I-league 2017 – Fixtures and broadcast details

ileague, indianfootball, soccer, league, Aizawl FC, Bengaluru FC, Churchill Brothers, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Chennai City FC, Minerva Punjab FC, DSK Shivajians, Lajong FCI-league 2017 will kickoff on January 7. Here is the fixture list for the first nine rounds and the broadcast details. Ten teams from nine cities will participate in the league this season.

Match
No
Date Time Home   Away Round TV
1 7-Jan- 17 7.00 PM BFC LAJ 1 Ten 2
2 7-Jan-17 4.30 PM KEB AFC 1 Ten 2
3 8-Jan-17 MUM DSK 1
4 8-Jan-17 7.00 PM MB CB 1 Ten 2
5 8-Jan-17 4.30 PM CCFC MPFC 1 Ten 2
6 13-Jan- 17 1.30 PM AFC MPFC 2 Ten 2
7 13-Jan- 17 7.00 PM MB LAJ 2 Ten 2
8 14-Jan- 17 DSK KEB 2
9 14-Jan- 17 7.00 PM BFC CCFC 2 Ten 2
10 15-Jan- 17 4.30 PM CB MUM 2
11 17-Jan- 17 1.30 PM AFC LAJ 3 Ten 2
12 17-Jan- 17 4.30 PM MB MPFC 3 Ten 2
13 17-Jan- 17 7.00 PM DSK CCFC 3 Ten 2
14 18-Jan- 17 7.00 PM BFC MUM 3 Ten 2
15 18-Jan- 17 4.30 PM CB KEB 3 Ten 2
16 21-Jan- 17 LAJ MPFC 4
17 21-Jan- 17 7.00 PM CCFC MB 4 Ten 2
18 21-Jan- 17 4.30 PM DSK CB 4 Ten 2
19 22-Jan- 17 MUM AFC 4
20 22-Jan- 17 KEB BFC 4
21 24-Jan- 17 DSK MB 5
22 27-Jan- 17 CB BFC 5
23 28-Jan- 17 CCFC AFC 5
24 28-Jan- 17 LAJ MUM 5
25 29-Jan- 17 MPFC KEB 5
AFC CUP 31-Jan- 17 COL MB PS
ACL 31-Jan- 17 AL WEHDAT BFC PS
26 1-Feb-17 AFC DSK 6
27 31-Jan-17 LAJ CCFC 6
28 MB BFC 6
29 1-Feb-17 KEB MUM 6
30 1-Feb-17 MPFC CB 6
31 4-Feb-17 MB AFC 7
32 5-Feb-17 DSK BFC 7
33 5-Feb- 17 KEB CCFC 7
34 5-Feb- 17 LAJ CB 7
35 4-Feb- 17 MPFC MUM 7
AFC CUP 7-Feb- 17 MOHUN BAGAN COL
36 10-Feb- 17 AFC CB 8
37 11-Feb- 17 CCFC MUM 8
38 11-Feb- 17 LAJ DSK 8
39 11-Feb- 17 BFC MPFC 8
40 12-Feb- 17 KEB MB 8
41 14-Feb- 17 CCFC CB 9
42 15-Feb- 17 AFC BFC 9
43 15-Feb- 17 MUM MB 9
44 15-Feb- 17 KEB LAJ 9
45 15-Feb- 17 MPFC DSK 9

Legend : BFC : Bengaluru FC, MPFC : Minerva Punjab FC, DSK : DSK Shivajians, KEB : Kingfisher East Bengal, MUM : Mumbai FC, LAJ : Shillong Lajong, AFC : Aizawl FC, CCFC : Chennai City FC, CB : Churchill Brothers, MB : Mohun Bagan

I-league to Kickoff on January 17, 2015 in Bengaluru

ileague, football, india, soccer, league, bengaluruFollowing are the main decisions of the I-League and Federation Cup Committee meeting that took place today.

