In the final league game of Premier futsal bottom placed Kerala cobras faced off against Chennai Singhams who were second last. Bothe sides were yet to pick a point and it was Chennai who edged Kerala to win 5-4. In the second game Telugu Tigers edged out Bengaluru to finish on top 2 of the league

Delhi and Telugu will now head to Dubai while the rest four will play another mini-league amongst themselves for a claim in the other two semi-final spots. Points carried up until now will not be considered any more as a result, Bengaluru who gained 10 points so far will have to start alongside Kerala, yet to open their account.

In the Kerala vs Chennai game, it was Kerala that took the early goal through Pan Chi’s goal however Hernan Crespo quickly equalised. The game switched tides every now and then with Mohammad Aslam, Raphael and Toni Phi scoring for Kerala while Fredson, Unes and Maico with his brace winning it for Chennai Singhams.

Also Read: Boys are determined to take the fight to Iraq, Says Bibiano Fernandes

In the other close encounter of the day, Bengaluru Royals and Telugu Tigers faced off against each other for a direct spot in the final. A loss would mean the losing team would have to play another Mini group games for the other two semi-final spot.

After a cagey start, Telugu raced to a 2-0 lead courtesy strike from Anupam Vishwakarma and Luis Goncalves. However Bengaluru came back with a flurry of attacks earning two gaols themselves both scored by the in-form Jonathan Silva. However later in the final Quarter, chennai’s long range powerfull strike deflected off King towards his own net as Bengaluru conceded the lead. Telugu eventually held on to their lead to finish off in the second spot and with a direct ticket to dubai. Bengaluru on the other end will now face Mumbai Warriors, Kerala Cobras and Chennai Singhams for the other two Semi-final spot

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PTI Photo by Santosh Hirlekar

Kerala Cobra’s losing streak continues with a fourth consecutive defeat, after losing 4-6 to Delhi Dragons. In other game, Ryan Giggs led Mumbai Warriors succumbed to another loss with a 3-5 defeat to Telugu Tigers.

Riding on Henrique Catarino’s brilliant hattrick and Ronaldinho’s touch of class Delhi Dragon beat a spirited Kerala 6-4. The game began with Kerala taking an unexpected lead when Rolon conceded an own goal. However Delhi came back strong with a flurry of attacks. Ismail Hamdaoui and Henrique Catarino opened the scoring and despite Kerala coming back strong through goals from Salgado, Ron and Daniel. Ronaldinho struck a late brace to finish off the game.

Also Read: Mumbai Football attracts FCV International Football Academy

In the other match, Mumbai warriors faced Telugu Tigers. Peerapat and Anupam opened the scoring for Telugu in the first quarter to take them to a quick 2-0 lead. However Mumbai came back quick in the 2^nd quarter to make it 2-1 through Rico’s goal. In the third quarter, Mauro canal struck the third one for Telugu to make it 3-1. Just when it looked all over, Mumbai came back strong early in the final quarter; Goncalves and Ryan Giggs goal put them on level terms. However Peerapat and Anupam came back with late goals to complete their braces and the game at 5-3 score line in favour of Telugu

With this win Telugu jumped to number 2 spot with 9 points just behind the unbeaten Delhi (10 Points) while Bengaluru came down to third spot with seven points, both with a game in hand against Delhi. At the other end, defending champions Mumbai are at the fourth spot while last year’s runners-up Kerala Cobras are at the bottom of table, yet to open a account in points table.

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The second day of Bengaluru schedule saw a thriller of a game between host Bengaluru and Delhi Dragons; in the end the top two teams of this season so far remained unbeaten with a 5-5 draw. In the other game, Mumbai defeat Chennai 5-3 to remain in top four.

In the opening game of the day, Mumbai looked to repeat their poor run from the 2-6 disastrous loss against Bengaluru the other day when Chennai scored within 30 seconds of the game through Crespo. However Carlos Goncalves quick braces pulled things back for Mumbai as they took the lead. In the middle of second quarter, Maico pulled Chennai back in level only for Francini to put Mumbai back in lead a minute later.

Mumbai doubled the lead when Giggs volleyed a thunderous strike into the net. Soon Defender Douglas Ferreira reduced the deficit but Rico restored the two goal advantage to win the finish the game at 5-3 for Mumbai.

