Jorge Pereyra Diaz (9’) gave KBFC the lead by scoring his third goal of the campaign prior to Sahal Abdul Samad (38’) doubling the advantage before halftime. Adrian Luna (79’) then scored his first goal of the season to put the result beyond any doubt in the second half.

Jorge Diaz sent his team into an early lead after a lofted through ball found the striker in ample space behind CFC’s backline. His right-footed shot towards the bottom left corner gave no chance to Vishal Kaith to make a save. Prabhsukhan Gill was called into action just before the half-hour mark who made a brilliant right-handed save to keep away a header from his own defender. Germanpreet Singh had a fabulous opportunity to score the equaliser just before the drinks break but his shot from roughly 12-yards out went wide to the shock of his teammates.

Sahal Abdul Samad then extended the lead by scoring from inside the box after a poor clearance from Kaith handed the ball to KBFC forwards in his own half. Sahal’s initial shot was blocked by Reagan Singh but the midfielder made no mistake with the rebound and calmly placed the ball in the back of the net. Vazquez then had the chance to score a third before halftime but he could not beat the goalkeeper from a one-on-one situation.

Salam Singh and Lukasz Gikiewicz were sent as halftime changes from Bozidar Bandovic to influence the game. Lalthathanga Khawlhring became the first player to get booked for a foul in the second half which was less eventful than the first. Despite sustained periods of pressure, CFC did not have a clear scoring opportunity until the second drinks break.

Post the resumption of the match, Adrian Luna opened his account with a powerful right-footed strike following a lack of communication amongst the CFC defenders. The Yellow Army remained in control of the match post the third goal and secured another three points with back-to-back 3-0 wins.

Kerala Blasters FC await the challenge of Jamshedpur FC in their next game at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Sunday. Chennaiyin FC on the other hand will get a week’s rest before their clash against Bengaluru FC at the same venue on Thursday.

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Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) today announced the schedule for the second half of the 2021-22 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season. The final 11 rounds will begin January 10, 2022 and will be played over a 55 day period as the teams fight it out for the end of season silverware.

This season’s Indian Super League has so far captivated the fans with high scoring games and high drama with many teams still being in contention to not only win the league but secure a   place in the top 4 to go on to reach the final.

Defending Champion Mumbai City FC is set to enter Christmas as league leaders, however, they are being pressured closely by Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC – two teams desperate for their first semi-finals appearance along with two-time winners Chennaiyin FC.

With only 8 points separating the bottom-placed team from the top four, clubs will have ample opportunities to change the outcome of their season. Come January, the transfer market opens should they wish to add more firepower in their ranks to mount a challenge for both the League Shield and the ISL trophy.

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The stage for Indian football’s oldest and grandest rivalry – the return leg of the Kolkata derby between ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal is set for Saturday, January 29 at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda. On the final night of the League phase, FC Goa welcomes Kerala Blasters FC at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday, March 5.

All 55 league games in the second half of the season are 7:30 PM kick-offs.

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Chennaiyin recorded a 2-1 victory over Odisha FC in their last outing and are currently sitting at fourth place in the points table with 11 points from six matches.

Kerala Blasters leapfrogged to fifth in the table with a marauding 3-0 win over league leaders Mumbai City FC, in one of their finest performances in recent times. The men in yellow have not lost a game since their opening day 4-2 defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan. Their five-match unbeaten streak is currently the joint highest unbeaten streak by a Hero ISL club, along with Hyderabad FC.

The foreign attackers signed by both Kerala and Chennaiyin were amongst the

goals in the teams’ respective wins in their previous games. Mirlan Murzaev scored Chennaiyin’s second goal against Odisha in what was an unstoppable strike from outside the box. This was his first goal for his new club. He had assisted Anirudh Thapa’s winner against NorthEast United in the club’s second game of the season.

Meanwhile, the club’s other foreign forward Lukasz Gikieiwicz had a penalty saved by Kamaljit Singh. He is yet to score for the club but has managed to provide an assist until now.

Kerala Blasters’ two foreign attackers Jorge Diaz and Alvaro Vazquez have been among the goals for their new club. Alvaro Vazquez has scored three goals, the highest among any Kerala Blasters player. Jorge Diaz has scored twice and provided one assist. Both the players have three goal contributions, the joint highest in the Blasters squad along with Adrian Luna (3 assists).

“They are a good team. We will be ready for this game. They won two days ago and played well. We are working with all the players physically, tactically and mentally of course.”

On Kerala’s potent attacking line, he said: “We need to have balance. We need to prepare as per opponents’ movements and style. They have good players like all other teams who have good players in different areas. We need to be tactically and physically better.”

