorthEast United are at the top of the table for now with six points from three matches.

MUMBAI: Mumbai City FC’s winning run in the Hero Indian Super League will be seriously challenged by former champions Atletico de Kolkata in an interesting third round clash at Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai, on Tuesday.

Mumbai City FC won their first two matches without conceding a goal, and although both victories were achieved by a single goal, coach Alexandre Guimaraes should be pleased with the clean sheets. Atletico de Kolkata are also unbeaten. Having drawn the opening game against Chennaiyin FC, the former champions bounced back in style to put it across Kerala Blasters.

“We are all quite pleased with the start to the season. It’s a totally different feeling that the team and fans have. The echo from the other teams is also different; they are thinking this is going to be a different season for Mumbai City. It’s good but we know that we have just started. In such a league, you have to stay alert. There is not much time to celebrate or cry. You have to be competitive always,” said the Costa Rican coach who has made fans believe in the team again.

There will not be any easy games in the ISL as the difference between all teams is minimal. With two victories under his belt, Guimaraes will be bristling with confidence but knows that Atletico de Kolkata will provide them with the toughest challenge.

“Tomorrow is a tough game against a good team that retained players from last season, particularly foreigners. They have a good knowledge of each other. We have to continue to play our game and remain focused. We have to be solid and compact,” said Guimaraes.

The visitors were full of praise for the league’s pace-setters with coach Jose Molina insisting that the clash between two teams with similar playing styles should be an interesting one.

“We know we are here to play against a strong team. They played two matches, won both, six points and two clean sheets. That’s a very good beginning for Mumbai. We want to play our game (against Mumbai). We have similar styles and it will be an interesting match,” said Molina.

Mumbai City marquee Diego Forlan has had a hand, or rather leg, in both goals for his team. The former Uruguay striker and Mumbai City marquee created the only goal of the match in their opening clash and then scored a second-half penalty in the next clash. Atletico de Kolkata, however, have not drawn up any special plans for the star striker.

“There is no special plan (for Diego Forlan). I don’t like to focus on one player. I think they have good players in attack, midfield and defence. I like my team defending as a team, together, and against a team, not one or two players. We know how to defend,” said Molina.

A victory for either team will take them to the top of the table.

Goa, 8 October 2016: FC Pune City beat FC Goa 2-1 courtesy of a late strike in front of a 19,000-strong crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday evening. The Stallions took the lead in the 25th minute through Arata Izumi before Rafael Coelho equalised for the Gaurs before half-time to make it level-pegging at the break. Super-sub Momar Ndoye proved to be the difference by coming off the bench and scoring in the last minute of regulation time to secure his side’s first win of Hero Indian Super League 2016.

The hosts started brighter of the two sides and earned a free-kick in the sixth minute after Joffre was brought down on the edge of Pune’s penalty area. Coelho took the free-kick but failed to trouble Edel Bete in the Stallions goal.

Pune started seeing more of the ball as the half wore on and made the breakthrough in the 26th minute to silence the home support. Izumi put the Stallions into the lead after a thunderous shot from Jonatan Lucca was helped on to the post by Laxmikanth Kattimani. The ball rattled the frame of the goal and fell invitingly to an alert Izumi, who tapped the ball into the net and give his side a 1-0 lead.

The Gaurs responded seven minutes later through Coelho, who got his first goal of the season to bring the home crowd back to their feet. Coelho ran on to a headed flick by Joffre before brushing aside Gouramangi Singh and slotting the ball past Bete in goal to make it 1-1.

It was end-to-end action in the last 10 minutes of the opening period with neither side content on going in at half-time with the scores level. However, a combination of some great defending and assured goalkeeping made sure it was 1-1 at the break.

The first chance of the second half came in the 51st minute after Coelho broke with pace and fired in an effort from distance straight at Bete. Goa had two more golden opportunities to take the lead through substitute Romeo Fernandes three minutes later. The pacey winger first shot directly into Bete after a quickly taken free-kick and then seconds later blazed over the crossbar in a one-on-one situation.