I-league
  • To kick-off on January 17th in Bengaluru
  • 75 out of the 110 league matches to be telecast by Ten Sports.
  • Web streaming of the matches to be available.
  • Registration of players will be done centrally through states associations.
  • Further discussions will be held on whether Goal Keeping coach can be seated on the bench during the match.
  • AIFF will monitor practice sessions of I-league Clubs.
  • Only A-License holders will be allowed to conduct coaching and training.
  • Coaches without A-license will not be allowed sit on the bench or even enter the dressing room on a match day.
U-15 League
  • To be a 16 team affair that would kickoff in the next calendar year.
  • Teams from 10  I-league clubs, 4 other academies and two AIFF academies will take part in the tournament.
  • Coca-Cola would be a sponsor for the tournament.
I-league 2nd Division
  • To take place in two venues which are not yet finalised.
  • 8 participating teams Clubs are
    • Aizawl FC
    • Chanmari FC
    • United Sports Club
    • Mohammedan Sporting
    • PIFA Sports
    • Kenkre Sports
    • Hindustan FC
    • Lonestar Kashmir FC.
I-league U-19
  • To kick-off in 2nd week of December.

Bharat FC is here! The New I-league Club from Pune

ileague,  pune, football, kalyani group, Bharat fc, Soccer, stuart watkiss, Santley Rozario The Kalyani Group on Sunday launched their football club named “Bharat FC”. The Group unveiled the name and philosophy of its football cluband launched the club-crest during a press conference at the city’s JW Marriot. The unveiling of the name and the club-crest was done by AmitKalyani, Executive Director Kalyani Group, KunalAgarwal, Director Bharat FC along with Stuart Watkiss and Stanly Rozario, the head-coach and assistant coach of Bharat FC respectively.

The club crest celebrates the spirit of People’s Club featuring the iconic India Gate monument with a majestic lion striding powerfully through it and a football graphically developed to show people standing in a huddle. All of this coming together to be part of a royal shield impressively forming the club crest in striking red and blue colours.

Elaborating on the Philosophy of the team, AmitKalyani said that, “The very ethos of Bharat FC is rooted in being a People’s Club. It is India’s Club based in Pune.And this philosophy is instrumental in giving its elements to the club-crest and its baseline “Together. Forever.Triumphant.” He added that “Though we are the Puneri team, the idea of spreading the magic and joy of football all through our country was foremost on our minds. Bharat FC aims not just to be Pune’s favourite team but one that all of India can identify with and follow.”

Talking about the way forward, Amit Kalyani,added that, “We will focus on all aspects of football and going forward we will look at further enhancing the youth development and grass root programs. We are looking at bringing talent from India and abroad and adopt best practices for building a strong foundation for Bharat FC.”

Stuart Watkiss, who has been appointed as head-coach of the team, said that it was the Kalyani Group’s pursuit of excellence that drew him towards the club. “We look to promote excellence and a deep sense of commitment on the football pitch. These two values are very close to the Kalyani Group’s heart and we hope to translate the same on the pitch. Building a club from scratch, assembling a competitive team, playing attractive and effective football are our current goals and we will be going all out to achieve them,” he said.

Kunal Agarwal, Director Bharat FC, said that the chance to construct an ultra-professional football club, one able to hold its own with the best in Asia was the clinching factor behind him coming on board. “Raising the bar for football clubs in India is something that has always been a passion for me. A well-managed, professional club can offer a lot of benefits for society as a whole apart from serving as a catalyst for the growth of the standard of football in India. I believe that Bharat FC gives us the opportunity to build a family that would strive to deliver a lot more beyond football to the entire community so everyone can share the success,” he said.

Bharat FC will start its games with the I-League slated to start in January 2015. Bharat FC will be playing its home games at Balewadi stadium in Pune.

Logo Philosophy

The club-crest has iconic India Gate monument representing the knowledge, sacrifice and wisdom that has gone into making India the glorious and diverse country that it is. The India Gate is crowned by a football that has been graphically developed to show people standing in a huddle, symbolizing the unity and teamwork that will be the cornerstones of Bharat FC. The lion beneath India Gate has been integrated to symbolize the courage, grace and athleticism which will be the hallmarks of the team. All the three elements have been contained within a royal shield which signifies the resolve and steadfastness of the football club as well as the Kalyani Group.

