We got a glimpse of all the new teams in Division 3 in GW 1, but how will they fare in the second round of games? GW 2 takes place on November 19 at FSV Arena, Bangalore.
8:00 AM – Engineers United v Decathlon FC
The opening game of the weekend has two evenly matched teams going up against each other in Engineers United and Decathlon FC. Both teams won last week and will be looking to build momentum.
Engineers seemed to enjoy playing on the ‘big pitch’ and we expect them to cover the full area while Decathlon will look to play out from midfield. We expect this to be a high-scoring game.
Players to watch
Abhishek Tambat (Engineers United)
Jilson Martin (Decathlon FC)
Crystal Ball: Engineers United (3) – (2) Decathlon FC
12:30 PM - Vipers FC v Bull Ring AFC
Vipers take on Bull Ring in the next game in Division 3. Vipers are coming off a massive win, where they scored 7 past Bangalore Kop while Bull Ring were on the wrong end of a battering from Jain University.
Vipers look like the dark horses for the title and if they have to remain in contention, they will need to accumulate the points from the early stages of the season. Bull Ring will be looking to put behind last week’s result but will need a coherent strategy on the pitch to avoid another assault.
Players to watch
Jeremy Noel (Vipers FC)
Nihal Kotian (Bull Ring AFC)
Crystal Ball: Vipers FC (3) – (1) Bull RIng AFC
3:30 PM – Jain University v Amigos FC
Jain University were rampant last week, scoring 11 goals, but they come up against a good side this week when they face Amigos. Even though they lost last week, Amigos are a good team that will develop through the season, as seen by their improvement from the friendlies to GW 1.
Although we expect Jain to win this one, it won’t be without a fight from their opponents. The result might be decided on how long Amigos can hold off Jain’s attacking prowess.
Players to watch
Naari PL (Jain University)
Dinesh Maran (Amigos FC)
Crystal Ball: Jain University (3) – (1) Amigos FC
5:00 PM – Phoenix FC v Joga Bonito
Next up, we have Phoenix taking on Joga Bonito in the 5PM kick-off. Last week Phoenix lost by a solitary goal to Engineers after they put in a spirited performance and will be looking to set things right this time around.
On the other hand, Joga Bonito lost by a big margin to BCFC but given the reputation of the team we expect more from them in the coming games. We expect this to be a low-scoring affair with a draw likely on the cards.
Players to watch
Saif B (Phoenix FC)
Mohammed I (Joga Bonito)
Crystal Ball: Phoenix FC (1) – (1) Joga Bonito
6:30 PM – Bangalore City FC v Oldmans Park
BCFC and Oldmans Park play each other under floodlights in the 6:30 PM kick off. BCFC were rampant last time around scoring 7 past Joga Bonito while Oldmans Park succumbed to Decathlon FC losing 5-0.
BCFC look like early contenders for the title and will be looking to attack from the get go as they build a solid base for their title challenge. Oldmans Park will have to revive memories from season 1 as they look to make an impact this this around, but we are not putting it out of their reach as they do they have depth in their squad.
Players to watch
Seye Kire (Bangalore City FC)
Amar M (Oldmans Park)
Crystal Ball: Bangalore City FC (3) – (0) Oldmans Park
7:45 PM – Sunday Boys v Bangalore Kop
The final game of the day features Sunday Boys and Bangalore Kop. Sunday Boys started their campaign off with a win over Amigos while Bangalore Kop were on the losing end of a 7-0 scoreline to Vipers.
Sunday Boys have aspirations of the title but they will need to get their head down and focus on the games week by week as they look to get promoted in their first attempt. Bangalore Kop showed glimpses of cohesion on the pitch in their loss and we expect them to grow as the season progresses.
Players to watch
Rui Gregorio (Sunday Boys)
Sachin L (Bangalore Kop)
Crystal Ball: Sunday Boys (2) – (0) Bangalore Kop