The visitors weren’t prepared to just sit back and defend though and had two opportunities of their own in the 61st minute. Jesus Tato was first denied courtesy of a goal-mouth clearance by FC Goa, while Lucca’s shot on goal from outside the area went straight into Kattimani’s arms.

Bete was called into action again in the 70th minute after Coelho played a ball out wide to find Fernandes on the right flank. Fernandes’ perfectly weighed cross was met with an acrobatic scissor-kick from Trindade Goncalves that the Armenian keeper parried over the bar.

Coelho unleashed another shot from distance seven minutes from time but Bete once again came to the Stallions’ rescue. It proved to be pivotal as substitute Ndoye received a pass from Lucca before turning Lucio and placing a left-footed shot into the top left corner in the 90th minute to seal his side’s first win of the season in spectacular fashion.

Photo Courtesy ISL

KOCHI: Kerala Blasters coach Steve Coppell has called for massive improvement from his side as they attempt to break the duck against Delhi Dynamos in a Hero Indian Super League clash at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, on Sunday.

Kerala Blasters have suffered two defeats on the trot, including one at home in the last game against Atletico de Kolkata. Their previous loss was in the opener against NorthEast United FC, and although both were narrow solitary goal victories, Coppell knows his team must improve.

“I think we can improve in all areas. Defensively we looked fairly tight (in the last game) and conceded a defensive goal. The midfield got a little bit detached on occasions and the strikers have to improve our scoring level. We can do that. We are working on the training ground,” said the Kerala Blasters manager.

The Kerala Blasters manager, with plenty of experience under his belt, made six changes in the last game and appears to continue with the policy of chopping and changing.

“I don’t think there will be significant changes but there will be changes. The nature of the competition is demanding and you have to evaluate the team and individual performances. There will be a few changes. We are looking forward to this game,” said the former Manchester United winger, who did not elaborate on the changes and kept everyone guessing whether he would continue to use Josue Prieto as make-shift left-back or hand a rare start to former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra up front.

Delhi Dynamos manager and Italian World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta should feel no need to change a winning combination, especially after a convincing 3-1 against Chennaiyin FC. The team looked incredibly good in their opening clash against the defending champions but Zambrotta is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“It will be an important match for us. We won against Chennaiyin FC but we have to lie low and think nothing happened. We just have to focus on the next match and continue to do our best in the future,” said Zambrotta.

Zambrotta’s side will start as favourites against the struggling Kerala Blasters, although the manager looked at the situation differently.

“Now obviously it’s a worse moment for Kerala because they lost two matches against good opposition. But they are playing at home and are hungry. With 60,000 supporters, it’s obviously a big advantage for them,” said the Italian World Cup winner.

October 7, 2016, MUMBAI:  Captain Diego Forlan led from the front for Mumbai City FC as the hosts defeated NorthEast United FC 1-0 in Hero Indian Super League clash at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri, Mumbai, on Friday.

NorthEast United were comfortably perched at the top of the table with two successive victories but were denied a rare hat-trick of wins after marquee player Diego Forlan scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute from a penalty. Mumbai City now share the top spot with NorthEast United but have a match in hand.

With matches in quick succession, NorthEast United coach Nelo Vingada needed to do some reshuffling with the starting eleven as he chose to start with marquee Didier Zokoro for the first time and also gave the nod for the likes of Seityasen Singh and Argentinean striker Nicolas Velez.

Mumbai City coach Alexandre Guimaraes kept his faith in the same squad that logged full points in the opener.

The teams were cagey at the start and took time to gauge each other’s strengths but on the basis of the first 45 minutes it can be safely said that NorthEast enjoyed the upperhand, or at least had the better chances.

