HT Kick Off: Odisha FC keep marching on

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Friday, 26 April 2024

By Dhiman Sarkar

Odisha FC keep marching on

Odisha FC fans celebrating (Source: X)

“We don’t feel afraid,” said Sergio Lobera. Real Madrid and Barcelona are favourites every La Liga season but Atletico Madrid have also won the league, he said. Winning the Super Cup was a big thing and hopefully we can achieve success in the “short, medium and long” term, said the Odisha FC coach.

This was last September at a media day organised by the Indian Super League (ISL). As teams, one after the other, presented players and coaches, it produced quotes by the kilo mostly anodyne. If Lobera’s words are worthy of recall, it is because Odisha FC are two games from an ISL trophy, a draw from the final.

Enter Sergio Lobera

But for Covid-19, rather the severity of China’s “Zero-Covid” policy, Lobera might not have returned to India. With a young family, long periods of isolation in hotels “you did not choose” and even longer quarantines after testing positive were difficult, he said. Had negotiations not broken down in the final stage, Lobera may have joined East Bengal. But they did and from City Football Group’s Sichuan Jiuniu in China’s second tier, Lobera took on a project where winning was not compulsory but building a club was.

Sergio Lobera (Source: ISL)

Like at FC Goa and Mumbai City FC, Lobera has done it his way. In the short-term it helps to work with players you know, he said explaining why Mourtada Fall, Amey Ranawade, Ahmed Jahouh and Cy Goddard joined Odisha FC. Lobera blended them with those he hadn’t recruited to build a team that will go into the second-leg of the semi-final against Mohun Bagan Super Giant protecting a lead. One that won four games in the league from a losing position before repeating that in the play-off and in the first-leg of the semi-final in Bhubaneswar. One that was unbeaten at home all ISL season.

Nine clean sheets from Amrinder Singh helped. As did Jahouh, usually at the base of the midfield, ghosting into the front third and playing that no-look pass for Roy Krishna. Ranawade bounding on the right, a full back who is always an option in the front third, contributed as did Isak Vanlalruatfela’s sorties on the left. It also needed Diego Maurico’s 12 goal contributions and a squad pulling in one direction to take Odisha FC to where they have never gone before.

Krishna’s can-do spirit

Roy Krishna got his 13th goal of the ongoing season (Source:ISL)

And it took 13 goals and three assists from Krishna. When injury meant Mauricio could only start on the bench against Kerala Blasters in the play-off, Krishna stepped up and how! Two assists pulled Odisha FC from the brink of elimination and took them to the semi-final. Mauricio didn’t start against Mohun Bagan either and again it was Krishna who scored the winner and was a threat all evening.

In the games Odisha FC won after trailing, Krishna, usually soaked in sweat but ever available for the out ball, was at the front and centre in two: beating Jamshedpur FC 4-1 and Kerala Blasters 2-1 in the league phase. Matchwinners in 1-0 wins against Jamshedpur FC and Punjab FC and six goals fetched him the player-of-the-month award in December.

It was Krishna who led the fightback against Mohun Bagan in the AFC Cup with a goal and an assist. And a season that began with a 0-4 defeat to Mohun Bagan in the same competition saw Odisha claw to the top of the group and play the inter-zonal round. It was another never-before moment and it came less than a year after winning the Super Cup, the first time the club won an all-India trophy.

Promise of a fight

Under Lobera, Krishna has shown that the meagre returns over the past two seasons were a blip. Five seasons in, teams know him, know his game, know when he will make the run. And yet, he keeps scoring every kind of goal you can think of. He is tactically very aware, Bhaichung Bhutia has said. One mistake from a defender is usually all he needs. Hector Yuste would know.

On Sunday, he will be in Kolkata, his favourite city in India, against his first coach in ISL and a club which let him go. Lobera has promised a fight “to get something important for the club.” Krishna may or may not score at Salt Lake stadium, the venue for many of his exploits, but fight he will. For the shirt. Till his legs give way.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

(Click to expand)

IN OTHER NEWS

Coaches recommended, window missed: By the time the technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) recommended a head coach for the senior women’s team, another FIFA window (April 1-9) had been missed. This is the second time in four months that India, who have dropped one slot to 66 in the latest FIFA rankings, did not utilise an international break. The committee has recommended that Langam Chaoba Devi, who took India to the runners-up berth in in the Turkish Women’s Cup in February, continue, reports PTI. The committee also recommended Priya PV and Ronibala Chanu as the assistant and goalkeepers’ coaches respectively. Priya and Chanu were part of the staff in Turkey where India were second despite being ranked over 30 slots above the next best team. Ishfaq Ahmed has been recommended for the India under-16 head coach’s position with Yan Law as assistant and Mohammed Zakir Hussain as goalkeeper’s coach. Ranjan Chaudhuri’s name has been forwarded for the under-19 men’s head coach’s position with Sandip Nandy in charge of the goalkeepers.