The primary colours in the club-crest of Bharat FC are red and blue. Red signifies passion, activity and a vigorous impatience to move forward all the time. Blue epitomizes truth and loyalty, two qualities that have always been a very integral part of the Kalyani Group’s philosophy and will be important pillars in Bharat FC as well.

About Kalyani Group

The Kalyani Group, established in mid 1960s, is an Indian multi-national with high technology, engineering & manufacturing capability across critical sectors such as Engineering Steel, Automotive, Industrial, Renewable Energy, Urban Infrastructure and Specialty Chemicals. Guided by visionary leadership of Mr BN Kalyani, Group Chairman, with strong emphasis on market leadership through technology and it’s over 10,000 strong engineering global workforce, the group today is a market leader in all its respective business segments.

Bengaluru FC are the I-League Champions

In an evenly contested match in Goa, Bengaluru FC outplayed Goan giants Dempo SC to become the champions of I-league. Considering this is the very first season for Bengaluru FC in I-league makes it even more special. I-League, since its inception in 2007 has never seen a champion other than Goan teams. Bengaluru FC has broken the monopoly of Goan teams in the league.

Many thanks to awesome matches and atmosphere at the Bangalore Football stadium. More over, hearty Congratulations to the crew at Bengaluru FC!

bengaluru fc, indianfootball, ileague, Bangalore, Football, Dempo SC, 2014, 2013-2014. Sunil Chhetri, India, Football, Soccer

Bengaluru FC vs Mohammeden Sporting : The Key Battle that Won the Match

[match id=30 match=1]

Guest column by by Yogesh Maurya (Football coach). Today he deconstructs Bengaluru FC’s match against Mohammedan Sporting and talks about the key battle that won the match for the home team

Bengaluru FC, I-leagueThis match was largely about 10 players: 4 Mohammedan Sporting players attacking 6 Bengaluru FC players throughout the match.  The front 4 attacking players for Sporting included the midfielders #8 Penn Orji, #26 Jerry Zirsanaga, and their forwards #9 Josimar D’Silva and #10 Tolgey Ozbey…against the back 4 of Bengaluru FC which included centre halves #6 John Johnson and #4 Curtis Osano, right back #3 Vishal Kumar and left back #20 Keegan Pereira, plus Bengaluru FC midfielders #10 John Menyongar, and at times either #15 Darren Caldeira or #12 Thoi Singh.  Count them up and it was often these 10 players involved in the play as 4v6 and individually as 1v1, 1v2, 2v2, 2v3 and 3v3 battles that decided the game.  When it was all done, Bengaluru FC prevailed, and the reasons reinforce some fairly consistent aspects of this team while revealing some exciting new qualities.

The centre halves:

The obvious first…Johnson and Osano maintain extremely high levels of concentration throughout matches.  It is their intelligent reading of the game with and without the ball, combined with their confidence and effort that leads to them getting to balls first and winning almost all 50:50 battles or tackles.  They rarely make mistakes.  Josimar  and Tolgay were both dangerous and to their credit continued pushing until the last whistle, but lacked any kind of industrious or creative partnership and more importantly, without numbers in support, one always had the feeling it would only be a momentary lapse as happened on the goal by Josimar, that could undo Bengaluru FC.  Josimar’s goal was a well taken header off an excellent cross as he managed to slip between Johnson and Osano with Johnson just misjudging the flight of the ball. No reason to lose sleep over it because really the dynamic duo had an excellent game yet again against a crafty strike force.

The full backs:

In the first half, Mohammedan Sporting attacked primarily down the left flank with success. Vishal Kumar put in a shift but was repeatedly unsuccessful in containing attackers 1v1 leading to several scoring opportunities which Mohammedan Sporting was unable to finish.  Kumar was replaced by #13 Rino Anto in the second half who performed very well, as Mohammedan Sporting found slightly more success in attacking down the right flank against Keegan Pereira who was duly supported by midfielder Darren Caldeira as they attempted to thwart MS attacks which were at times very threatening despite being numbers down due mainly to the 1v1 attacking maturity of Tolgay and the busy buzzing of the playmaker Zirsanga who would eventually be substituted to little effect.

