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Played
September 29, 2011 6:00 PM IST
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Referee: Santhosh Kumar
September 29, 2011 6:00 PM IST
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Referee: Santhosh Kumar
Federation Cup Final Preview: Salgaocar - East Bengal
It's the dream Federation Cup final as the top two from last season's I-League face-off in Kolkata on Thursday. Goal.com's Amoy Ghoshal previews the much awaited contest.
By Amoy Ghoshal
Competition: Federation Cup Final
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Kick-Off: Thursday, 29th September, 06:00 PM IST
(LIVE on DD Sports & News Time)
(LIVE on DD Sports & News Time)
First Final In 14 Years
I-League holders Salgaocar will be playing their first Federation Cup final in 14 years and the Goan outfit will be hoping for a similar outcome as the 1997 final, when they beat East Bengal 2-1 in Kolkata thanks to a golden goal from Bruno Coutinho. Salgaocar laboured their way to a narrow 1-0 win over a young and impressive Shillong Lajong side in the semi-final but will surely be a different team in the final as they have had much more time to prepare unlike the semi, when the Goan side could just have one training session in Kolkata after travelling all the way from Pune, where they played their three group matches.
The biggest positive for coach Karim Bencherifa will be the fact that his team came out on top against Lajong despite not being at their best. Such an attribute is generally found in successful teams and it is pretty clear that the I-League triumph last season and the addition of some experienced players in the summer, has made the Salgaocar squad a matured outfit. The three-time Federation Cup champions are yet to concede a goal in this tournament and don’t rely on individuals to get results. However their road to the final hasn’t been that difficult as compared to East Bengal and thus Thursday’s final will be their biggest test by far.
Salgaocar Are Aiming For Their First Fed Cup Triumph Since 1997
Salgaocar will be aware that last season’s I-Leaguer runners-up East Bengal will be eager for revenge in the Fed Cup and the red and gold brigade will also have the backing of their thousands of supporters. So it will also be a test of character and nerves for Bencherifa’s boys and therefore key players like Karanjit Singh, Luciano Sobrosa, Ryuji Sueoka, Rocus Lamare and Edeh Chidi will have to step up and give top performances. The Goan outfit is a much improved side than the team that lost 1-0 to East Bengal in Kolkata last December in the I-League and they can certainly prove the same by beating the Kolkata giants and become the first club since Mohun Bagan to win the Indian league and Fed Cup in the same calendar year.
Aiming For A Hat-Trick
Seven-time winners East Bengal are a win away from a hat-trick of Federation Cup titles for the very first time in their illustrious history. With this year’s final being held in Kolkata, it will be a fitting occasion for the red and gold brigade as their previous two triumphs came in Guwahati (2009) and Cuttack (2010). Trevor Morgan’s side had a tough ride to the final as they first had to beat Dempo 1-0 in their final group match to progress from the group of death into the last four. Then in the semi-final they had to come from behind to win 2-1 against Prayag United, who were reduced to nine men when the score was 1-1 in the second half.
The victories over Dempo and Prayag were overshadowed by the refereeing mistakes, all of which went in favour of East Bengal. However that will surely not affect Morgan’s side as they have managed to reach the final despite injury and suspension problems. The Kolkata giants got the better of Prayag despite the absence of key players like Robin Singh (suspension), Mehtab Hussain (injury) and Raju Gaikwad (injury). It once again showed the strength in depth that they have with coach Morgan even having the luxury of making six changes in the group match against Pune FC, which East Bengal won 2-1. With home advantage on their side, East Bengal will certainly be confident of winning the final and the return of key players like Mehtab and Robin will also boost their chances.
Can East Bengal Complete The Hat-Trick?
However the Kolkata club will have to produce a strong team performance to ensure the hat-trick. East Bengal have been guilty of being wasteful in the four matches that they have played so far and they can’t afford such slackness in the final third against a well-organized Salgaocar side. Coach Morgan will also remind his players about the last meeting between the two sides when East Bengal threw away a two-goal lead to hand the Goan side a key initiative in the title race. The failure to win last season’s I-League was painful for the players and fans of East Bengal and therefore Morgan’s boys would be determined to get over that pain completely by keeping the Fed Cup trophy in Kolkata for the sixth straight edition.
Player To Watch
Salgaocar – Edeh Chidi
Will Chidi Hurt East Bengal Again?
The Nigerian will have fond memories of his four goals in Mohun Bagan's historic 5-3 win over East Bengal back in 2009. Chidi would be aiming to score for the fourth straight game and guide Salgaocar to their fourth Federation Cup title.