NorthEast midfielder Koffi N’Dri (Romaric) was the first to have a clear look at the rival goal but his left-footed volley from just outside the box was well-judged by Mumbai goalkeeper Roberto Neto. The Mumbai goalkeeper was again called into action as Romaric was provided with plenty of space to execute another volley which was saved.

Questions were being asked of the Mumbai defence and the goalkeeper made his displeasure known. Mumbai soon found its feet and started carving out chances of their own. NorthEast defender Zokoro needed to come up with an instinctive tackle to thwart Forlan in a dangerous position and Aibor Khongjee had goalkeeper Subrata Paul diving frenetically to stop his long-ranger from sailing into the net.

The best chance of the match fell for Katsumi Yusa when Velez slipped the ball through for the Japanese, who shot it above the target from around the penalty spot. With his renowned nose for goals, he should have done better.

In the second session, Mumbai City won a penalty after midfielder Pronay Halder was brought down by Regan Singh inside the danger zone and the referee had no hesitation awarding a spot kick. It was Forlan who stepped forward and the Mumbai marquee converted it in style to give his team the lead.

NorthEast threw everything at their rivals in an attempt to secure the equalizer. They had chances too but Mumbai survived to register their second successive victory.

Photo Courtesy: ISL

GOA: FC Goa chief coach Zico is confident that his team can script a turnaround as they play their first home match of the season against FC Pune City in the Hero Indian Super League at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Saturday.

FC Goa were handed a rare defeat by NorthEast United FC in their opening clash and coach Zico now needs to inspire his squad to register the first win of the season. FC Goa looked good in patches against NorthEast United FC. They did not score against their rivals but the Brazilian legend remains confident in his team’s ability to fight back.

“I think we played well. We tried our best, we fought but we couldn’t overcome them. This is just the beginning of the league. The first year too we started the league with a defeat but later we overcame it. We have to keep going to work on that,” said Zico.

NorthEast United’s opening goal came through goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani’s mistake and the second goal also asked questions about the defence. Zico, however, was unperturbed and is set to continue with his first choice goalkeeper.

“He has a lot of experience with us from the last two years. We have been playing together and when we lose, everyone loses. It is not the fault of one person,” he said.

It is not yet clear if Zico will alter his formation or even introduce new players in the starting eleven. With several players nursing injuries, though, it is unlikely that he will be left with many choices. Players like Gregory Arnolin, Luciano Sobrosa, Robin Singh, Denzil Franco and Subhashish Roy Chowdhury are all nursing injuries and remain unavailable for the next clash.

FC Pune City have no such injury concerns and assistant coach Miguel remains confident that they will open their account soon.

“You have to understand that a majority of the players are new. It’s not easy to build a team like that. We need to play a few more games and the team will improve,” said Miguel.

Chief coach Antonio Habas remains suspended for FC Pune City’s first four matches.

FC Pune City’s plans for the season went haywire after marquee Eidur Gudjohnsen picked up an injury during pre-season and was ruled out of the ISL. He has now been replaced by former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko who will be available for selection.

“Eidur’s injury impacted us. He is a leader, a big player and now we have another marquee. He is doing his role. He will play the next game and try to make up for Eidur’s absence,” said Miguel.

FC Pune City lost their opening clash against Mumbai City FC in the Maharashtra Derby.

CHENNAI: Brazilian winger Marcelo Pereira was the cynosure of all eyes as he struck a brace in Delhi Dynamos 3-1 win over defending champions Chennaiyin FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai,on Thursday.

Playing their first match this season, Delhi Dynamos turned on the magic with Marcelo, better known as Marcelinho, scoring two goals for his side in the first session after Dudu Omagbemi had briefly cancelled his 26th minute goal. Badara Badji put the match beyond Chennaiyin FC’s reach with the third goal in the 86th minute.

Chennaiyin FC are without a win from their first two matches after drawing the opening match against Atletico de Kolkata.