Kerala head coach Ivan Vukomanovic lauded Chennaiyin’s safety-first approach, saying the best defence usually wins the league.

“We faced tomorrow’s opponents in pre-season. As coaches, we know each other for a long time. So looking from that side, there won’t be any surprises. We will try to explore certain things in order to win the game. They will be organized and play the way they want to. We will see a tight game tomorrow. There will be a lot of duels. The best team will win after a hard game,” said Vukomanovic.

On Chennaiyin’s robust defence, he added: “The defence will win you competitions, the attackers will win you games as they say in football. So it’s a good way to approach.”

Chennaiyin and Kerala have faced each other 16 times. Chennaiyin FC have 6 wins, Kerala Blasters have 3 wins and 7 games ended in draws.

—

ISL MEDIA TEAM

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Jamshedpur moved to the second spot on the table with 12 points but would rue their missed opportunity to close the gap on leaders Mumbai City. Bengaluru now have two draws in a row and their first clean sheet but languish at second-last with just 6 points.

Sunil Chhetri was named on the bench for the second game in a row. Jamshedpur were dealt a major blow even before the first whistle was blown. Lithuanian striker Nerijus Valskis pulled up with an injury during the pre-match warm up with Jordan Murray replacing him up top.

Udanta Singh had Jamshedpur in trouble early on. First, the India international failed to tap in from Ajith Kamaraj’s cross and then minutes later, he ran past the defence to square the ball into the box, only to be let down by his strikers, who failed to reach on time.

Brazilian midfielder Alex Lima had other plans at the opposite end. The Bengaluru defence failed to close down Lima as he swiveled past three men to take aim at goal. However, his attempt went wide.

Both goalkeepers were called into action multiple times in the first half. Hat-trick hero from last week, Greg Stewart crossed in a ball towards Murray but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu put in a critical clearance. Rehenesh TP’s effort was more spectacular. Ashique Kuruniyan spewed in a ball from the left perfectly for Cleiton Silva, whose header was parried off brilliantly.

The change of ends brought more drama for the neutral as both team were handicapped by their own profligacy. Greg Stewart and Lima continued to be the focal points of attack for the Men of Steel but it was effective defending that kept BFC out of trouble.

Prince Ibarra had just a couple of shots, that too off target but Cleiton, who looked promising was substituted off for Sunil Chhetri with quarter of an hour to go with Marco Pezzauioli looking for inspiration from the India captain.

Chhetri almost pulled off a blinding winner in the 83rd minute. Ashique whipped in a long freekick that was headed goalwards by Chhetri. A slight deflection off Alan Costa and the ball bounced off the crossbar, summing up the evening of some evenly contested football.

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#1 Joni Kauko, the Finnish star, join ATK Mohun Bagan- 

A big signing for ATK. Joni plays as a centre attacking midfielder, which can be a perfect replacement for Spaniard Javi Hernandez. Joni played for Esbjerg FB, a team that plays in the first division of the Danish League.

He represented the Finland national team in the recent UEFA Euros 2020 and confirmed his signing amid the ongoing competition. The 30-year-old can prove to be an essential player for the team ahead of their AFC Cup Group D campaign, kicking off in August.

#2 Sunil Chhetri extends his stay with Bengaluru FC until 2023- 

Everyone expected this to happen; as we all know, the 36-year-old Indian Captain and BFC have still a lot more to offer. Recently, Chettri scored a brace against Bangladesh in the World Cup Qualifiers and became the third top active goal scorer in international football, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Mabkhout. 

Chhetri first joined Bengaluru FC back in 2013. Since then, he has led the team to one ISL (2018-19) and I-League titles (2013). He has featured in eight seasons for BFC and has topped the goal-scoring charts in each season with the Blues.

#3 Bidyasagar Singh signs for Bengaluru FC- 

One of the hottest names in the Indian transfer market, Bidyasagar Singh, joins Bengaluru FC. The young 23-year-old striker was the top scorer in the I-League 2020-21 season for TRAU FC. 

The Manipuri striker had an exceptional season with TRAU last year, where he scored 12 goals in 15 appearances, which also includes two hat tricks!

There were many ISL teams in the race, but in the end, the Blues emerged as the clear front-runners.

#4 Stefan Ilic joins Mohammedan SC- 

The 26-year-old Serbian centre forward joins Mohammedan SC from OFC Bačka, who plays in the Serbian top division. 