The holding midfielder:

In the first half there was some confusion between Menyongar and Singh in picking Orji up as he positioned himself fairly high up the pitch and was getting the ball in between the lines too easily.  Once the communication was sorted, both players were able to defend Orji as required and took the same understanding into the second half as Orji was forced to drop even deeper to receive the ball. Menyongar did what he usually does…filled the hole in front of the centre halves, kept from over committing himself, and was excellent in finding the free man in transition.

The Man of the Match

For me it was without doubt Thoi Singh who started the match in place of Siam Hangal.  Singh was the busiest player on the pitch, constantly showing for the ball with his team in possession, attacking with pace, making excellent decisions with the ball and doing the dogged defensive work as required.  His intelligently timed runs off the ball often saw him receiving the ball in dangerous areas in between the lines, and he attacked with confidence.  His pace, assembly line work rate, and attacking flare had a massive impact on the match, and I am looking forward to seeing him play more.

Post Scripts:

Counter Attack:

Bengaluru FC continues to show that it is most dangerous on the break. Makes for plenty of excitement.

Indian Strikers:

Sunil Chhetri : Something there sees him slightly out of his usual fine form turning the ball over somewhat cheaply and not yet having the right harmony with Pereira on the left.  Only one way to get out of it…keep working extremely hard and stay positive. He has the class.

Robin Singh : Crowd favourite is improving for sure and hard done not get a penalty after such wonderful defensive work and a great individual run into the box.
Beikhokhei Beingaicho : Has somewhat quietly been one of BFC’s best performers this season…attacking with pace and creativity, and always doing the defensive work asked of him.

Stanley Rozario appointed as Eagles FC Coach

Mr.Stanley Rozario, Former Indian Football Team Assistant Coach appointed Head Coach of EAGLES FC KERALA
Image Courtesy : goal.com

Image Courtesy : goal.com

EAGLES FC KERALA has appointed Mr. Stanley Rozario as their Head Coach.Mr. Rozario began his coaching career as Coach of Services FC, the football team of Indian Army where he continued from 1994 – 2007. He served as the Assistant Coach of the Indian National Football Team from 2005 – 2008covering AFC Cup, SAAF Cup, Olympic Qualifying Matches, Asian Games and several Friendly Matches.

In 2010, Mr. Rozario entered I League Coaching becoming the Coach of United Sikkim Football Club followed by stints with Mohan Bagan, Shillong Lajong, Salgaocar and East Bengal.

Mr. Rozario is one of fourteen Indian Coaches who completed Module I of the FIFA Pro Licence Course which was held for the first time in India in July2013 conducted by India Team Coach Mr. Wim Koervermans and AIFF Technical Director Mr. Robert Baan in Mumbai. He is an AFC A CoachingAward Holder along with FIFA Futuro III Coaching Award.

“Eagles FC Kerala is extremely happy to welcome Mr. Stanley Rozario as the Head Coach of Eagles_FC_KeralaEagles FC Kerala Team. His experience will help the team prepare for possible direct entry into I League next year for which our application is pending with AIFF. Mr. Rozario has a great track record and we look forward to him taking Eagles FC Kerala to greater heights.” said Mr.Siddeek Ahmed, Director, Eagles FC Kerala and Chairman & Managing Director, ERAM Group.

“I am very excited about the opportunity with Eagles FC Kerala. It is an honour to coach in Kerala which has one of the finest fan base for football in India. I am also looking forward to support the grass root football development plan of Eagles FC Kerala being implemented in association with KFA.” said Mr. Stanley Rozario, Head Coach, Eagles FC Kerala.

Eagles FC Kerala has also appointed Mr. Milton Antony as the Assistant Coach. Milton holds AFC B Coaching Award. He is ex Indian Navy and has represented India in Asian Youth Championship and was also member of the Under 21 Kerala Team who won National Championship in 1995. Mr. Renjith T A with AFC C Coaching Award will assist Mr. Stanley Rozario and Mr. Milton Antony.

