Experience is the key take away here before the team begins their AFC CL campaign, also arguably the most shrewd brains behind management of the team. Kudos to JSW Sports & management to come up such initiatives that brings a new level of professionalism to Indian Football! Now Sven Goran Eriksson knows there a city called Bangalore in India & a club called BengaluruFC that represents it! #ForzaBengaluru
Absolutely commendable job by JSW and Bengaluru FC to pull off such an exposure tour. Unfortunate that this effort of theirs would mostly go unnoticed because of the hype around Indian Super League.
Host Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson Praises Blues’ Physical Display As China Pre-Season Tour Comes To An End
Bengaluru FC ended their pre-season tour of China with a 3-0 defeat to Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F at the Guangzhou University Sports Complex, in Guangzhou, on Thursday. The Sven-Goran Eriksson-coached team went into half time with a 2-0 lead and put the friendly beyond doubt with a late third. Bengaluru came close on two occasions within a matter of minutes in the second half but Sean Rooney struck straight at the ’keeper just before CK Vineeth’s volley from an Udanta Kumam cross, came off the post. Just like in the game against Eastern AA, Bengaluru conceded early when striker Zhang Shao turned in the box to shoot R&F into a 4th minute lead. Ashley Westwood was forced to make an early substitution when midfielder Josh Walker had to be pulled off after landing awkwardly on his shoulder, making way for Darren Caldeira. The hosts went 2-0 up in the 29th minute after Guangzhou’s Zhang Yuan made most of a weak back pass, rounding ’keeper Pawan Kumar before finishing from an angle. Bengaluru FC did manage to ask the R&F defense a few questions and Eugeneson Lyngdoh’s strike from 20 yards missed the target by just a little. Bengaluru FC stepped up their game in the second half where Westwood threw in Vineeth for Beikhokhei Beingaichho on the left. The pace on the flanks with Udanta on the right, saw Bengaluru keep the R&F defence alert. However, Zhang Chenlong finished matters, calmly finishing after being put through from the midfield. The big positive for Bengaluru was Westwood’s boys being up to the task on the physical front. The Blues’ game even drew praise from the R&F manager. “Though it was a friendly, it was a game with high intensity and that’s always good to see. I feel Bengaluru FC came strongly at us and were physically very good. It was a game we enjoyed being part of,” said Eriksson. Westwood said the trip was a good exercise for his team who will be vying for an AFC Champions League spot this season. “The aim of the trip was to test ourselves in Asia as we have aspirations of qualifying for the AFC Champions League. Guangzhou R&F are chasing current AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande, in the Chinese Super League so the competition we faced doesn’t get much harder,” he said. The gaffer was pleased with the fight his side showed in the game against a technically superior side. “We competed hard and we matched them physically and showed them our fitness which was encouraging. We came knowing we can compete at this level. Obviously, there’s a bit of a gap in terms of technical quality and Guangzhou R&F are a few years in front of us in terms of being established. These are the kind of teams we are looking forward to competing with in the future and if we keep working hard, we definitely can compete,” said Westwood.
@namewtheld It is really sad to see the media only interested about the off field glamour blitz by ISL than a sincere effort like this tour which is an encouragement for Indian football
But we should call a spade, a spade when we see it - It is easy to get sponsorship, media space & packed stadiums with big name owners & big players but it's difficult to EARN the same! BengaluruFC is done that in style, and also would like to laud the efforts of LajongFC, respect! Things are changing in Bangalore, a legacy is slowly starting, Like my 8 yr old nephew wants to attend all home games of BengaluruFC next season, My female friends want to go cheer BengaluruFC, Some random guy I borrowed a smoke from in a pub recently during Arsenal-Chelsea game became a friend discussing BengaluruFC! So people are talking sans the media blitz. When passion speaks louder than money! it is a rare occasion!
Sure enough. BFC had opened up new avenues for I-League after half-hearted but appreciable efforts from Pune FC almost failed to build a fan base. Many more such franchise based teams could have been rolled out subsequently but ISL stole the pie.
But the efforts are not in vain! Between all this ISL hungama, 3 parties came forward for to bid for a new I-League team even after stringent club regulations of AIFF due to which Churchill Brothers & Mommedean Sporting are relegated. One team was finalized with Kalyani group Pune as owner
So we meet defending champs Mohammedan Sporting in the Group C of DurandCup 2014. Heard the Indian Army is going all out to make this tournament the best ever since it has shifted out it's traditional home Delhi. Anyone interested to go support Namma team? I am thinking of making some travel plans
Kudos to you @forzaBengaluru for travelling all the way to watch your team in Durand Cup. Also kudos to Bengaluru Fc for unearthing such fans of Indian football. I hope you have a great tie there dude!
@namewthheld Thanks so much! Definetly Kudos to BengaluruFC & JSW sports! But more than me it's the guys frm WestBlock A stand who actually deserve the compliments for supporting the team from it's birth. Also, there is a stand which has stood by the club in numbers! Neverever disappointed for a single home game but it was never mentioned - The South stand. I personally know guys who can easily afford to buy season passes for WestBlock A stand but instead choose to sit in the South stand only because they feel, it is where the pulse of Bangalore football lies!
Comments
Bengaluru FC ended their pre-season tour of China with a 3-0 defeat to Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F at the Guangzhou University Sports Complex, in Guangzhou, on Thursday. The Sven-Goran Eriksson-coached team went into half time with a 2-0 lead and put the friendly beyond doubt with a late third.
Bengaluru came close on two occasions within a matter of minutes in the second half but Sean Rooney struck straight at the ’keeper just before CK Vineeth’s volley from an Udanta Kumam cross, came off the post.
Just like in the game against Eastern AA, Bengaluru conceded early when striker Zhang Shao turned in the box to shoot R&F into a 4th minute lead. Ashley Westwood was forced to make an early substitution when midfielder Josh Walker had to be pulled off after landing awkwardly on his shoulder, making way for Darren Caldeira.
The hosts went 2-0 up in the 29th minute after Guangzhou’s Zhang Yuan made most of a weak back pass, rounding ’keeper Pawan Kumar before finishing from an angle. Bengaluru FC did manage to ask the R&F defense a few questions and Eugeneson Lyngdoh’s strike from 20 yards missed the target by just a little.
Bengaluru FC stepped up their game in the second half where Westwood threw in Vineeth for Beikhokhei Beingaichho on the left. The pace on the flanks with Udanta on the right, saw Bengaluru keep the R&F defence alert.
However, Zhang Chenlong finished matters, calmly finishing after being put through from the midfield.
The big positive for Bengaluru was Westwood’s boys being up to the task on the physical front. The Blues’ game even drew praise from the R&F manager. “Though it was a friendly, it was a game with high intensity and that’s always good to see. I feel Bengaluru FC came strongly at us and were physically very good. It was a game we enjoyed being part of,” said Eriksson.
Westwood said the trip was a good exercise for his team who will be vying for an AFC Champions League spot this season. “The aim of the trip was to test ourselves in Asia as we have aspirations of qualifying for the AFC Champions League. Guangzhou R&F are chasing current AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande, in the Chinese Super League so the competition we faced doesn’t get much harder,” he said.
The gaffer was pleased with the fight his side showed in the game against a technically superior side. “We competed hard and we matched them physically and showed them our fitness which was encouraging. We came knowing we can compete at this level. Obviously, there’s a bit of a gap in terms of technical quality and Guangzhou R&F are a few years in front of us in terms of being established. These are the kind of teams we are looking forward to competing with in the future and if we keep working hard, we definitely can compete,” said Westwood.