This week, the I-League saw some competitive football as the battle to earn a better spot on the table continues. The events pick up from those of the previous week. Each team is fighting to avoid relegation but not all succeed in doing so. There have been close contested matches such as the one between Sudeva and RoundGlass; exciting ones such as Real Kashmir vs Sudeva Delhi FC where a total of 6 goals were scored; disappointing ones like Rajasthan United vs Aizawl and much more.
The matches had a little bit for everybody. Fans of the teams would either have had cause for rejoicing or for further misery based on the performance of their team during this crucial moment when this season is nearing its end. Read on to know how each team that had a match this past week fared.
Sudeva valiantly strived to secure a draw
The match saw two teams on the opposite ends of the table face off against each other. On Sunday 5th February, Sudeva FC and RoundGlass Punjab faced off against each other in Delhi. Despite a few close shaves none found the mark during the first half. Both teams mounted committed defences and attacked valiantly.
They had a close competition until the second half when the goals were scored. Luka Majcen was the first to score in the 79th minute. The ball slipped past the goalkeeper in an inch-perfect attempt. it was a great display of the abilities which led RoundGlass Punjab to them ranking second in the league table. The match went on into additional time where Sudeva managed to equalize the score.
NEROCA secures win on home turf
Imphal saw a meeting between the far east and the far south of India as Gokulam Kerala FC faced NEROCA in the latter’s home ground. A questionable situation occurred as play was not stopped despite the ball going out of bounds. They capitalized on the opportunity as Sweden Fernandes swiftly scored and emerged with a lead, which they held on to for the rest of the half.
Their second goal came in the second half as Mirjalol Kosimov scored a brilliant goal from outside the box. S. Kunniyil made a valiant attempt but his efforts fell short and Gokulam had to concede another goal. Gokulam quickly gets on the offensive and scores a goal as Aminou Boba, who slipped past the scrutiny of the defense, scores in the 77th minute. after that Sergio Mendi came close to equalising the score, but in the end, Gokulam was unable to and the match concluded with NEROCA winning on their home turf.
Sreenidhi Deccans holds on to position on the Table
Khuman Lumpak Stadium saw another clash between the East and the South as Tiddim Road Athletic Union(TRAU) and Sreenidhi Deccan met for the 91st match of the I-League. The match began with both teams trying not to give the other an edge and racked up a few fouls and cards early on. Asheer Akhtar converted a corner into a goal in the 37th minute. TRAU deflected it but it was in vain as the ball had crossed the line. Thus, Sreenidhi took the lead. TRAU midfielder Fernandinho came close to equalising as a powerful shot sped towards the goal only to hit the post.
In the second half, play resumed as usual with both sides playing as before. Their aggressiveness led to both sides incurring fouls and further cards. Sreenidhi came close to scoring a goal but they fumbled and missed their chance. Konsam Phalguni Singh doesn’t miss his chance when the match progresses into injury time. Sreenidhi sealed the fate of TRAU and they held on to their position as league toppers. TRAU’s Pritam Singh scores but by then it was too late to make a turnaround.
Churchill secure a close victory over Mohammedan
Churchill Brothers FC Goa and Mohammedan Sporting SC squared off against each other in Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan. Mohammedan began the match on the stronger foot but lack of finishing kept them from making a dent in the scoreboard. Churchill Brothers however saw an opportunity in the 42nd minute and capitalised on it as Sharif Mukhammad shot the ball and supporters of Mohammedan SC looked on helplessly as the ball arced over the goalkeeper and into the net.
The second half began with Churchill in the lead. Mohammedan SC came close to scoring but Faisal Ali’s run was brutally checked by Momo Cisse, who in the process got injured and was shown a red card and off the field. Soon after Sairuat Kima was sent off for a similar tackle. Mohammedan finally equalised the score in the 90th minute as Abiola Dauda showed no mercy for the goalkeeper’s error and took a shot at point-blank range.
However, as the match spilled over into injury time Abdoulaye Sane in a solo effort wove past the defence and took a powerful shot that sped past the keeper’s glove and into the welcoming net. This unforeseen goal prevented the draw everyone was anticipating. Mohammedan attempted to score from a corner set piece but their efforts were thwarted. The match concluded with the referee’s whistle. Churchill won 1-2.
Real Kashmir set the pitch on fire in the cold atmosphere
Kashmir welcomed Sudeva Delhi to its icy bosom in the Himalayas in their match against Real Kashmir. Real Kashmir scored the first goal as Lalnuntluanga redirects Yakubu’s cross into the goal. Samuel Kynshi takes a free kick and with the assistance of Richard Agyemang, the ball finds itself past the keeper and into the goal. Sudeva FC scores with Alexis Gomez converting a Freekick into a much-needed goal. The first half saw an exhilarating performance from both sides and a total of three goals were scored.