Playing at home for the first time, the defending champions started with a flurry but could not break the deadlock. In the eighth minute, Raphael Augusto spotted Mohanraj’s run from the left who crossed for Dudu but the Nigerian striker’s header sailed just wide.

Bernard Mendy then went close in the next minute with another header and Jeje Lalpekhlua had his chance to draw first blood but could not beat Delhi goalkeeper Toni Doblas from close range.

Delhi soon recovered from the initial Chennaiyin FC push and moved ahead in the 26th minute after Milan Singh won a penalty. Milan spotted a long cross from Souvik Chakraborty and was making his run when he was brought down by Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr. Marcelinho stepped up to take the penalty and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Chennaiyin FC, however, did not take too long to draw level. Dudu was afforded space by the Delhi defence and he made them pay by latching on to a through ball from Jeje and slamming it past a diving Delhi goalkeeper in the 32nd minute.

Chennaiyin FC were now back in the game but Delhi took they by surprise again two minutes later as Marcelinho hoodwinked the rival defence and gave Kerr no chance with a first-time attempt.

Had Delhi converted the chances that came their way after being 2-1 ahead, the match would have been killed at the half-time whistle itself. Kean Lewis missed a golden chance with only the goalkeeper at his mercy as he shot wide and then Marcelinho took one touch too many, allowing Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper to grab the ball and keep his team in the hunt.

In the second session, Delhi Dynamos were comfortable with the ball and rarely looked threatened.

Chennaiyin FC, on the other hand, tried to find a way past the rival defence without much success. Sensing that he needs to do something different, manager Marco Materazzi opted to field three strikers for the last 20 minutes of play but instead it were Delhi Dynamos who tasted success.

Delhi made it 3-1 with six minutes left on the clock when a Kean Lewis cross from the left was finished with a thumping header by substitute Badara Badji.

Mumbai City FC ready for in-form NorthEast United FC

MUMBAI: Mumbai City FC are looking to climb up the ladder as they face an in-form NorthEast United FC in their second round clash of the Hero Indian Super League at Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai, on Friday.

Mumbai City FC won their opening round clash against FC Pune City for the first time and tasted a rare away win in the Hero ISL. The win boosted the confidence of the entire squad and they are now looking to dethrone NorthEast United FC from the top.  The visitors are on a high after registering two victories from their first two matches.

“We won against a very good team. This is always good because history tells us that Mumbai never won opening match. Also, we didn’t win away and we won the first game against a very tough team. Pune is one of the contender (for the title) this season. That game is now behind us and from the next day we started to focus on our second game. It’s always nice to start with a win. The confidence grows,” said Mumbai City coach Alexandre Guimaraes.

Mumbai will be up against a team which has won both their matches and Guimaraes admitted they have a mountain to climb. “They deserved to win the first two games and we will have to play even better and harder to win this game,” said the Costa Rican coach.

Much of the focus of fans during the opening game was on Mumbai City marquee Diego Forlan. The Uruguayan superstar is the biggest name this season and gave glimpses of what he brings to the team. It was his brilliant flick that created the only goal of the match but for Guimaraes it was clear that opponents will not give him too much space to operate.

“We are trying to find solutions in offence and for Diego not to have all the responsibility to score. Our top scorer (Gaston Sangoy) during pre-season was injured which is bad for us. Then we are missing Sony (Norde) because of international matches. These are big guys for us but I think we managed well and tomorrow it will be another test for us to improve in that area,” said the Mumbai City coach.

NorthEast United are bristling with confidence after pocketing six points from the first two matches at home but coach Nelo Vingada is not taking anything for granted.

“For me tomorrow is the most important and also the most difficult game. I hope it’s a great promotion for the ISL. Three results can happen and we are here to make life hard for Mumbai. It won’t be easy for us but we will try to make things difficult for them,” said the Portuguese coach fondly called The Professor.

Vingada has coached in several countries around Asia and was pleased with what he saw in the Hero ISL so far.