East Bengal – Robin Singh
The Stage Is Set For Robin
This year’s Federation Cup has seen the revival of this talented 21-year-old, who has netted two key goals in East Bengal’s run to the final. Having had a good rest because of his absence in the semi-final due to suspension, Robin would be eager to make the headlines for the right reasons in the final.
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
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Salgaocar SC 2-1 East Bengal
- 21.62 %
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Salgaocar SC 0-2 East Bengal
- 16.22 %
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Salgaocar SC 1-2 East Bengal
- 14.87 %
| India - I-League (IND1) | 25-Mar-2012 | East Bengal 1 - Salgaocar SC 0 |
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| India - I-League (IND1) | 29-Dec-2011 | Salgaocar SC 4 - East Bengal 0 |
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| Federation Cup (INDF) | 29-Sep-2011 | Salgaocar SC 3 - East Bengal 1 |
|
| India - I-League (IND1) | 19-May-2011 | Salgaocar SC 3 - East Bengal 2 |
|
| India - I-League (IND1) | 22-Dec-2010 | East Bengal 1 - Salgaocar SC 0 |
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Salgaocar SC
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| 08-May-2012 | Neftchi 3 - Salgaocar SC 0 | AC |
| 04-May-2012 | Shillong Lajong FC 0 - Salgaocar SC 0 | IND1 |
| 29-Apr-2012 | Salgaocar SC 1 - Chirag United Club Kerala 0 | IND1 |
| 24-Apr-2012 | Salgaocar SC 3 - Al Arouba 1 | AC |
| 18-Apr-2012 | Pune FC 2 - Salgaocar SC 0 | IND1 |
East Bengal
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| 09-May-2012 | East Bengal 1 - Kazma 2 | AC |
| 05-May-2012 | Air India 0 - East Bengal 1 | IND1 |
| 30-Apr-2012 | East Bengal 3 - Sporting Clube de Goa 0 | IND1 |
| 25-Apr-2012 | Al Orouba 4 - East Bengal 1 | AC |
| 20-Apr-2012 | Dempo Sports Club 0 - East Bengal 0 | IND1 |
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- I-League 2011-12 Best Indian XI: Rocus, Clifford and Manandeep star in the team of the season
- I-League Scouting Report: Manish Bhargav - Mohun Bagan's next generation winger
- Alvito D'Cunha and Gouramangi Moirangthem attend English FA level 2 coaching licence course in Middlesbrough
- Goal.com I-League Special: The flop signings of the year
- East Bengal defender Nirmal Chettri set to sign for Mohun Bagan next month
| 1 | Karanjit Singh | Goalkeeper |
| 14 | Biswajit Saha | Midfielder |
| 20 | Luciano Sabrosa | Defender |
| 4 | I. Meitei | Defender |
| 2 | Jaspal Parmar | Defender |
| 25 | Rocus Lamare | Midfielder |
| 7 | Tomba Singh | Midfielder |
| 30 | Francis Fernandes | Midfielder |
| 15 | Ishfaq Ahmed | Striker |
| 28 | Elijah Obagbemiro Junior | Striker |
| 10 | Edeh Chidi | Striker |
| 11 | Ryuji Sueoka | Midfielder |
| 37 | Gilbert Olivera | Midfielder |
| 23 | Rahul Kumar | Midfielder |
| 24 | Sandip Nandy | Goalkeeper |
| 29 | Saumik Dey | Defender |
| 4 | Uga Okpara | Defender |
| 4 | Raju Gaikwad | Defender |
| 7 | Harmanjot Khabra | Defender |
| 8 | Thokchom Naoba Singh | Defender |
| 14 | Mehtab Hussain | Midfielder |
| 18 | Penn Ikechukwu Orji | Midfielder |
| 12 | Reisangmi Vashum | Midfielder |
| 15 | Alan Gow | Striker |
| 23 | Robin Singh | Striker |
| 22 | Sanju Pradhan | Midfielder |
| 20 | Tolgay Ozbey | Striker |
| 11 | KhanThang Paite | Midfielder |
1 
14 
20 
4 
2 
25 
7 
30 
15 
28 
10 
24 
29 
4 
4 
7 
8 
14 
18 
12 
15 
23 
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
H. Antchouet
Striker Churchill Brothers |
4 | 1 |
|
Edeh Chidi
Striker Salgaocar SC |
4 | 0 |
|
Alan Gow
Striker East Bengal |
3 | 2 |
|
Ogba Kalu Nnanna
Midfielder SC Goa |
2 | 1 |
|
Ryuji Sueoka
Midfielder Salgaocar SC |
2 | 1 |