Stefan has been a very impressive goal scorer who has gained interest from several clubs in India. He has also represented his national side in 2015 U-20 FIFA World Cup. His arrival can be a significant change for Mohammedan, as he can turn the games all by himself.

#5 FC Goa ropes in Nongdamba from Kerala Blasters- 

After an excellent campaign for FC Goa in the AFC Champions League, they are looking to boost their squad in every department to make their side better. They signed Nongdamba Naorem, a promising left-winger who can add a lot in the front for them. 

Last season he was on the verge of signing for ATK Mohun Bagan, but during his medicals, he was diagnosed with an ACL (anterior-cruciate-ligament) injury, which forced the Mariners to call off the deal. Naorem is always included in the list of most elite talents in India, and he will surely be a player to watch for in the next season!

#6 Rowllin Borges pens an extension with Mumbai City FC

One of the key players for reigning ISL Champions Mumbai City FC, Rowllin extends his stay with the team until 2024. The 28-year-old played a vital role in the champion squad, clinching both the ISL shield and championship.

He is a player who doesn’t have a regular name on score sheets, but his key passes help the team to set up goals. Last season, he scored twice and assisted once, but his 1124 passes in the entire season made the difference!

The next edition of the Indian Super League is expected to start on the 19th of November. This will be the eighth season of the ISL, where ATK Mohun Bagan, Chennaiyin, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC have won it in these years. It will surely be an exciting season to watch with all the new signings and rules announced by Football Sports Department Limited some days ago. The 2021-22 season will be the second edition of ISL under Covid bio bubble, and we expect it to be as successful as last season!

For Trial related updates: Latest trials updates in Mumbai Football

Also Read: FC Goa announce first feeder Club partnership

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Let us have a look at the all-time top goal scorers who left their mark in the ISL history:

#5 Roy Krishna-

 Arguably the best striker in ISL currently is none other than ATK Mohun Bagan’s Roy Krishna. The 33-year-old striker has scored 29 goals in just two season with the Mariners. He joined the team in the 2019/20 season and helped them to win the title, with his 15 goals in that season.

The Fijian international is not good at scoring only, and he also has 14 assists on his name in these two seasons.

#4 Marcelinho-

Brazilian forward Marcelinho is another well utilised asset for ATK Mohun Bagan. The 33-year-old has scored 33 goals with five different teams in ISL. Starting his journey with Delhi Dynamos in 2016, since then he has proved his mettle in the Indian soil.

After Delhi, Marcelinho played for FC Pune City, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC and then ATK Mohan Bagan. After the last year’s season, the Brazilian was roped in by Esporte Clube Taubaté in Brazil, but he has assured his interest in India and will be back next season.

#3 Bartholomew Ogbeche-

The third player on our list is the Nigerian striker, who makes the defenders suffer in every game! Since his ISL debut in the 2018/19 campaign, Ogbeche has scored 35 goals.

He began his journey with NorthEast United, then Kerala Blasters, where he became one of the fans favourites in the league, and then the current champions Mumbai City FC. He showed why he is one of the best in business by leading his team to their maiden ISL championship. The 36-year-old scored eight times and has three assists with Mumbai last season.

#2 Sunil Chettri-

 Just one goal behind the number on the list is the all-time top scorer for India, Sunil Chettri. The captain for the national side, as well as Bengaluru FC, has scored 47 goals with two teams, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

He is also the first Indian player to score a hat-trick and the only Indian player with two hat-tricks in ISL. Chettri’s record is commendable; there’s no stopping to him. He will most likely become the all-time top scorer in ISL in the coming season!

#1 Ferran Corominas-

 The most experienced player on our list today and the pride for Gaurs, Ferran Corominas, commonly known as only Coro. His 48 goals have helped him to be on the top of the list today. These 48 goals have come in only three seasons after he joined FC Goa in 2017.

The Spaniard left the Gaurs ahead of the 2020-21 season and went back to his country to join Atletico Baleares. He is a player of a different class, and no one can forget what he has achieved with and for FC Goa. The 38-year-old forward has 64 goal contributions (48 goals and 16 assists) in just 57 games!!!

For Trial related updates: Latest trials updates in Mumbai Football

Also Read: Spanish Legend David Villa set to advise an ISL Franchise

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A team known for their flair going forward, FC Goa has set the benchmark in terms of goals scored by a
team in a single season (43) thanks to Coro, who bagged himself 18, and thus creating a record for goals
scored by a player in a single season.

The second season saw the Gaurs move into the next gear. Not only had the team finished with the
highest number of goals, the best goal difference and the best home record, but also topped the league
in terms of clean sheets.