In the other high profile game, host Bengaluru faced a Ronaldinho led Delhi Dragons. However after a slow start Bengaluru seemed to run away with the game with a 4-0 lead at the start of third quarter with Jonathan Silva and Petterson completing braces. However Ronaldinho pulled one back to make it 4-1.

In the final quarter, Delhi came out with a fix strategy to sub roll-in keeper every time they gain possession. Soon Jonathan completed his hat-trick to make it 5-1 capitalising on the empty net. However Delhi rallied back in the final to bring the score back on level terms with Ronaldinho scoring a hat-trick and Roll-in Keeper Nicolos scoring the equaliser.

Also Read: Premier Futsal: Bengaluru crush Mumbai, Kerala lose third on trot

The game ended at 5-5 score line with Delhi and Bengaluru remaining at the top table unbeaten in the tournament.

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Manish Gavli Suspended

The MDFA has suspended Manish Gavli for one season as he had flouted the registration rules of the association; this decision was taken by the MDFA Disciplinary Committee at a recent meeting.

MDFA Hon. Secretary, Udayan Banerjee said, “Manish Gavli had represented a club which he was not registered with in the ongoing Third Division League. It was brought to the notice of the committee members that Gavli had registered to play for Sanpada FC in the Third Division league, but he went on and played for Chemburites SC, without getting the necessary permission or transfer clearance for Sanpada FC, which is against the rules.”

“The Disciplinary Committee took a serious view of the player violating the rules, and decided to suspend the player for one season with immediate effect,” Banerjee further said.

Gavli will not be allowed to participate in any football tournaments conducted by MDFA or any other events organized by affiliated clubs.

Refresher’s course for Refs on Saturday

The MDFA Referee Board will be conducting a Refresher Course for all affiliated referees on Saturday, 23^rd September, 2017. The course will be conducted in both theory and practical, from 1.00 pm onwards at the Cooperage ground.

All referees affiliated to the Board should attend the course in order to get acquainted with new changes in FIFA rules and also gain more practical experience. The referees will be guided by Walter Pereira, AFC Match Commissioner and Referee Association along with Dhanraj More, AIFF Match Commissioner and Head of Referee – WIFA.

Referees are requested to report at Cooperage by 12.30 pm. All referees will be provided latest copy of FIFA Laws of the Game (Rule) book.

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The Bengaluru leg of premier Futsal started with home team picking up a dominating 6-2 win over Season Champion Mumbai Warriors. In the other game Telugu Tigers edged out Kerala yo pick their first win. However with no shows from Giggs, Scholes, Deco or Salgado, fans were left disappointed.

Jonathan Silva opened the scoring for Bengaluru in the first quarter soon completing his brace six minutes earlier in the second quarter with a clinical back heel. Raj Kiran made it 3-0 as the Royals dominated the proceeding. But Mumbai soon struck back through Carlos Goncalves before Petterson made it 4-1 in final quater. With score at 4-1 Carlos scored his second to make it 4-2 as Mumbai looked to make a comeback similar to the one they did against Kerala

However Medeiros extended the lead to 5-2 late in the game before Grasso completed half a dozen goals to finish the game at 6-2.

The second again was a closer affair with four goals being exchanged in the first quarter itself. After Mai out Telugu tigers in front, with a first minute goal, Raphael levelled it for Kerala however in the same minute Raphael conceded an own goal to give back the lead. However Seconds before the first quarter whistle Tairong levelled it back for Kerala. However, after Mauro Canal struck a 14^th minute goal, both sides failed to break each other anymore as the game ended at 3-2 score line with Kerala losing their third game on trot.

In today’s game, Chennai Singham face off against Mumbai Warriors while Ronaldinho’s Delhi Dragons face host Paul Scholes’s Bengaluru Royals

Also Read: Mumbai Warriors end home schedule with an incredible comeback victory

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The last day of Mumbai schedule of Premier Futsal season 2 had everything from Ronaldinho’s magic in a game 1 to host Mumbai’s miraculous comeback in the final few moments’ of second game with local lad Chanpreet Singh Bhui scoring the final goal being icing on the cake.

The opening game saw Delhi Dragon face off against Chennai Singhams. Ronaldinho scored twice helping his team beat Hernan Crespo’s Chennai Singhams 4-2. Game started with Ronaldhinho continuing with his last game exploits with an opening minute goal, however Crespo levelled the score few minutes later for Chennai.

