The Dark Horse Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Footfalls at Nehru Stadium have thinned. The stands are silent most time of the year. Movements on the football turf are restricted too. The ghostly ambience is a reflection of the sport as football craves for attention in the Capital. The Ambedkar Stadium is time and again ravaged by political outings and the Nehru Stadium is a grim reminder of the sluggish progress that football has made for many decades now. The Nehru Cup, starting on August 22, brings football action of some kind to the Nehru Stadium. Ambedkar Stadium would have been an ideal venue for this tournament. If Bob Houghton had continued as coach, we would have travelled to the Ambedkar Stadium in old Delhi. Instead, the event will now be staged at a swanky venue, even though the game, sadly, may not match the glossy conditions. Indian football faces a daunting task under new coach Wim Koevermans, the former Dutch international expected to work miracles. He is not singing any eulogies other than making basic encouraging observations. He knows his job and begins it with a stern test at the Nehru Cup. In a team game, it is rare for individuals to dominate and India clearly falls woefully short in this area. There is not an individual to step into the shoes of the redoubtable Baichung Bhutia. INEXPERIENCED India will be without now-retired Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence. Which means it will be without experience. It will also be without striker Jeje Lalpekhlua. Which means it will also be without its young powerhouse. The new coach brings new ideas and concepts and the trick lies in how quickly the team adapts and responds. The emphasis here is on untiring legs and possession football. Koevermans has rightly picked the highly rated Alwyn George and the promising Manandeep Singh. These two gifted forwards figure prominently in the coachÃÔ scheme of things and bring quality to the teamÃÔ campaign. Interesting times lie ahead for the coach and his pupils as India gingerly steps into a vital phase of its football renaissance. The SAFF Cup triumph late last year had stoked football passions but not to the extent that one can expect the tackling and interceptions of the Indians to counter those of the opposition. Cameroon and Syria bring a touch of mystique to their fare. Flair to attack gives Cameroon and Syria a highly commendable reputation and the Indians would be under intense pressure when up against them. An inch conceded could assume disastrous proportions. It is this ferocity in their ranks that make Cameroon and Syria worthy aspirants to the title. Nepal and Maldives are not really unknown forces. They can be lethal in their own way. They can be hugely unpredictable and donÃÕ just make up the numbers. Nepal and Maldives belong to this tournament and one can look forward to some exciting stuff from these two teams. All matches are to be played under lights with the hope that this might ensure an increase in footfalls at the Nehru Stadium. The schedule (Matches start at 7 p.m.): Aug 22: India v Syria; Aug 23: Maldives v Nepal; Aug 24: Syria v Cameroon; Aug 25: India v Maldives; Aug 26: Nepal v Cameroon; Aug 27: Maldives v Syria; Aug 28: India v Nepal; Aug 29: Cameroon v Maldives; Aug 30: Syria v Nepal; Aug 31: India v Cameroon; Sept 2: Final. http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/article3804693.ece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautifulGame Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Match just started.Live on Neo prime if anyone interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidhoni Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Chhetri scores just before the end of first half! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidhoni Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 http://www.goal.com/en-india/match/89418/india-vs-syria/play-by-play 7 minutes to go. India leads 1-0. :aha: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautifulGame Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 2-1 full time. TBF Syria looked the better team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidhoni Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 India wins 2-1!! :aha: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi B Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 lol how the feck did we win..great anway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jusarrived Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 All 3 Goals in the match . Indian Golas where pretty neat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crookbond Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 All 3 Goals in the match . Indian Golas where pretty neat Always! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir john Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Nehru cup Starting today. This time 59th ranked cameroon playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir john Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Today syria vs cameroon match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidhoni Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 There is already a thread for this. Mods plz merge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebbySB Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Maldives beat Nepal 2-1 & Syria holds Cameroon 2-2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebbySB Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 We'll face Maldives tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crookbond Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 India win 3-0 versus Maldives. Chettri scored 2 goals and 1 for Nabi. :aha: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebbySB Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Good play by the Indians.Good bit of passing football.Nabi is a pretty decent sideback actually,very impressed by him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jairamesh Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 :yay: top stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Horse Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Nepal wary of an in-form India VIJAY LOKAPALLY Nepal is wary of the vigorous force that India has emerged in its two matches of the Nehru Cup. Wins against Syria and Maldives have shown the home team in the best frame of mind to do justice to the coaching methods of Wim Koevermans. “We need to keep ourselves updated and be in tune with the trends in world football,” Koevermans insists. The players understand him well and are willing to adapt even if it means growing demands on their endurance. Maldives coach Istvan Urbanyi was right when he said, “This is a new India.” The style and attitude have changed. The onus is on attack, keeping possession and backing one another. It is best exemplified in the quick response to a challenge. Stronger side Nepal coach Krishna Thapa sums it up well, “This Indian side is stronger than the one that played the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu. There are several strong, young players in the side now. They look sharper. Upfront, (Sunil) Chhetri also looks more aggressive. The performance level is going up with every match. Against Maldives, India was too good. But that doesn’t mean Nepal can’t beat India.” India is taking it step by step as advocated by Koevermans. “There’s no point in thinking about future matches. We face Nepal in the next match and a win will take us to the final,” says Syed Rahim Nabi, who has had a fine tournament thus far. Chhetri is realistic of his role. “I just give my best, that’s my duty.” His mates share the responsibility and look at Nepal as a worthy opponent despite the latter’s dismal run so far. As Mehtab Hossain notes, “The Nepalese are very quick. They play short passes and build up fast. Against Maldives, though they lost, they fought really well.” Nepal will not be a pushover. The team has not clicked in any department. To win against India would be the motivation. A dry turf can produce a close contest. Rasheed is Maldives’ hero Meanwhile on Monday, in a match delayed by rain, Maldives beat Syria 2-1, which needed a win to stay in the hunt. Ali Ashfaq put Maldives ahead in the 59th minute before Alaa Alshbbli equalised with a reverse kick 21 minutes later. Ahmed Rasheed struck in injury time to swing the match Maldives's way. Syria now has two points with a match in hand and Maldives has six with a match in hand too. The results: Maldives 2 (Ali Ashfaq 59, Ahmed Rasheed 90+3) bt Syria 1 (Alaa Alshbbli 80). Tuesday’s fixture: India vs. Nepal, 7 p.m. http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/article3828880.ece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebbySB Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 We'll thrash Nepal today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidhoni Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Goalless draw with Nepal. Ground condition was pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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