02

JEFE
TALK
Good evening Blues, other hand, are very keen on entering the
semifinal games on the back of a win.
It’s been a week of positives and achieving
of small but important milestones and I can
only hope the month of March treats us just I’ve been told that the game is sold
like February did. out and I can only imagine the kind
FC Pune City’s defeat to FC Goa meant we of atmosphere the Fortress will
would finish the League table as leaders but produce tonight!
I am pleased the way the boys went out, put
on a performance and got a win against
The game has so much at stake for the both
Jamshedpur anyway. There were a few
of us and I think the Kanteerava could
interesting numbers that social media was
witness an entertainer. Here, I would like to
a throwing in relation to how well we have
throw in something important. Football
done in our run to the top. But for me, the
rivalries are great for the sport and the
most pleasing statistic is that we have won
stands tonight will see the fans have a go at
seven out of a possible nine games away
each other. Let this always be done with a
from home.
degree of responsibility in mind. Whatever
We’ve worked hard on this and I must say the result on the pitch, it’s a good feeling to
that you fans too have worked hard on get home safe. Like always, we’ll try
traveling to away games and making us feel sending you Blues back with a smile!
comfortable. It’s nice to be able to walk to a
section in the stands of a stadium that isn’t Love,
ours and have fans to applaud!

Today we face Kerala Blasters in what is

our last game of the league stage and I
would like to extend a warm welcome to
David James, his staff and the players. They
need to win to keep any hopes alive of a
play-off spot and won’t leave any stone
unturned in coming hard at us. We, on the
RECAP I KERvBEN 31 DEC 2017

EVE TO REMEMBER I DEEPAPRABHA

It was a bit of banter on social media that kept creating chances. It was encouraging in
snowballed into the mother of all build-ups the beginning but got frustrating, leaving us
and suddenly a couple of bruised ribs and a thinking whether it would be one of those
dislocated collar bone seemed too mild a games where we dominate play but end up
reason to not make the trip to Kochi and swim conceding a silly goal.
against a tide of yellow. Kerala Blasters
versus Bengaluru FC couldn’t have been Thankfully, it wasn’t to be. It took a little
slotted on a more strategic date – December ‘assist’ from our former player Sandesh
31. One set of fans would enter the New Year Jhingan when he handled the ball in the box.
upset and moping and there was nowhere I Chhetri put the ball on the penalty spot and
would see this unfold than at the JN Stadium we knew we had our lead even before he put
in a sea of yellow that was supposed to his foot through it. There was always the
drown us. worry of an equaliser but Miku would give us
joy not once, but twice in the 90th minute.
Now 150 traveling fans is a fantastic number We were leading Kerala Blasters 3-0 in their
but maybe not so much when you’re up home. We were so delirious with joy that we
against 37,000 home supporters. The jibes, didn’t even realise they pulled an inconse-
hoots and boos were thrown at us three full quential goal back.
hours before kick-off as we waited at a Metro
station to gather our small but solid army I don’t know what your idea of bringing in the
of blue. New Year is, this was ours and we couldn’t
have had it better. The 150 of us sang and
But once the whistle was blown, the disparity chanted our way out of the stadium. Their
in numbers didn’t matter. It was 11 v 11 on the 37,000 slipped out quietly. That night, it
pitch. The boys got off to a confident start and would never be about the numbers.
04 BEN SQUAD
Head Coach Assistant Coach
Albert Roca Marc Huguet

GOALKEEPERS
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
23 Abhra Mondal
28 Lathuammawia Ralte

DEFENDERS
2 Rahul Bheke
3 Collin Abranches
4 Zohmingliana Ralte
5 Juan Gonzalez
6 John Johnson
15 Subhasish Bose
22 Nishu Kumar
MIDFIELDERS
8 Lenny Rodrigues
10 Harmanjot Khabra
14 Dimas Delgado
16 Erik Paartalu
17 Boithang Haokip
19 Antonio Dovale
20 Alwyn George
30 Malsawmzuala

FORWARDS
7 Miku
11 Sunil Chhetri
12 Daniel Segovia
18 Thongkhosiem Haokip
21 Udanta Singh
25 Daniel Lalhlimpuia
KER SQUAD
Head Coach:
David James

GOALKEEPERS
Paul Rachubka 1
Sandip Nandy 24
Subhasish Roy 27
DEFENDERS
Nemanja Lakic-Pesic 4
Wes Brown 6
Sandesh Jhingan 21
Samuel Shadap 28
Rino Anto 31
Lalthakima 32
Lalruatthara 39

