Mumbai, 16 October 2014: Mumbai City FC would look to get their Hero Indian Super League campaign back on track on their home turf when they take on FC Pune City in their second game of the inaugural edition at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Saturday evening.

The team, co-owned by Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor and Chartered Accountant Bimal Parekh, did not get the desired result from their lung opener against Atletico de Kolkata on the first day of the inaugural edition of the tournament but there were many positives that the team could take from the encounter.

Mumbai City FC

Despite the absence of their marquee players Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden and Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, the team had 57 percent possession in the game and had more shots on goal that their opponents. The team management would be hoping to utilise the services of Ljungberg on their home turf.

The venue has been refurbished keeping in mind the requirements of the football fans and the opening match promises to be an unforgettable experience for the football lovers in the city.

It would be interesting to see what strategy coach Peter Reid adopts against a team that has shown that they can defend deep in their goal-less draw against Delhi Dynamos in the opening match.

The former Everton icon had played an attacking formation in Kolkata despite it being an away game and it is unlikely that Reid would be satisfied with anything but an aggressive approach from his players in their first home encounter.

The team would be without their injured skipper Syed Rahim Nabi, who injured his ankle in the opening game and has been ruled out for at least three weeks. This means that former German international Manuel Friedrich would have to shoulder the responsibility of guiding the Indian players and ensure that they play the perfect support cast to the likes of new signing Andre Moritz.

With the style of play the team has adopted in the competition, the role of custodian Subrata Pal would once again be critical for the team. The first choice stopper of the Indian team for a few years now, Pal showed why he is considered the best in the country during the encounter against Atletico de Kolkata. It would be interesting to see how he manages the movement of the back four so that the team is not caught out on a counter on Saturday.

The post Match Preview: Mumbai City FC vs. FC Pune City on 18th October 2014 in Mumbai appeared first on Football Counter.

The Club will conduct ten AIFF and FIFA Approved Grassroots Training Certification workshops across the five zones reaching out to over 250 coaches during the course of the year. Coaches will also be counselled to understand their needs in terms of curriculum, equipment, grounds and any other needs that require to be met to ensure the sound development of football in Mumbai. These coaches will then bring students from their institutions to participate in Grassroots festivals, five of which will be conducted every month, one in each zone, making it a total of 50 festivals for the year.

The first workshop attended by 25 coaches was conducted at the Ryan International School in Sanpada on the 19th and 20th of October. This was followed by a Grassroots festival held at the Fr. Agnel’s Sports Complex, which also happens to be the Club’s training ground. The festival featured the Mumbai City FC team players interacting and training with over 550 kids from institutions nearby.

The Mumbai City FC Grassroots program is associated with the All India Football Federation and supported by the Mumbai District Football Association and the Western India Football Association.

1st Workshop :
Date – 19th & 20th Sept
Venue – Ryan International School, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai.
Time – 8am to 6 pm (Theory and practical)
No of Coaches : 25

1st Festival :
Date – 21st Sept
Venue – Fr.Agnel, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
Time – 3pm to 6pm
No of Children – 557
No of coaches – 25
No of Pitch Managers – 8
No of Development Officers – 5

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