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2009 SAFF Cup: Close Look - The Four Semi Finalists
Four teams remain in the SAFF Cup, each having a good chance to become South Asian champions...
10-Dec-2009 11:53:01 PM
The SAFF Cup is now past the round robin stage, with four out of eight teams eliminated. The ones left to battle it out for the title of South Asian champions are hosts Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and defending champions Maldives. Both semi finals promise to be well-contested affairs, with traditional favourites India facing the home side, and Sri Lanka taking on an in-form Maldives.
Maldives
The champions didn't start this edition with a bang, as they drew 1-1 against Nepal, but they've come back strongly since, beating Afghanistan, and then triumphing convincingly over India to finish atop their group. While their defence has done reasonably well, the defending champions have been irresistible at times going forward.
The trio of Ali Ashfaq, Fazeel Ibrahim, and Ahmed Thoriq have been in fine fettle, all finding the back of the net, scoring five of Maldives' six goals so far. Their major strengths remain their fluidity in attack, with the size and presence their players possess being a crucial advantage. Having said that, they still don't look very comfortable if put on the backfoot, especially when attacked with pace, and we'll have to wait and see how they deal with a situation when they are. Overall, though, they still look best placed to win the tournament.
Sri Lanka
The Lankans have always been a talented bunch, and they've done reasonably well in this edition of the tournament as well. A win against a hard-to-beat Pakistan outfit, that too when playing with fewer men, showed that the team also posseses that edge about them, and can battle it out when needed. They went down narrowly to Bangladesh in their final group game, and will face Maldives in the semis.
Sri Lanka's strength is pace in attack. They play short passes in the middle and final third of the pitch, and have one of the finest strike pairs in the form of Jayasuriya and Channa, both of whom have been in good touch so far. But therein lies Lanka's problem, that they tend to rely a bit too much on certain individuals. In addition to the two strikers, Maduranga is their key man in midfield, and defender Hettiarachchi is their lynchpin at the back. Their game against Maldives will be a big test for them, one they are capable of passing.
Bangladesh
The hosts have put up a good show in their homeland thus far, doing as much as asked. They've topped their group, and now will be part of a mouth-watering clash with India in the semi finals. The support for the Tigers has been electrifying in their games, and the fans are bound to be in full voice when their side plays against its neighbouring nation's eleven.
Shahidur Rahman's men have banged in six goals in the tournament so far, for which the credit has to go to star striker Enamul Haque, who's accounted for four of those, becoming the top scorer of the tournament in the process. Their midfield is still slightly raw, and can be found out against India, but the Indians haven't been in the best of form, so the Tigers can ride on the vociferous home support to cause an upset.
India
It's important to make the point again and again that it isn't India, but an India U-23 team which is in Bangladesh, headed not by the national team coach, but the U-23 coach. Also, it's important to note that the team which lost to Maldives wasn't even India's strongest U-23 team. Five players were rested, as a semi final spot was already sealed.
If we can say one thing about the Indian side so far, it's that they've worked hard as a unit. They've fought it out when they needed to, with both their victories being scrappy, hard-fought affairs. Arindam has been a revelation between the posts, while Baldeep and Manish Maithani have impressed as well. The defence has been alright, but India's problem has been goals.
They've scored only two goals in three games so far, which is the least goals scored by any team in the tournament barring Afghanistan and Bhutan. Balwant Singh hasn't been in great form, and will miss the semi final due to suspension. Abranches and Sushil Kumar will return, and Jeje should get another opportunity to start, and impress the coach. Bangladesh will be tough, but if Sukhwinder Singh sorts out a few problems in the final third, this young side can go the distance.
Atishay Agarwal
Maldives
The champions didn't start this edition with a bang, as they drew 1-1 against Nepal, but they've come back strongly since, beating Afghanistan, and then triumphing convincingly over India to finish atop their group. While their defence has done reasonably well, the defending champions have been irresistible at times going forward.
The trio of Ali Ashfaq, Fazeel Ibrahim, and Ahmed Thoriq have been in fine fettle, all finding the back of the net, scoring five of Maldives' six goals so far. Their major strengths remain their fluidity in attack, with the size and presence their players possess being a crucial advantage. Having said that, they still don't look very comfortable if put on the backfoot, especially when attacked with pace, and we'll have to wait and see how they deal with a situation when they are. Overall, though, they still look best placed to win the tournament.
Sri Lanka
The Lankans have always been a talented bunch, and they've done reasonably well in this edition of the tournament as well. A win against a hard-to-beat Pakistan outfit, that too when playing with fewer men, showed that the team also posseses that edge about them, and can battle it out when needed. They went down narrowly to Bangladesh in their final group game, and will face Maldives in the semis.
Sri Lanka's strength is pace in attack. They play short passes in the middle and final third of the pitch, and have one of the finest strike pairs in the form of Jayasuriya and Channa, both of whom have been in good touch so far. But therein lies Lanka's problem, that they tend to rely a bit too much on certain individuals. In addition to the two strikers, Maduranga is their key man in midfield, and defender Hettiarachchi is their lynchpin at the back. Their game against Maldives will be a big test for them, one they are capable of passing.
Bangladesh
The hosts have put up a good show in their homeland thus far, doing as much as asked. They've topped their group, and now will be part of a mouth-watering clash with India in the semi finals. The support for the Tigers has been electrifying in their games, and the fans are bound to be in full voice when their side plays against its neighbouring nation's eleven.
Shahidur Rahman's men have banged in six goals in the tournament so far, for which the credit has to go to star striker Enamul Haque, who's accounted for four of those, becoming the top scorer of the tournament in the process. Their midfield is still slightly raw, and can be found out against India, but the Indians haven't been in the best of form, so the Tigers can ride on the vociferous home support to cause an upset.
India
It's important to make the point again and again that it isn't India, but an India U-23 team which is in Bangladesh, headed not by the national team coach, but the U-23 coach. Also, it's important to note that the team which lost to Maldives wasn't even India's strongest U-23 team. Five players were rested, as a semi final spot was already sealed.
If we can say one thing about the Indian side so far, it's that they've worked hard as a unit. They've fought it out when they needed to, with both their victories being scrappy, hard-fought affairs. Arindam has been a revelation between the posts, while Baldeep and Manish Maithani have impressed as well. The defence has been alright, but India's problem has been goals.
They've scored only two goals in three games so far, which is the least goals scored by any team in the tournament barring Afghanistan and Bhutan. Balwant Singh hasn't been in great form, and will miss the semi final due to suspension. Abranches and Sushil Kumar will return, and Jeje should get another opportunity to start, and impress the coach. Bangladesh will be tough, but if Sukhwinder Singh sorts out a few problems in the final third, this young side can go the distance.
Atishay Agarwal
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