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Churchill Brothers Are The Best Club Of 2009
As the dawn of the New Year nears, Goal.com looks back and names the best club in Indian football...
29-Dec-2009 11:40:14 AM
The I-League, the Goa League, the IFA Shield, the Durand Cup
and it’s still not over...! They have ended the 2009 year by finishing on top
of the I-League table after a listless beginning and have reached the
semi-finals of the ongoing Federation Cup! Who else are we referring to other
than Churchill Brothers!
Such has been their dominance over the last year or so that, not many teams have been able to beat them at the top level. In fact in the year 2009, they have suffered two defeats with one coming in the rather inconsequential Super Cup.
The King of Good Times
The Goan side are the most feared side at the moment and no team except Mohun Bagan has even come close to matching their standards.
While much of the credit has been attributed to their talismanic skipper Odafa Okolie, it’s the whole bunch of boys at the club who have performed exceptionally well. That doesn’t lessen the contribution of Odafa but the suggestion that it’s a one man team is not only naive, but also takes away the positives from the other members in the team.
It’s like every part of the machine aids its better functioning. Even if a small screw is taken away from the system, it affects the working, which exactly points towards the well-oiled machine named Churchill Brothers.
In the 2007-08 season, the team missed out on the I-League title due to a poor goal difference as compared to Dempo but they came back strongly and strengthened the weaker aspects to win the title comprehensively in the end. In fact, they had scored 23 more goals than Mohun Bagan who finished second!
As Strong As Ever: Gouramangi Singh
Their defence has become a mean machine as they have conceded the least number of goals in the I-League this season. The entire backline of Churchill Brothers are part of the national set-up with Gouramangi Singh leading the pack. Rowilson Rodrigues has been the find of the year with Naoba Singh and Robert Lalthampuana known for their incessant runs in the opposition’s half. Arindam Bhattacharya has become a national hero with his SAFF Cup heroics.
The Nigerian Powerhouse: Kalu Nnanna
Chitra Singh and Kalu formed a strong partnership in the middle of the park until last season. Dan Ito and Nascimento Silveira have done an average job so far to fill in the vacant spot left by Chitra's departure to Salgaocar. Kalu is one of the most important players of the side as his work rate is second to none in the I-League.
On the wings, Khanthang Paite and Reisangmi Vashum can give any side a run for their money with their pace. The newcomers like Charan Rai and Lalrinfela are also adapting to the Churchill brand of football.
Break-dance: Odafa And Felix
The two strikers, who scored the maximum number of goals in the I-League last season were Odafa Okolie and his good friend, Felix Chimaokwu. Such has been Odafa’s brilliance that he can score out of nowhere which often stupefies his opponents. For large parts of the game, he looks uninvolved in the proceedings and the spectator would wonder whether he was the topscorer. But just when everyone is distracted, Odafa comes alive and pounces on an opportunity to lead his team to glory.
The only club against whom they would always falter was Dempo SC. This season, the club overturned their fortunes and managed to beat their fellow Goan club twice in the last three months or so.
Churchill Brothers are the most entertaining side in Indian football and there’s little doubt to it. The journey isn’t over as this team shall achieve greater things in the coming year...
Goal.com India
Do YOU Agree With Us? Are Churchill Brothers The Best Side In Indian Football Today?
Such has been their dominance over the last year or so that, not many teams have been able to beat them at the top level. In fact in the year 2009, they have suffered two defeats with one coming in the rather inconsequential Super Cup.
The King of Good Times
The Goan side are the most feared side at the moment and no team except Mohun Bagan has even come close to matching their standards.
While much of the credit has been attributed to their talismanic skipper Odafa Okolie, it’s the whole bunch of boys at the club who have performed exceptionally well. That doesn’t lessen the contribution of Odafa but the suggestion that it’s a one man team is not only naive, but also takes away the positives from the other members in the team.
It’s like every part of the machine aids its better functioning. Even if a small screw is taken away from the system, it affects the working, which exactly points towards the well-oiled machine named Churchill Brothers.
In the 2007-08 season, the team missed out on the I-League title due to a poor goal difference as compared to Dempo but they came back strongly and strengthened the weaker aspects to win the title comprehensively in the end. In fact, they had scored 23 more goals than Mohun Bagan who finished second!
As Strong As Ever: Gouramangi Singh
Their defence has become a mean machine as they have conceded the least number of goals in the I-League this season. The entire backline of Churchill Brothers are part of the national set-up with Gouramangi Singh leading the pack. Rowilson Rodrigues has been the find of the year with Naoba Singh and Robert Lalthampuana known for their incessant runs in the opposition’s half. Arindam Bhattacharya has become a national hero with his SAFF Cup heroics.
The Nigerian Powerhouse: Kalu Nnanna
Chitra Singh and Kalu formed a strong partnership in the middle of the park until last season. Dan Ito and Nascimento Silveira have done an average job so far to fill in the vacant spot left by Chitra's departure to Salgaocar. Kalu is one of the most important players of the side as his work rate is second to none in the I-League.
On the wings, Khanthang Paite and Reisangmi Vashum can give any side a run for their money with their pace. The newcomers like Charan Rai and Lalrinfela are also adapting to the Churchill brand of football.
Break-dance: Odafa And Felix
The two strikers, who scored the maximum number of goals in the I-League last season were Odafa Okolie and his good friend, Felix Chimaokwu. Such has been Odafa’s brilliance that he can score out of nowhere which often stupefies his opponents. For large parts of the game, he looks uninvolved in the proceedings and the spectator would wonder whether he was the topscorer. But just when everyone is distracted, Odafa comes alive and pounces on an opportunity to lead his team to glory.
The only club against whom they would always falter was Dempo SC. This season, the club overturned their fortunes and managed to beat their fellow Goan club twice in the last three months or so.
Churchill Brothers are the most entertaining side in Indian football and there’s little doubt to it. The journey isn’t over as this team shall achieve greater things in the coming year...
Goal.com India
Do YOU Agree With Us? Are Churchill Brothers The Best Side In Indian Football Today?
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