MIDFIELDERS
Arata Izumi 8
Prasanth K 11
Milan Singh 12
CK Vineeth 13
Loken Meitei 14
Deependra Negi 15
Sahal Abdul Samad 18
Siam Hanghal 19
Jackichand Singh 20
Victor Pulga 85
Courage Pekuson 99
FORWARDS
Karan Sawhney 7
Dimitar Berbatov 9
Iain Hume 10
Gudjon Baldvinsson 16
Scored 33 Conceded 17 Scored 20 Conceded 20

W D W W W D W D W W

P
art of Indian Super League’s Mumbai and Goa still alive in the play-off race,
South-Indian trivalry, tonight’s they’ll even want other results to go their way.
game promises to be an While Kerala are desperate to win, tonight’s
entertaining one. While the Blues sit game is equally important to Bengaluru
at the top of the standings with a comfortable despite already booking a top-4 slot three
8-point lead, recent results have shot Kerala weeks ago. It’s the last game of the league
up to the fifth place and given them a chance phase and the Blues will be eager to get a win
to grab that elusive play-off spot. heading into the play-offs.

However, the permutations and combinations Interestingly, it will be the first time ex-Blues
aren’t easy, as a win tonight doesn’t CK Vineeth, Rino Anto and Sandesh Jhingan
guarantee Kerala a play-off berth. David will face Bengaluru at the Fortress, since
James’ men need three points to stay alive in leaving at the end of last season. Karan
the race, with fourth-placed Jamshedpur FC Sawhney and Siam Hanghal make it five
only playing on Sunday. Moreover, with both former-Blues in the rival camp.
08
KEY
BATTLES
As the Indian Super League heads
into the final round, the Blues host
neighbours Kerala Blasters in one
of the biggest games this season.
While Bengaluru have already
sealed their top spot
comfortably, it’s a do-or-die
game for the visitors and
tonight’s clash may well be
decided by these three
individual battles.
DIMAS DELGADO
vs COURAGE PEKUSON
Two players who drive their respective teams’
creative engines will go head-to-head in the middle
of the park. Dimas, a clinical passer, is the Blues’
creator-in-chief and the same can be said for
Courage who has been an ever-present figure in
the Blasters’ line-up. The Ghanaian midfielder has
netted once and assisted five so far and will play a
crucial role for David James’ men tonight, making
this duel one for the purists.

MIKU
vs SANDESH JHINGAN
The Blues’ Venezuelan hitman netted a late brace the
last time both sides faced off on New Year’s eve and
has continued his good form. Meanwhile Jhingan, who
had a poor performance that night in Kochi, has been
improving and led the revival for Blasters who are now
sitting just outside the play-off places. The former
Blues’ defender will have his task cut out as Miku looks
to catch up ISL’s top-scorer Corominas, making
this an interesting battle.

RAHUL BHEKE
vs CK VINEETH
With both Johnson and Juanan suspended, the
Blues’ backline will be led by the versatile Bheke.
Up against him will be Vineeth, an ex-Blue and
Kerala’s second highest goalscorer this season.
The attacker is a constant threat and needs just
one chance to get a goal. Bheke will need to be at
his best as he marshals the defense and at the
same time try to keep CK quiet.
COVER STORY

VERY
BIG DEAL his story should be about a lot of
things. It should be about those
be harsh on myself if I think I had it in my
armoury to do something different that
three seasons in the Norwegian could have changed the course of that
suburb of Stabaek pulling on the moment. There are days when I am glad I
shirt of De Blaa (the blue ones), about that have this trait and there are days when I
Europa League night at the Belle Vue in wish I gave myself a little mental holiday,”
Wales, about all the many firsts that are he admits sheepishly.
magnanimous enough to force editors in a
newsroom drag the pen across eight
columns of a dummy plan sheet with the
“I am a very difficult
word ‘Gurpreet’ scribbled on it. But person to please when it
it isn’t. comes things on the pitch.
Instead, it’s about the footnotes, it’s about I feel performances,
lifting the rug to collect all the little whether they involved
details of deficiencies that victory so
effortlessly sweeps under. It’s about conceding a goal or not,
realising that maybe the reason Gurpreet could always have
Singh Sandhu stands at 6’6” is because, if
there is a glass ceiling in Indian football
been better.”
and it isn’t restricted to women, he’s
destined to reach it and smash it down. It takes a lot to make Sunil Chhetri
nauseous but Sandhu’s imposing frame
Bump into Sandhu on the pitch right after does it ever so often. The captain admits
a game’s been blown to a halt and you to glancing over his shoulder when the
cannot tell what the result was. He has a team walks out of the tunnel to make sure
little go at moments in Bengaluru’s that the cameras don’t catch them around
defensive third that they either paid for or each other. The big man however, has few
came close to suffering for. “I am a very qualms with the attention his tallness
difficult person to please when it comes draws. In fact he even signs off tweets
things on the pitch. I feel performances, every now and then with
whether they involved conceding a goal or #AapkaPyaaraBurjKhalifa (your beloved
not, could always have been better. I can Burj Khalifa), likening himself to the
12