And Sergio Lobera has no doubts in stating as to where all the credit should go. “It’s the players who
have to be given the credit. They are the real stars and the ones who bring to life our style of play,”
stated Lobera in the post-match press conference following the last league game.

The FC Goa stars have truly delivered, again!

The message

Standing behind the team always has been a wall of orange. Goa’s love for football has yet again shone
through this season as the Fatorda Stadium has been packed to the rafters for most of the games.

Meanwhile, the away trips have also seen fans from across the state travel to cheer on their favourite
names.

Sergio Lobera has time and again stated the importance of the fans in the success of the team.

Talking about the fans ahead of the semi-finals, Sergio Lobera stated, “The only word I want to say to
the fans is ‘thank you.’ All the travels they undertake and trips they make; I know doesn’t come cheap.

But with them there, we never feel alone.

“This year, I think we have been able to give our supporters a lot many reasons to smile,” Lobera added.

“Now I have only one request to make to the fans. In the second leg of the semi-final, in the game we
play at home, I want it to be completely packed and full.

“I know fully well that the game is not on a weekend but on a weekday but I would still request our
supporters to make an effort to come to the stadium.”

The FC Goa style of play has found a soft corner not only in the hearts of fans around India but also
across the league with managers of other teams also appreciating the flair with which the Gaurs take to
the field.

John Gregory recently claimed the Gaurs to be favorites to win the title while Nelo Vingada came into
the Goa dressing following the win over Kerala Blasters to congratulate the team he feels “is the best I
have come up against”.

However, no longer wet behind the ear, the Gaurs as well as Sergio Lobera know that the playoffs are a
totally different ball game. But, with the fans behind the team, everything is possible.

About FC Goa
FC Goa is a professional football club based out of Goa that competes in the Indian Super League. The
club is one of the most consistently successful teams in the competition. The Gaurs have reached the
semis in two occasions and the final in 2015. FC Goa is currently the highest scoring side in league
history.

Co-owned by Mr Jaydev Mody, Mr Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Mr Ashish Kapadia, Mr Akshay Tandon and
MrViratKohli, the club has over the years produced talents such as Mandar Rao Desai, Princeton Rebello
and Manvir Singh who have represented India at various age levels as well as the senior team.

Also Read: Manzi praises Indian brigade ahead of title decider

Also Read: More from AIFF on the Real Kashmir-Minerva cancellation fiasco

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Arnaud “Séan” Garnier is a French freestyle football legend. He reached the pinnacle of the sport by winning the 2008 Red Bull Street Style World Finals in São Paulo, Brazil. He revolutionized freestyle football with his unique style. His football videos are an education in itself! Garnier (sponsored by Red Bull) also participated in the 2016 Premier Futsal League in India.

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Think of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) final in 2015 when Stiven Mendoza produced magical goals in the dying minutes of the match or the last clash between these two teams in Goa when nine goals were scored, including an incredible 95th-minute winner.

Those were the days when Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa couldn’t see eye to eye, particularly with Zico and Marco Materazzi in the dugouts. Things have changed now; new coaches and new teams, but fans would remain just as excited as the teams lock horns in their opening round encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, in the first clash on Sunday.

FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera was reminded about this simmering rivalry for the last three years but he instead chose to look at the future, rather than dwell on the past. “I think to compare two players is very difficult; to compare two coaches is even more difficult. To compare two different teams, with two different coaches, there is no comparison. I think the past is the past, the present is today and future is what will come,” Lobera said during the pre-match interaction with the media.

It’s better for both teams to look ahead. While FC Goa finished at the bottom last season, Chennaiyin FC finished seventh in the eight-team league. Chennaiyin FC now have John Gregory as their coach and the experienced coach remains confident that he can start another glorious chapter, starting with their home game against FC Goa. “You are expected to win home games. If you can pick up points when you are on the road and win home games, you always have a chance at the title. We will have a pragmatic approach to the season,” said Gregory.

Chennaiyin FC did well in pre-season, although the coach appeared worried that the international players didn’t have enough time to train with the team. India players like Jeje Lalpekhlua, Jerry Lalrinzuala and Germanpreet Singh were all part of the India starting eleven against Myanmar and may not be in the best shape for the opener.

“Jerry, Jeje, Germanpreet, they haven’t had rest and have been playing continuously,” said Gregory. While Jeje and Jerry are both expected to start, Germanpreet will sit out injured. For FC Goa, Spanish striker Adrian Colunga has not made the trip to Chennai.

Also Read: Bhaichung Bhutia offers training stint to Kashmiri youth Majid Khan

Also Read: An Academy for Goalkeepers

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