Eagles FC Kerala has also strengthened the Medical and Physio Support Team under the noted Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Biju Pankapilly, MD & MS in Orthopedics. Dr. Pankapilly has completed his special fellowship at Cliniquede l’Union, Toulouse, France under the guidance of world famous Surgeon Dr.Jean Kany. Dr. Thomas Cherian, MPT with specialization in Sport Medicine shall be the Head Physio for the Team who will be assisted by Dr. Arun Kumar,BPT, Dr. M S Anish Kumar, BPT and Dr. Shani Hameed, BPT, MHSC.

Source : Eagles FC Press release.

Why Ashley Westwood Got It Right against United Sports Club

Guest column by by Yogesh Maurya (Football coach). Today he deconstructs Bengaluru FC’s match against United SC and talks about Why Ashley Westwood Got It Right!

United SC enjoyed majority of the possession in the second half and Bengaluru FC continued to fall back and get numbers behind the ball much to the frustration of many in the crowd, as BFC’s hard work defensively was often wasted with rapid turnovers in transition. Someone in the crowd asked inquisitively, as if there was no explanation, “what the !)(#%} is wrong with them?” The answer in football is not as complicated as many tactical pundits would like fans to believe. “They are tired” I let him know.

And herein lies the difference between a smart manager and a casual fan.  When you have a 1-0 lead at home with the top of the table on the line, your central striker has had an off day missing two fairly easy chances by his standards which could have made the game a 3-0 washout, and the team is still getting into peak physical condition, you dig in, get numbers back and grind out a victory. Job well done.

Match on

Match on

One never had the feeling that United SC had that little bit of creativity, momentary brilliance, or cold blooded finishing prowess to ever really threaten.  Even late in the game, they managed a free header after some impressive build-up play but again, their lack of killer instinct was all too obvious on a soft header hit to the goalkeeper.

The first half was a tell tale sign of how BFC would triumph despite on what could be termed an off day for quite a few of the players.  United SC had lost their attacking lines, with the play-making “false 9” Eric Brown dropping very deep to receive the ball.  The issue was no midfielders pushed forward leaving deep space between United SC’s midfield line and forward line…instead of checking back, the forwards (now 2 against 4) pushed the line, hence, the end of the false 9 and the emergence of playing right into BFC’s hands…long balls against Johnson and Osano…need we say more!

The second half saw a much more effective United SC as they played through the industrious, gifted No. 7 Jayanta Sen. Sen did what he was unable to do in the first half, showing his comfort on the ball while maintaining possession and playing others into space.  Eric Brown finally pushed further up the pitch and began playing much more as a false 9 but without a strike force that could capitalize on his play-making abilities. He was left trying to create his own shots, settling many times for strikes from distance.  Had BFC pressed further up the pitch with the way Sen was playing, United SC would most certainly have broken BFC down and been given far easier chances at goal.

Bengaluru FC is a start-up. Building a team takes time and is a process.  And this process already has them at the top of the table.

Man of the Match BFC – John Jhonson

John Johnson receiving his MOTM

John Johnson receiving his MOTM

 

For my ticket, John Johnson and not because of the goal, but because of everything he did after the goal. The organiser, the leader, the courageous defender who along with Osano took everything United SC threw at them.

Man of the Match United SC

Jayanta Sen. Clearly a player to watch…terrific on the ball technically, has that photographic lens that the best playmakers have to see all of their options, and often chooses the best option

Indian strikers – Sunil Chhetri & Robin Singh

Robin.. all set!!

Robin.. all set!!

 

Robin – A player with a lot of pace that is quite anxious to show his worth and in that anxiousness, we see a player that is slightly off in knocking balls without lifting his head, losing the off-side line too easily. Just needs to relax so that his pace becomes an advantage and not a detriment

 

Sunil Chhetri returning from pre-match warm up

Sunil Chhetri

Sunil – Chhetri showed his class with the volley from the top of the 18 yard box late in the game that was on target.  He is a player that thrives on the ball on the counter. Out on the wing, it is challenging at times to await the ball, and I would expect him somewhere down the line to start pinching inside more.  There will come a time where he will get a freer role and can play more interchangeably with Hangal and Beingaicho when the team has matured enough to handle it.