In the second half, Real Kashmir made a tactical error which led to a penalty being awarded to Sudeva. Shavkati did not let this opportunity go to waste and he found his mark, thus equalising the score. the match showed a significant improvement in Sudeva Delhi’s scoring ability. Sadly however it turned out to be the last hurrah for them as Real Kashmir scored two more goals in this half. The first goal came from a penalty as Richard scores a brace off a corner taken by Samuel Kynshi.
Ibrahim Nurudeen came close to scoring as he masterfully stole the ball from Sudeva’s defenders however his execution was lacking and left the opportunity go to waste much to the dismay of those watching. The final goal for the day came off the foot of Jestin George as he deflected a ball from the corner into the goal. The match ended with RKFC winning 4-2 against Sudeva Delhi.
An underwhelming win for NEROCA
NEROCA FC faced Mumbai Kenkre FC in the former’s home stadium similar to their last match. NEROCA dominated the majority of the first half with the most number of attempts coming from their foot but they lacked the finishing ability. Their scoring ability needs a lot of improvement which if present would have produced a lot more goals.
Jordan Fletcher managed to score a much-awaited goal in the 60th minute, an occurrence that should have taken place a long before. The rest of the match went uneventfully apart from when NEROCA was reduced to a 10-man squad due to Thokchom Singh incurring two yellow cards. Kenkre’s performance was nothing to write home about as they mounted a shoddy defence and couldn’t use turn the numerical disadvantage of NEROCA in their favour. NEROCA won 1-0 against Mumbai Kenkre FC.
The Streak of Losses continues for Rajasthan United
The match between Aizawl FC and Rajasthan United FC saw a return to the North East in the I-League. It must be noted that the former did not lose a match at home, while the latter entered the match with three consecutive losses to its name. things looked up for Rajasthan as they scored the first goal. Aidar Mambataliev scores off a brilliant long pass from Zokirov. Further attempts at scoring further goals were dealt with an iron hand by Aizawl which resulted in 3 of the 4 defenders receiving a yellow card.
in the second half, Aizawl gets on the offensive with them attempting to score in quick succession. Both sides came close on multiple occasions to adding a tally in their favour but luck and skill prevent them from doing so. Tharpuia comes as the deliverer for Aizawl as he manages to equalise the score with a header. The nail in the coffin for Rajasthan came in the 90+7 minute as Ivan Veras, the substitute, scored the decisive goal, ending the match 2-1 in Aizawl FC’s favour.
RoundGlass maintain league position with this win
Gokulam Kerala FC and RoundGlass Punjab FC faced each other in coastal Kozhikode. Gokulam seemed to have the upper hand for a long time due to them dominating the possession as well as trying multiple attempts to score. RoundGlass Punjab proved this perception wrong when they scored their first goal of the match.
In the second half, Luka Majcen scored the second goal in the 70th minute, giving RoundGlass a 2-goal lead over Gokulam. Gokulam FC retaliates soon after and their goal is an example of excellent teamwork in this season of the I-League. Each team made further attempts at scoring but none were successful and the match ended with RoundGlass winning another match explaining why they are the runners-up in the league table for the 2022-2023 season of the I-League.
Valiant effort by Churchill in Vain as TRAU steals victory
The match saw the I-League return to Imphal once again as TRAU met Churchill Brothers on the pitch. Churchill Brothers pressed on in their attempts to score and rarely gave TRAU an inch in the first half. Their repeated attempts were rewarded although not in the way they expected. Salam Ranjan Singh scored an own goal in his attempt to block a shot by Abdoulaye Sane.
Redemption came for TRAU in the second half as Billu Teli scored a goal in the 57th minute after coming off the bench. Kapil Hoble scored off a rebound in the 66th minute and Churchill Brothers pulled ahead by one goal. TRAU did not let rest Churchill rest on their laurels as they retorted by scoring a goal in the 67th minute with Komron Tursunov scoring off a rebound similar to the previous goal of the match. Komron Tursunov became one of the top scorers of this season of the I-league with this goal. Doom fell for Churchill as TRAU was awarded a penalty. Fernandinho did not squander this opportunity and gave no chance for the goalkeeper to react as the ball shot past him. further attempts were made but Churchill could not change their fate and lost 3-2 to TRAU.
Real Kashmir narrowly avoids losing to NEROCA
Back in Srinagar, Real Kashmir faces off against NEROCA. Richard Agyemang scores swiftly in the 10th minute, but Neroca isn’t far behind as they equalize it in the 13th minute through a penalty. The rest of the half has some close shaves but nothing decisive takes place.
Richard Agyemang incurs a few setbacks in this half. He receives a yellow card as well as scores an own-goal in an effort to defend against the oncoming attack. While it seemed that Real Kashmir was about to lose Lalnuntluanga scored a goal during the injury time and thus prevented a loss.
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