2016-2017 I-league- Round-11 turning the corner....
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Round 11 begins with the customary early kick- off at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium where surprise contenders AIZAWL FC take on the CHENNAI CITY FC ; only team that has managed to shut them out this season in the surprise 2nil win at Chennai almost a month back.
Khalid Jamils men come into this game buoyed by a typical gutsy win over a stuttering East Bengal and will be looking for all 3 points as they look to claim top above the more illustrious Kolkata clubs.
Chennai City FC have gone from bad to worse after the appointment of novice coach Soundarajan.
After the 4-1 hammering at home versus Lajong , it will be tough to see CCFC escaping Aizawl with even a point.
Prediction : 2-0 win for Aizawl FC
7pm BENGALURU FC vs EAST BENGAL
The match of the round will feature the 2 Big spenders of the season.
Defending Champions BFC have an unbeaten home record and wins over East Bengal in the last 2 meetings at Kanteerava. They should also be grateful for the return of John Johnson & Rino Anto; however this is where the good news ends.
East Bengal have an impressive record against BFC having beaten then 5 times in the last 8 meetings. That and the knowledge that a win here will knock BFC firmly out of the AFC Cup spots makes this a mouth watering clash.
All isn't well for the Kolkata club though, this is normally the time in the season when Trevor Morgan's teams falter and the in-fighting begins.
A defeat for BFC could signal the end of Albert Roca's brief attempt to impose a Spanish style on the Indian Champions. His form and tactics are reminiscent of his fellow Spaniard Oscar Bruzon in 2013-14 who flattered to deceive.
A victory for the Blues could kickstart their campaign as the next 2 games are expected to yield 6 points.
Prediction : 2-2 draw
SUNDAY GAMES:
Churchill Brothers vs DSK Shivajians
Derrick Pereira has had a chance to work with his team this past week and will surely tighten up the back line thay shipped in 5 goals against fellow basement boys Minerva FC last week.
He will have a point to prove against Dave Rodgers who "stole" his job from him last season with his undermining and snide remarks to the owner.
DSK were my dark horse at the start of the season , but the bizarre coaching behaviour of Dave Rodgers has left the player's perplexed . The constant change of formation & personnel has meant one never knows which DSK team we should expect.
Predictions: 2-2
MUMBAI FC vs. MINERVA
Santosh Kashyap has a fight to save his job , a win against the unpredictable MINERVA FC could see the Mumbai team leap frog to the safety of 6th place , should DSK falter.
However the Mumbai side has had trouble finding the back of the net. The leagues lowest scorers also have problems inside the camp. The reported "sacking" of 3 local player's will not help matter before this crucial game.
MINERVA on the other hand are playing kamikaze football which we had ironically seen from Kashyaps Wahingdoh team 2 seasons ago. The young player's have a point to prove as they look to showcase themselves for an ISL contract , but the defence has more problems than Ranjit Bajaj.
Predictions 1-1
Khalid Jamils men come into this game buoyed by a typical gutsy win over a stuttering East Bengal and will be looking for all 3 points as they look to claim top above the more illustrious Kolkata clubs.
Chennai City FC have gone from bad to worse after the appointment of novice coach Soundarajan.
After the 4-1 hammering at home versus Lajong , it will be tough to see CCFC escaping Aizawl with even a point.
Prediction : 2-0 win for Aizawl FC
7pm BENGALURU FC vs EAST BENGAL
The match of the round will feature the 2 Big spenders of the season.
Defending Champions BFC have an unbeaten home record and wins over East Bengal in the last 2 meetings at Kanteerava. They should also be grateful for the return of John Johnson & Rino Anto; however this is where the good news ends.
East Bengal have an impressive record against BFC having beaten then 5 times in the last 8 meetings. That and the knowledge that a win here will knock BFC firmly out of the AFC Cup spots makes this a mouth watering clash.
All isn't well for the Kolkata club though, this is normally the time in the season when Trevor Morgan's teams falter and the in-fighting begins.
A defeat for BFC could signal the end of Albert Roca's brief attempt to impose a Spanish style on the Indian Champions. His form and tactics are reminiscent of his fellow Spaniard Oscar Bruzon in 2013-14 who flattered to deceive.
A victory for the Blues could kickstart their campaign as the next 2 games are expected to yield 6 points.
Prediction : 2-2 draw
SUNDAY GAMES:
Churchill Brothers vs DSK Shivajians
Derrick Pereira has had a chance to work with his team this past week and will surely tighten up the back line thay shipped in 5 goals against fellow basement boys Minerva FC last week.
He will have a point to prove against Dave Rodgers who "stole" his job from him last season with his undermining and snide remarks to the owner.
DSK were my dark horse at the start of the season , but the bizarre coaching behaviour of Dave Rodgers has left the player's perplexed . The constant change of formation & personnel has meant one never knows which DSK team we should expect.
Predictions: 2-2
MUMBAI FC vs. MINERVA
Santosh Kashyap has a fight to save his job , a win against the unpredictable MINERVA FC could see the Mumbai team leap frog to the safety of 6th place , should DSK falter.
However the Mumbai side has had trouble finding the back of the net. The leagues lowest scorers also have problems inside the camp. The reported "sacking" of 3 local player's will not help matter before this crucial game.
MINERVA on the other hand are playing kamikaze football which we had ironically seen from Kashyaps Wahingdoh team 2 seasons ago. The young player's have a point to prove as they look to showcase themselves for an ISL contract , but the defence has more problems than Ranjit Bajaj.
Predictions 1-1
and 1 other.
Comments
I'll just say its 3 local boys for now
2 are quite surprising because they have played a lot !!