Surprisingly, Neroca has scored least number of goals (19) in 17 matches, and I think, looking at the current circumstances and the context of all the 3 matches to be played, they are inches ahead than the others in terms of winning the trophy.
In this day and age when all of us can see Leo Messi score his 600th goal as he scores it, and Mohamad Salah brings Champions League football to the Premier League, the I-League is like those underwater love scenes in The Shape of Water — without the beauty of Guillermo’s de Toro’s astounding imagination. I get it.
Not everything can be judged by the hormonal authenticity of fans and club loyalty. If that was the case, we would all be rooting for our neighbourhood or city ‘franchises’, rather than having a genuine love for a club or side that has no visible connection to us except for the way they play football. And other intangibles, including how a player in the side may look or behave, how cool the ‘franchise’s’ merchandise is, how good a brand it is. I get it.
Going by the general standard of football in the I-League, one would have no reason — other than archaic and regressive tribal non-footballing reasons — to follow the tournament.
Even the telecast of I-League matches, especially when compared to its posh cousin, the Indian Super League, comes across like a school skit version of Les Misérables, with an emphasis on misérables. I get that too.
But even after all that getting, the I-League has proved to be the ‘epic’ tournament of choice this season for some of us who have figured out that gorging on phuchka and having a cordon bleu meal are not an either/or choice that would corrupt the latter – or, for that matter, ‘lift’ the pure viewing pleasure of the former.
However, for those already in the creek, or willing to take a leap of faith into it — without making the grave mistake of comparing Minerva Punjab FC’s play to Manchester City FC’s, comparing a Bayern counterattack to a Bagan attack — there are genuine pleasures to be had in watching the I-League.
Sure, a crappy tournament can also be tight. I have seen far too many hyper-local football matches in the past with 8-7 scorelines and 7-8 return match scorelines. But this season’s I-League stakes are not only tighter than an item-number choli, but the tournament has also shown flashes of fab football. The Mohun Bagan-East Bengal derby on January 21, for example, saw the former unfurl one of the best football shows I’ve seen this season — on any pitch.
Sure, for those not literally having their dog in the race and putting their pug noses up to the cur of a show here, it can all seem an anthropological curio — for the most part, slow, scrappy, listless football seen from cameras that may have been hired from 1950s NASA looking for asteroids.
But this season’s I-League, open as a saloon door after it has been blown apart by The Ugly (since both The Good and The Bad play in greener pastures), has title contenders in a Mexican shoot-out on Thursday. No matter whatever the language may be, that’s exciting sports.
League front-runners Minerva are a point ahead of NEROCA. And both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal a point behind NEROCA.
All clubs have one last game to play – all on Thursday — throwing up strange permutation-combinations that resemble string theory in lace.
For sceptics, all this may seem method-acting out more famous, qualitatively far superior football, the way gulli cricketers become Kohli or Mitchell Starc. But what it really is, is the same sport played in Nou Camp or Old Trafford or Signal Iduna Park. The spirit lifts the football that in turn lifts the spirit, even if it’s to the second floor balcony.
But the sheer excitement — something that eludes the brandmakers and qualitykeepers – is the same as that in a genuinely superb La Liga or Serie A game. It just happens to be made and showered closer to our own image. Which is why on Thursday — despite the ‘How do watch the awful quality that is Indian football?’ — I shall be glued to two television sets, since the games are being played simultaneously at unsexy 3 pm. I will be watching four clubs fight for supremacy — and two trying to scupper them getting the title — out of which only one is my team, with equal fervour.
Ok, who am I kidding. With extra Suarezflavoured fervour for my dog in the race.
As per Sunondo Dhar ...I league trophy will remain at aiff hq and will be handed over later to whichever team wins the trophy...so fake trophy cost saved
Sunando Dhar strikes me as a very consistent character...whenever there is any controversy, the reports say that he was not available for comment/he could not be contacted over phone or mail...he has given a whole new meaning to the term CEO...CHIEF EVASIVE OFFICER
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Why this thursday at the I-League is a must-watch
In this day and age when all of us can see Leo Messi score his 600th goal as he scores it, and Mohamad Salah brings Champions League football to the Premier League, the I-League is like those underwater love scenes in The Shape of Water — without the beauty of Guillermo’s de Toro’s astounding imagination. I get it.
Not everything can be judged by the hormonal authenticity of fans and club loyalty. If that was the case, we would all be rooting for our neighbourhood or city ‘franchises’, rather than having a genuine love for a club or side that has no visible connection to us except for the way they play football. And other intangibles, including how a player in the side may look or behave, how cool the ‘franchise’s’ merchandise is, how good a brand it is. I get it.
Going by the general standard of football in the I-League, one would have no reason — other than archaic and regressive tribal non-footballing reasons — to follow the tournament.