Angel Claudino’s 14th-minute strike sent Chennai ahead before 2^nd quarter ended, but two quick goals in late 3^rd quarter through Nicolas and Ronaldinho ensured the Dragons a way back into the game. An early goal in the fourth quarter by Diego sealed the deal for Delhi’s win as Chennai failed to hit back.

Also Read: Paul Scholes scores as Bengaluru Royals beat Kerala Cobras 4-0

In the other game, Mumbai came out as winner in an unlikeliest of positions that saw them scoring 4 goals in last six minutes after being trailing by two goals before that. Raphael was in amazing form for Kerala scoring a hat-trick however Mumbai’s late flurry couldn’t save Kerala from defeat. Heading in to the fourth quarter both sides were tied at 2-2 courtesy a goal each from Daniel (Own Goal) and Reco for Mumbai and Kerala having a brace from Raphael.

The fourth quarter started with end to end stuff and it was Kerala that capitalised courtesy an own goal from Vatsal and Raphael completing his hattrick to make 4-2. However with six minutes left Mumbai came out all guns blazing. Reco’s goal in 34^th minute started the turn around with an own goal from Salgado costing Kerala the equaliser three minutes later. With less than two minutes to go Tairong scored a goal to complete the comeback.

However it wasn’t the end, with less than 60 seconds to go, local lad Chanpreet Singh Bhui unleashed a powerful strike past Kerala keeper to finish off the game bringing back his famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration from the first season.

The game ended with Mumbai picking up a win moving to the fourth position in the table while Chennai and Kerala occupying the bottom positions in the table.

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Unlike the opening day encounter which kept fans on their edge of the seats till the final whistle, Day 2 witnessed quite lopsided contests. The first game of the day was between Bengaluru Royals and Kerala Cobras where the latter were completely outclassed 4-0 in a one-sided affair with their skipper and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes scoring one of the goals.

After an even goal less 1^st quarter, Bengaluru took the lead in the 13th minute, on a counter attack, Jonathan Da Silva netting the ball inside the goal post on a pass from his Indian name sake and teammate Jonathan piers. Despite Kerala’s attempt, Bengaluru defence did a good job as at the end of second quarter, Bengaluru Royals were 1-0 up.

Also Read: Premier Futsal season 2 begins with Ronaldinho Magic

After an even 3^rd quarter, Bengaluru still lead 1-0. But in the fourth and the final quarter, Bengaluru went all out scoring three goals. In the 32th minute, Grasso Renzo netted the ball into the left of the goal post to double the lead. With two minutes to go for the final whistle, Paul Scholes struck from almost another end to make it 3-0. Soon In the dying minutes of the game, Jonathan easily netted the ball to seal the team’s victory 4-0.

In the second game of the day, a brace from Gonzalez Luis helped Telugu Tigers defeat Chennai Singhams 3-1, Mauro Canal’s 10th minute strike being the other goal. Despite having 32 shots on goals, Chennai’s inefficiency in converting them to goals cost them dear. In the dying minutes of the match, Angel Claudino finally pulled one back for the Chennai team however it wasn’t enough as the game ended at 3-1 in favour of Telugu Tigers.

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Last year’s champions Mumbai Warrior started with a loss against Delhi Dragons after Ronaldinho magic turned to be a little too much to handle losing by a margin of one goal in a 4-3 score line. In an exciting affair, both sides started off cautiously for opening few minutes. It was Ronaldinho who started off the scoring in the first quarter sending the ball past a diving Chanpreet and Goalie. However Mumbai struck back just before the quarter break when Rico after a brilliant turn in the middle took a shot on goal that beat the keeper. The first quarter ended at 1-1 for both side

Soon after the 3 minute quarter break, the match began with Mumbai looking the better side with more number of attempts however lacking the efficiency. But it was Delhi that took the lead again when a shot on goal beat the keeper but blocked by Rico, however the rebound fell only as far as Ronaldinho who nudged the ball back in to the net to make it 2-1. The third quarter began with Delhi taking full control of the game. Ronaldinho completed his hattrick by tapping in the ball at far post to make it 3-1. And then few minutes later, the lead shot to 4-1 after another counter attack gave Delhi and Ronaldinho an opportunity to score.

