On 5th November 2016, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Doha will hold the AFC Cup final between Bengaluru FC and Air Force Club Iraq. The Iraqi side progressed to the final overcoming a stubborn Al Ahed side from Lebanon to make their first final in their maiden tournament appearance.
Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, beat defending AFC Cup holders Johor Darul Takzim 4-2 on aggregate to progress to the final; the first time any Indian club has reached a final of an Asian competition.
Alberto Roca has overseen the Indian club’s history-making run to the final from the knockout stages of the competition, since taking over from previous Blues boss Ashley Westwood. Roca has continued Westwood’s development of young Indian footballers giving the likes of Nishu Kumar and Alwyn George valuable playing time in crucial encounters to further enhance their careers.
The youngsters have proudly delivered when given the opportunity and could be rewarded by the Spaniard head coach to make an appearance in the final.
Bengaluru will be without goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, who is suspended for the game. Roca will heavily rely on the talents of captain Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh to deliver the goods in the final.
We take a look at the possible starting XI Alberto Roca will field against Air Force Club Iraq.
Goalkeeper
Lalthuammawia Ralte
The 23-year-old Mizo-born Bengaluru FC goalkeeper, Lalthuammawia Ralte, will play the most important game of his professional career thus far in the final of AFC Cup against Air Force Club Iraq. The former Shillong Lajong goalkeeper has made three appearances in the tournament in the group stages under former Blues manager Ashley Westwood.
With Amrinder Singh suspended for the game in Doha, as a result of two yellow cards picked up in the previous round, Ralte will fill in for the first choice Blues keeper.
Ralte played in both the fixtures against Ayeyawadi in the group stage as well as against JDT in the group stage.
The keeper will be making his first and most important appearance for the Blues under head coach Alberto Roca and is confident of doing the job for his teammates, the manager, the club and his country.
Defenders
RB: Rino Anto
27-year-old right back Rino Anto has become a mainstay for Bengaluru in their back four and is one of the team’s most important players. Having made over 50 appearances for the club, the defender offers a threat going forward for the Indian side while solid at the back.
CB: John Johnson
The Englishman has been with the club since its inception back in 2013 and provides rock solid cover in the heart of the Blues defence. Strong aerial presence has led to John Johnson netting a lot of goals from set pieces giving Bengaluru another dimension from set plays. Johnson has started almost every game in the tournament and has developed a brilliant understanding with his other centre back partner, Juan Antonio.
CB: Juan Antonio
Spaniard Juan Antonio has replaced Curtis Osano in the heart of the defence for the Blues and has commanded the back the four to clean sheets in the quarter-final doubleheader against Tampines Rovers in the run up to the final of the competition. Like Johnson, Antonio is physically strong and quick, and notched his first goal for the club in the final minutes against JDT at the Kanteerava in the semi-final second leg.
LB: Nishu Kumar
The youngster has made four appearances in the tournament under Roca and has grown in confidence. The 20-year-old has performed brilliantly in the role in both the semi-finals and the quarter-finals for Roca and might be rewarded with an Asian Cup final start.
Midfielders
CDM: Cameron Watson
The Australian midfielder made his way to Bengaluru FC after signing with the club after the appointment of Alberto Roca. Having played every minute of every knockout game in the lead up to the finals, the composed presence of the Australian in the middle of the park as well as his role in intercepting balls and making tackles has kept Bengaluru ticking so far in the competition.
CM: Alvaro Rubio
The midfielder is another one brought in by Roca and certainly the most experienced of the lot. Rubio’s calming yet dynamic presence in central midfield is a vital aspect to the Blues remaining tight at the back and in midfield. A smart and canny operator the 37-year-old Rubio has played in La Liga earlier in his entire career and will be looking to bag home an honour to add to his illustrious career.
CM: Eugeneson Lyngdoh
The magician in midfield for Bengaluru over the past couple of season’s, Eugeneson Lyngdoh is the creative mastermind in the midfield for the Blues. His spectacular away goal at the Larkin Stadium in Malaysia against JDT proved to be pivotal in Bengaluru’s progress to final. He will again be a key player for Bengaluru and a link between midfield and attack. The midfielder has a sweet right foot and can be a weapon from set-pieces with his accurate deleveries
RM: Alwyn George
A recent find for Bengaluru FC, Alwyn George has played a major role on the right of the Bengaluru midfield acting as an inside winger and an extra man while being pressed. George will most likely start the game, having started for Bengaluru in the previous AFC Cup matches, but the manager Roca could bring Udanta Singh on the right, who can be deadly with his ferocious pace on the counter.
However, George’s composure and neat interplay, as well as his ability to produce the killer ball behind the opposition’s defence could be a factor in choosing him over Singh.
Forwards
LF: Sunil Chhetri
Captain fantastic Sunil Chhetri produced a spectacular goal in AFC Cup semi-final at the Kanteerava Stadium against JDT send Bengaluru FC to their first ever Asian Cup final. The Blues faithful were witness to the greatest moment in Indian football history as the club reached the final.
Chhetri scored two goals on the night and stepped up to the plate when it mattered the most.
However, the club and captain claim the job at hand is incomplete, as they look to finish the job in Doha and win the club’s first AFC Cup trophy.
CF: CK Vineeth
CK Vineeth has impressed in the previous rounds of the tournament and is sure to start in the final at Doha. The pace of the forward will cause a threat to the back four of the Iraqi side, just as it did to JDT and Tampines Rovers in the previous rounds of the competition.
Vineeth’s pressing and tackling from the front has won a lot of admirers, as well as his runs down the channels.
The Blues will line up in a formation that resembles something like this ahead of the biggest battle in their professional careers.