Langam Chaoba Debi likley to stay as India coach. (Source: AIFF)

Getting shirty: Morocco's Renaissance Berkane have been awarded a 3-0 win over Algerian rivals USM Alger in their African Confederation Cup semi-final after the game was cancelled over a row over playing jerseys, reports AFP. The row began last Friday when the Moroccan squad arrived in Algeria ahead of the first-leg tie. Customs officers confiscated Berkane's shirts because they carried a map of Morocco that included the disputed Western Sahara. Berkane players refused to wear any other shirt and the game had to be called off. The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara is largely controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks the territory's independence.

Gokulam Kerala academy: Gokulam Kerala FC will launch their elite residential academy for boys and girls aged eight and above in Chennai, the club has said in a media release. The academy will provide players with a comprehensive programme that includes academics, food, lodging, and top-notch football training which will include weekly matches with other academies.

Sporting Club Bengaluru win I-League 2: Sporting Club Bengaluru have been promoted to I-League for 2024-25 after beating Sudeva Delhi 1-0 on April 15. This marked a remarkable journey for the club which has now won three promotions in one year. Formed in 2022, Sporting Club Bengaluru won the Bengaluru Super Division in 22-23 to qualify for I-League 3. They qualified for the I-League 2 with Dempo and Sporting Clube de Goa before topping the second division.

Palace avoid drop: Crystal Palace made certain of Premier League safety after a 2-0 win against Newcastle on Wednesday, reports AP. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored for a fifth straight home match to secure the win and Palace's resurgence under Oliver Glasner following recent victories against West Ham and Liverpool. Mateta broke the deadlock at Selhurst Park with a smart 55th-minute finish and added a second late on to end Newcastle's four-match unbeaten run. Palace are 14th in the standings and 14 points above the relegation zone.

Rangnick at Bayern? Austria coach Ralf Rangnick has confirmed he is a candidate to take over at Bayern Munich, says AP. “There has been contact from Bayern Munich,” Rangnick told an Austrian website in an interview that was picked up by German media on Wednesday. The German coach said he has informed the Austrian soccer federation about Bayern’s interest but “at the moment there is no reason for me to deal with it intensively or specifically.” Bayern are looking for a new coach with Thomas Tuchel poised to leave the German powerhouse at the end of the season.

Cannavaro Udinese manager: Fabio Cannavaro, captain of the Italy squad that won the 2006 World Cup, has got his first Serie A coaching job at relegation-threatened Udinese, reports AP. Cannavaro becomes Udinese’s third coach this season. He replaces the fired Gabriele Cioffi, who had taken over from Andrea Sottil in October. Cannavaro was given a contract for the final six matches of the season. His brother, Paolo, will be his number-one assistant.

Fabio Cannavaro (Source: Football Italia)

Barcelona fined: Barcelona were fined €25,000 ($26,600) by UEFA for Nazi salutes and monkey gestures by fans at a Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. UEFA said the proven charge of “racist behavior” followed images circulating of misconduct by some fans at Parc des Princes on April 10, says AP. UEFA also deferred a one-game ban on selling tickets to Barcelona fans for an away game in the Champions League next season for a probationary period of one year. Barcelona were also ordered to compensate PSG for damage to seats by fans and pay additional fines totaling €7,000 ($7,500).

Tevez discharged from hospital: Former Argentina international Carlos Tevez, 40, was discharged from hospital after undergoing tests due to chest pain, Club Atletico Independiente, the Argentine club he now coaches, said on Wednesday, reports Reuters. “Carlos Tevez has completed his medical tests and has been discharged,” the club said on X.

Carlos Tevez signing for Independiente as head coach (Source: X)

Yokohama F Marinos in final: Harry Kewell has set his sights on making history with Yokohama F Marinos after guiding the Japanese club to the Asian Champions League final for the first time with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai on Wednesday, reports Reuters. Kewell’s side advanced despite playing for much of the game with 10 men, winning the shoot-out 5-4 following a 3-2 victory at Yokohama International Stadium that overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in South Korea one week earlier.

Xavi to stay: Xavi Hernandez is not leaving his post as Barcelona manager. Almost three months to the date on which the club and Spain legend had said he would step down at the end of the season, he has made a U-turn. The decision was made public by the club on Thursday following a meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta, the club's board members and sporting director Deco. “Xavi will stay, he’s really happy and excited,” the Barcelona vice-president, Rafa Yuste, told reporters outside Laporta’s home, as per a report in The Guardian. “We’ve never opened talks for any other coach,” Yuste added. “[Barça director] Deco trusts Xavi, it’s guaranteed”.

Milan derby win gives Inter Serie A

Inter celebrating their 20th Serie A title (Source: Sky Sports)

Inter Milan won their 20th Serie A title on Monday after a 2-1 win at AC Milan gave Simone Inzaghi's side an unassailable lead in the standings, reports Reuters. A goal from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram in each half proved sufficient to secure Inter's victory, with Fikayo Tomori reducing the deficit late in the game. The match also witnessed three red cards in stoppage time, with Milan being reduced to nine men as tensions flared, with Theo Hernandez and Davide Calabria getting their marching orders along with Inter's Denzel Dumfries.

HT Kick Off: Odisha FC keep marching on

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