Even the telecast of I-League matches, especially when compared to its posh cousin, the Indian Super League, comes across like a school skit version of Les Misérables, with an emphasis on misérables. I get that too.
But even after all that getting, the I-League has proved to be the ‘epic’ tournament of choice this season for some of us who have figured out that gorging on phuchka and having a cordon bleu meal are not an either/or choice that would corrupt the latter – or, for that matter, ‘lift’ the pure viewing pleasure of the former.
However, for those already in the creek, or willing to take a leap of faith into it — without making the grave mistake of comparing Minerva Punjab FC’s play to Manchester City FC’s, comparing a Bayern counterattack to a Bagan attack — there are genuine pleasures to be had in watching the I-League.
Sure, a crappy tournament can also be tight. I have seen far too many hyper-local football matches in the past with 8-7 scorelines and 7-8 return match scorelines. But this season’s I-League stakes are not only tighter than an item-number choli, but the tournament has also shown flashes of fab football. The Mohun Bagan-East Bengal derby on January 21, for example, saw the former unfurl one of the best football shows I’ve seen this season — on any pitch.
Sure, for those not literally having their dog in the race and putting their pug noses up to the cur of a show here, it can all seem an anthropological curio — for the most part, slow, scrappy, listless football seen from cameras that may have been hired from 1950s NASA looking for asteroids.
But this season’s I-League, open as a saloon door after it has been blown apart by The Ugly (since both The Good and The Bad play in greener pastures), has title contenders in a Mexican shoot-out on Thursday. No matter whatever the language may be, that’s exciting sports.
League front-runners Minerva are a point ahead of NEROCA. And both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal a point behind NEROCA.
All clubs have one last game to play – all on Thursday — throwing up strange permutation-combinations that resemble string theory in lace.
For sceptics, all this may seem method-acting out more famous, qualitatively far superior football, the way gulli cricketers become Kohli or Mitchell Starc. But what it really is, is the same sport played in Nou Camp or Old Trafford or Signal Iduna Park. The spirit lifts the football that in turn lifts the spirit, even if it’s to the second floor balcony.
But the sheer excitement — something that eludes the brandmakers and qualitykeepers – is the same as that in a genuinely superb La Liga or Serie A game. It just happens to be made and showered closer to our own image. Which is why on Thursday — despite the ‘How do watch the awful quality that is Indian football?’ — I shall be glued to two television sets, since the games are being played simultaneously at unsexy 3 pm. I will be watching four clubs fight for supremacy — and two trying to scupper them getting the title — out of which only one is my team, with equal fervour.
Ok, who am I kidding. With extra Suarezflavoured fervour for my dog in the race.
CHENNAI:As if all the on-field drama wasn’t enough for the I-League, the final days of the season are set to be plagued in off-field controversy. Leaders Minerva Punjab FC have written a letter to the All India Football Federation making a string of accusations against East Bengal, who can win the title on Thursday if results go their way. An East Bengal official said without evidence, such allegations should not be made.
The accusations levelled by Minerva concern last week’s game between them and Chennai City FC which they lost.
The charges are three-pronged. The first two claim that EB official Alvito D’Cunha called up CCFC’s coach V Soundararajan, team officials and players. Minerva alleged that D’Cunha promised `10 lakh to Soundararajan, if they were to beat Minerva and help EB secure title. It was also alleged that D’Cunha called up CCFC’s manager and players, accusing them of trying to fix the match in Minerva’s favour.
The third allegation is that EB’s goalkeeping coach Abdul Azim Siddique called up Minerva’s head coach Khogen Singh in a bid to unsettle him before the match. According to the letter, Khogen was allegedly told that “Minerva has already hired Santosh Kashyap for next season and he has no future in Minerva, but he may have a future in East Bengal next season if he plays his cards right.”
The first allegation regarding Soundararajan is unusual, for fixing approaches usually involve people being offered money to lose a match. Soundararajan could not be reached for comment. But Express has been able to verify that CCFC officials did receive calls from a person claiming to be D’Cunha. According to a recording of the conversation, the caller first asks the CCFC official if they were planning to throw the match in Minerva’s favour. Upon being reproached, he then asks for team information, including ‘if Chennai City’s foreign goalkeeper was fit and was playing’.
Express has also verified that at least one CCFC player received a call from someone purporting to be an EB official, the day before the match. However, the player does not remember the name of the official.
An East Bengal official rejected the accusations. “Minerva’s owner Ranjit Bajaj is known for making baseless allegations,” the official said. “If these charges are proved, then appropriate action will be taken against those concerned.”I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said he had not yet seen the mail from Minerva as he had been travelling.
guess we can all call SC before each match to get them prepped up.