tallest structure in the world. But while I’ve never tried it and I’d be a disaster if I
most assume that his frame makes did, but I’m sure they’re hurting inside!”
everything easier for him in goal, Sandhu The season’s grown and Sandhu, by his
turns up with a clarification. “It’s easier own admission, has grown too. “Everyone
when you’re shorter because then you are tends to forget that while I was at Stabaek
quicker to react. And while goalkeeping is for three seasons, it didn’t translate to me
a lot about reach, it’s also equally about starting every game. Every day was a
reaction. I’d say it’s doubly tougher for me fight – on the pitch and outside of it. At
because I’m double the height and double Bengaluru FC, I’m playing a competitive
the weight.” game every week, sometimes two. It’s a
world of a difference and I feel so much
Tell him that ease with which he goes more confident about the way I am doing
about plucking balls out of thin air, things on the pitch.”
swatting shots at goal with disdain and
flying either side to get to a hit that you Away from complex drills that leave him
think will bulge the net, makes it hard to with a lot of grass and rubber for a second
believe he’s putting an effort. That’s when breakfast, Sandhu loves to keep football
the artist in him (he carries his set of away when he’s home. He’s virtually moved
colours and sketch books on tour, into his latest acquisition – an SUV that
always!) speaks. “It has got to look easy some of the lads joke they need a ladder to
on the eye. That’s when you know you’re climb into. Then there are the box of
doing it right. The galleries need to be crayons and a perfect doodle. Of course,
fooled into believing that you’re not there are several crumpled sheets before
breaking a sweat. Look at the straight face he’s got it right, but then the show for the
that Ballerinas maintain while performing. galleries should seem effortless, shouldn’t it?
SKIPPER
ON SANDHU
To say it simply, Gurpreet’s making
better strikers out of all of us. You
want to go back from training a
happy player and when you come up
against a mountain of the ’keeper
that he is, you have got to work on
being more clinical with picking
your corners while finishing. I
cannot end a day knowing that the
’keeper’s stopped most of what I
have hit. It pushes me to get
sharper. We’re in the middle of
some decent scoring form and I
wouldn’t hesitate to share some
of that credit with Gurpreet.
Even Miku would agree.
16
ONCE WERE BLUES
We’re Looking Back At The Season Gone By For Some Former Blues Who Now Ply Their
Trade With Tonight’s Visitors…

SANDESH JHINGAN
Named captain by former coach Rene Meulensteen, Sandesh Jhingan has
been an ever present feature in the Kerala Blasters defence in his fourth stint
at the club. Forming an astute partnership with Nemanja Lakic-Pesic and
then Wes Brown, the 24-year-old has played 16 games this season and likes
to control things at the back of the pack, with his passes connecting the
Kerala backline with its midfield.

CK VINEETH
The top Indian scorer in the Kerala ranks with four goals, CK Vineeth made
85 appearances and scored 21 goals during his time with the Blues, which
spanned across four seasons. Having missed the reverse fixture with a
groin injury, the 29-year-old will be raring to go against his former
employers and with a knack of scoring late on, the Blues will have to keep
an eye on the winger throughout the 90 minutes.

RINO ANTO
Among the Blues’ longest serving players before his move to Kerala Blasters
in the Indian Super League draft, Rino Anto’s return to fitness has been a
tough one, with niggling injuries keeping him out of the Blasters starting
eleven on many occasions this campaign. The 30-year-old won four titles
during his time with the Blues and the Fortress is no stranger to the
dangerous crosses he has in his arsenal, which have seen him claim two
assists this season.

SIAM HANGHAL
Siam Hanghal played 38 times for Bengaluru, across three seasons, and
won two I-League titles and a Federation Cup during his time with Ashley
Westwood’s Blues. Often brought on in the closing stages of games to bring
balance to the side, Hanghal joined the Blasters after stints with NorthEast
United and Chennaiyin FC. The 24-year-old has featured eight times for the
Blasters this campaign and has an assist to show for it.

KARAN SAWHNEY
Chances have been few and far between for Kerala Blasters’ No. 7, but Karan
Sawhney has shown promise in his four appearances for David James’ side
so far this campaign. An aerial presence in the box, Sawhney gets into
dangerous positions on several occasions but has lacked the finishing touch
required to find his name on the scoresheet.
#BEN #KER
NUMBERS

SAVES

38 GURPREET SINGH SANDHU PAUL RACHUBKA 32

TOUCHES

1005 DIMAS DELGADO LALRUATTHARA 890

SHOTS

199 BENGALURU FC KERALA BLASTERS FC 146

TOP INDIAN GOALSCORER

10 SUNIL CHHETRI CK VINEETH 4