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Sportskeeda continues the Federation Cup build-up by analysing Group B.
Fixtures (Venue: MDS Complex, Manjeri)
January 15: Bengaluru FC vs Sporting Clube; East Bengal vs Rangdajied United
January 18: Sporting Clube vs East Bengal; Rangdajied United vs Bengaluru FC
January 21: Sporting Clube vs Rangdajied United; East Bengal vs Bengaluru FC
Sporting Clube
The Flaming Oranje couldn’t have wished for a better 2013 as they had the second best winning percentage in the I-League and ended the year with four straight wins to remain very much in title contention much to the surprise of many. Sporting Clube’s young team play an attractive brand of football under Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon and several of their starlets look good for an inclusion in India’s Asian Games squad later this year. The challenge now is to show that same consistency and maintain the quality of performance starting from the Federation Cup, a tournament where the Goan club have finished runners-up twice but never won.
Key player: Ogba Kalu – The Nigerian has regained his best form this season with vital goals from midfield including the only hattrick of the Airtel I-League. Kalu has won several major honours in Indian football during his spells at Churchill Brothers and Dempo and now would be aiming to add the Federation Cup as well.
East Bengal
The defending champions have an incredible record in the Federation Cup in recent years as they have reached the final in five of the last six editions, winning it four times. The red-and-gold brigade have both history and form on their side as they picked up their first silverware of the season by winning a fourth straight Calcutta Football League (CFL) title. East Bengal have a huge fixture backlog in the I-League but their title challenge looks promising considering that ten of the remaining 13 games are in Kolkata. Armando Colaco will be expected to retain the trophy and build further momentum ahead of the second half of the season but skipper Mehtab Hossain will be unavailable due to injury.
Key player: Edeh Chidi – The Nigerian, who won the competition with Salgaocar in 2011, had a slow start to this campaign but has rediscovered his scoring touch recently. If East Bengal want to retain the crown, Chidi will have to be at his very best and also form a good understanding with South Sudan international striker James Moga.
Bengaluru FC
It has been a dream debut season for Bengaluru so far as just five months after their foundation the club find themselves being the surprise leaders of the I-League. Bengaluru have also won many admirers for their entertaining style of play and the impressive work they have done off the pitch. The JSW-owned club are hopeful of having some support in Manjeri also and they have the opportunity to land the club’s first silverware in what will be their debut Federation Cup appearance. Their form outside Bangalore hasn’t always been good though and that will be one of the challenges for Ashley Westwood’s side besides living up to the expectations of their growing fanbase.
Key player: Sunil Chhetri – The India captain ended 2013 in red hot form, scoring nine goals in as many games for club and country, and he would be looking for much of the same in 2014. Last year Sunil won his first-ever I-League title with Churchill Brothers and now he would be determined to lift the Federation Cup for the very first time.
Rangdajied United
After a difficult start, Rangdajied have managed to move out of the rock-bottom spot in the I-League table largely thanks to the five loan additions from IMG-Reliance. One of them though, Subrata Pal, has left for his Denmark stint and it would be interesting whether the likes of Shambhu Mistry and Surjay Pariyar can step up. Survival in the I-League remains the priority for the Shillong club so coach Santosh Kashyap will not be too concerned about how the team fares in this tournament. But the former Air India tactician would be hoping for fighting displays from his side and perhaps the odd upset, because heavy defeats will demoralise the morale of the young squad.
Key player: Gouramangi Singh – With Subrata off to Denmark, Gouramangi will have to extra responsibility in looking after the back four. The India defender has previously won the Federation Cup with Dempo and Mahindra United and thus his experience will be priceless for Rangdajied’s young outfit.
What to expect
This is possibly the group of the death as it comprises the I-League’s current top two – Bengaluru and Sporting Clube – and the title favourites East Bengal, who undoubtedly have the best squad in the country. On paper, Rangdajied are there to make up the numbers but their upset wins over Mohun Bagan and Pune this season suggests that they cannot be taken lightly. East Bengal seem best equipped to progress and keep their hopes alive of reaching a fifth straight final but Bengaluru’s freshness, because they have got a proper breather unlike the red-and-gold-brigade, could make a big difference.