Related: Mumbai Warriors SC defend their football identity again

Despite trailing by three goals, Mumbai came back strongly in the last quarter. After a slew of attacks Mumbai pulled one back when Giggs smart pass from outside beat everyone except for the outstretched legs of Francini, as the score read 4-2. With minutes left on the clock, Mumbai soon began piling on pressure and soon a foul from Delhi gave Giggs a chance to reduce the margin further. The former Manchester united legend made no mistake in dispatching the ball past the keeper to make it 4-3 and a nervous last few minutes. However Delhi held on till the final whistle as the game ended at 4-3 score line.

The opening game of the season 2 of Premier Futsal had everything from thrills, tricks, skills to goals from legends like Ronaldinho and Giggs.

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The Private Futsal League, which is in its second edition, will be telecasted on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 has six teams representing different city franchisees playing in an air-conditioned studio. The city-based team was named Mumbai Warriors in high glamour press conference in city recently and the football club had sent notices to stop the parties from using its brand name.

The parties opted for an-out-of-court settlement with Premier Futsal Management agreeing to not promote the trademark ‘Mumbai Warriors’ and change the team name from next season.

In December 2014, Multi Screen Media (MSM), Marinating Films and two others had used their name in Box Cricket League which was broadcasted on Sony TV and they too had face the heat and drop the name. Mumbai Warriors SC spokesperson Vaibhav Pawar said they came to know about the franchise name through social media platforms as the Mumbai Warriors were promoted widely and this would have detrimental to their brand.

Related Content: Premier Futsal: Tiger Shroff joins as co-owners and brand Ambassador of Mumbai Team

Mumbai Warriors SC is duly registered with Mumbai District Football Association and Western India Football Association (WIFA). They have a senior team, Under-19, Under-17 playing in MDFA Super, First and Third division respectively. While their U-15 and U-13 team plays in All India Football Federation’s Youth I-League.

“Our only aim was to protect the club’s identity and brand name and hence they made request to allow them for this season with a three second disclaimer ahead of the Mumbai Warriors match on the broadcasting channel,” said Pawar, who sent the notices through their lawyer Shailendra Singh.

According to executed agreement signed by Mumbai Warriors Soccer Club Pvt Ltd and Premier Futsal Management Pvt Ltd, “The party of the second part further in good faith undertakes to display a disclaimer of 3 seconds for each of the matches played by Mumbai Warriors, in 2017 season, at whatever time slot possible during the telecast as follows; Mumbai Warriors Soccer Club has no association of any nature whatsoever with Premier Futsal League or any of its partners / franchise thereof.”

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Mumbai 5s Chanpreet battles for the ball

The season 1 of Premier Futsal turned out to be a huge hit among the fans and so it is no wonder that the season 2 would be just getting grander and bigger. A 5-a-side indoor version of football, combined with the rules of basketball, water polo and handball and played on artificial flooring based court of the size 40mx20m for just 20 minutes a half, Futsal has managed to set India stand up and notice the game.

Season 1 of the premier futsal managed to rope in big marquee players like Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, Futsal legend Falcao, former Manchester united legend Ryan Giggs and few others. And while the rule suggest each playing team consists of three international Futsal players other than the one international marquee football player, one Indian Futsal player has to be in throughout the game.

Although the number of Indians is just one in the playing 5, there were few who managed to make immediate impacts, Players like Chanpreet Singh for Mumbai, Anupam for Kochi and the best of lot Jonathan piers from Bangalore. Despite Bangalore losing out in group stage itself, Jonathan piers still managed to make an impact scoring 3 goals for his team, highest among Indians in the tournament. He was rightly awarded the best Indian futsal player of the season.

Season 2 premier Futsal has started out with quite a buzz with the announcement of celebrity owners like Sunny Leone, Rana Daggubati, Arya, Tiger Shroff etc. while Football legends like Ronaldinho too are returning.

Season 2 begins tomorrow starting with the Mumbai leg after which teams will flow to Bangalore while the Semi-Finals and Final is to be held in Dubai. Mumbai 5s won the inaugural season beating Kochi to lift the trophy

Related: Premier Futsal: Tiger Shroff joins as co-owners and brand Ambassador of Mumbai Team

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