Yogesh Maurya :

Football Yogi- Article 1-edited (1)

Was a United States High School All-American football player and represented the State of New Jersey as a player in the US Olympic Development Program throughout his teenage years. He has worked with some of the top coaches in US football like former US National Coach Bob Bradley, former US International Dieter Ficken and corever youth coach Tom Reilly

Pictures from the Bengaluru FC vs United SC match

Enjoy some pictures from the Bengaluru FC vs United SC match…..

Todays win against United SC has propelled Bengaluru FC to the top of the I-league table. See the latest I-league Standings.

Four things to be excited about Bengaluru F.C.

Bengaluru_FC_LogoThis is a guest column by by Yogesh Maurya (Football coach), where he does a tactical analysis of the Bengaluru FC team.

Numbers up!  :

Given the outstanding qualities of centre halves John Johnson and Curtis Osano, BFC can push the current 4:3:3 and morph when beneficial into a 3:5:2 or 3:4:3 during phases of a match.  As the wing backs develop their confidence and tactical instincts further, they can push deeper into the middle and attacking thirds allowing for better build-up play and pressing in transition.  And even more dangerous at times, in a 3:4:3 we could see one of the wing  backs pushing up further inside and allowing the very talented wingers in Chhetri and Beingaichho to push further forward.

Kiss…the carpet that is..Keep It Simple Stupid! :

[ Though some would bet the Gaffer likes to substitute the final word! 🙂 ] There are some very talented players in the group, and none more so than current holding midfielder Johnny Menyongar. When BFC play through him on the ground, five to ten meters, we see composure, class and a gutsy risk taker in action. A perfect example was the second goal against Rangdajied United, when he struck a wonderful ball nearly 40 meters to the equally prepared Beingaichho who took it down in stride and took on his defender with conviction and swagger.

Counter attack!  :

The third goal against Rangdajied United demonstrated why BFC is going to be a lot to handle on the break.  Sunil Chhetri’s speed and clear comfort attacking with his shoulders square to the goal combined with Rooney’s rare gift of playing with his back to the goal on the wonderful turf pitch suits the guile this team has shown to play counter at will.

Pressing please! :

(Not the kit laundry man!) With classy center halves and Menyongar’s ability to play the first or second ball on the carpet in transition, BFC will press higher closing the gaps between the defensive unit and midfield much faster, and they can take that risk given the speed they have in midfield and the confidence with which the center halves are organized. Obviously the team will also get fitter as the games move forward. As one could see at pitch level, it was still quite warm. Let’s give the players credit for fighting through what is some heavy air…for all of Bangalore’s much celebrated greenery and great weather, the stadium is in the center of town and whether we like it or not, the players are coping with pollution just like the rest of us!

Looking forward to the next run of matches.

Yogesh Maurya  :

Football Yogi- Article 1-edited (1)

Was a United States High School All-American football player and represented the State of New Jersey as a player in the US Olympic Development Program throughout his teenage years. He has worked with some of the top coaches in US football like former US National Coach Bob Bradley, former US International Dieter Ficken and corever youth coach Tom Reilly

Sandjar Ahmadi, Afghanistan international joins Mumbai FC

Image Courtesy : http://www.ndr.de/

Image Courtesy : http://www.ndr.de/

There were reports about Mumbai FC being in talks with Sandjar Ahmadi, the Afghan international who was playing for the German side  – SC Vier-und Marschlande. Yesterday it became obvious when Zohib Islam Amiri, Afghanistan captain and Mumbai FC defender put a picture of him and Sandjar on his Facebook page, taken from Mumbai.

I cross checked with  Zohib  and he confirmed that Sandjar Ahmadi has in fact joined the Mumbai outfit. Sandjar plays as a winger and impressed with his good performances at the recently concluded 2013 SAFF championship. He also scored two crucial goals in the championship, the solitary goal against Nepal in the semifinal that took Afghanistan to the finals and the second goal that sealed the final against India.

At 21 years, Sandjar Ahamadi is a good addition to the Mumbai FC squad and Zohib’s presence in the Mumabi FC squad would have definitely influenced his decision to join the Mumbai outfit.

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