“The first game in any league is always not the real game for both teams. It was not a great game for both sides. The best thing was the result. We deserved to win because we created many chances.

“The second game was a very good game in any league in Asia. Believe me, this game between NorthEast and Goa can be a good game in Korea, China, Japan, Iran or UAE. I was watching a league game from Emirates (on TV) and it was not better than our game. It was intense, very good opportunities for both teams to score and lot of emotions. We were lucky because we scored twice and the goalkeeper made a lot of good saves,” said Vingada.

NorthEast United defeated Kerala Blasters 1-0 in the opening game and then put it across FC Goa 2-0 in the second game.

KOCHI: Atletico de Kolkata proved a goal too good for Kerala Blasters FC (1-0) as they notched their first victory in this edition of the Indian Super League 2016 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, on Wednesday.

Both teams were without a win in their opening matches and were eager for a turnaround but it was Javier Lara’s shot from distance in the 54th minute that gave the visitors full points.

Clash of ‘World Champions’ as Chennaiyin FC host Delhi Dynamos

CHENNAI: Marco Materazzi happily welcomed his World Cup winning Italian teammate Gianluca Zambrotta to the Hero Indian Super League but will make it as uncomfortable as possible for the Delhi Dynamos coach in their opening round battle against Chennaiyin FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on Thursday.

Materazzi and Zambrotta won the 2006 World Cup for Italy. While Materazzi has been in India for the last two years with Chennaiyin FC, Zambrotta is only making his debut in the Hero ISL after taking over Delhi Dynamos from Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos.

“I know him as a player and not as a coach. I am happy to see him here in India because this is a great chance for him to grow as manager and I wish the best for him,” Materazzi said during his pre-match interaction with the media.

Chennaiyin FC had to settle for a point against Atletico de Kolkata after conceding a late penalty in their first round encounter and as they return home will be keen to log full points.

“I think we have to divide between pressure and obsession. We don’t have any pressure to win or obsession to become champions because we have already won the tournament last year. It’s a pleasure to defend the title and we will do that until the last match. I am not putting any pressure on the players,” said Materazzi.

Conceding penalties has been Chennaiyin’s bane since the start of the Hero ISL and Materazzi said this was part of a learning process, particularly for the younger players in the team.

“I have to agree with the referee that it was actually a penalty and it happened due to inexperience. When you are 18 (years old), you tend to make these mistakes; if not only 30 year or older players will play. You have to learn from these mistake and be cautious in the penalty area,” said the Chennaiyin FC manager who guided his team to the title last season.

Just like Chennaiyin FC, Delhi Dynamos too will base their game on a strong defensive structure. The visitors. however, will miss the services of two important players from last season, John Arne Riise and Hans Mulder, both now playing for Chennaiyin FC.

“I am very happy with the pre-season. We had a good pre-season and am more than happy with it, but the championship starts tomorrow. We will see tomorrow if we have done a good job. We hope to do a good job,” said the Italian.

“For me, it’s important that the team remains compact when we attack as well as when we defend but more importantly it’s important to have the winning mentality. I have come here to win something,” said Zambrotta.

GUWAHATI: Emiliano Alfaro struck a brace to down FC Goa 2-0 as NorthEast United grabbed their second successive victory in the Hero Indian Super League clash at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati, on Tuesday.

The Uruguayan striker scored once in each session as the hosts surged to the top of the table with six points from their first two matches at home.

Both teams were cagey at the start and took time to ascertain each other’s strength and spot weakness. NorthEast United seemed more settled at the start and wasted a golden chance in the 12th minute. A left-footed cross from Koffi Christian, popularly known as Romaric, was missed at the first post by Alfaro but there was still a chance for Katsumi who chose to go for glory himself, only for Goa goalkeeper Kattimani to make a diving safe. Had Yusa, who scored the winner in the opening match, spotted his teammates in the box, the story may have been different.