*With just seven rounds of the I-League campaign remaining, teams both at the top as well as at the bottom will be feeling the heat.
*
The title rivals either make the cut or are cut adrift. The sides at the bottom fight to stay in the division, and this scenario can't be clearer than in the match between Bengaluru FCand Churchill Brothers.
Two teams with contrasting agendas, they face each other here at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Saturday knowing that three points will go a long way in firming up their different aspirations.
For BFC (31 from 17), it's an opportunity to lay down a marker before the second-placed Pune (29 from 17), who face Shillong Lajong later on Saturday.
Defending I-League champions, Churchill Brothers, are beginning to pick up some steam (eight points in the last four games) after an indifferent first half of the campaign. Only goal difference is keeping the Federation Cup winners off the foot of the table and they can't afford to sit back and play the waiting game anymore.
That is a sentiment which BFC coach, Ashley Westwood, shared in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "You know that they (Churchill Brothers) are coming here with the intention to win all three points. When teams are at the bottom of the league, they can't afford to stand off as they need the three points," he opined.
The good news for BFC, who have picked up only four points in the last four games, is that they have a full squad to choose from. That is a luxury that Churchill don't have. Having lost midfielder Lenny Rodrigues to a knee injury during India's friendly against Bangladesh, they are also without 'keeper Lalit Thapa and forward Cristian Lagos.
The Goan outfit's coach, Mariano Dias, said they have not performed well but has challenged his team to finish in mid-table when the season finishes. "We should have put up a better performance in the first part of the season. But we still have eight games to go and our target is to finish around sixth place when it (the season) is over," he said.
With lots at stake there are chances that the encounter could turn out to be a cagey affair but with three of the top five goal-scorers -- Sunil Chhetri, Balwant Singh and Sean Rooney -- in the current campaign, and all expected to start, both the defences could be in for a busy afternoon. This being BFC's penultimate home match, a loss could prove fatal to their ambitions. Churchill are a hard nut to crack, but BFC perforce have to perform that task as six of their last seven assigments are away from home now. Reported by Deccan Herald 17 hours ago.
*
The title rivals either make the cut or are cut adrift. The sides at the bottom fight to stay in the division, and this scenario can't be clearer than in the match between Bengaluru FCand Churchill Brothers.
Two teams with contrasting agendas, they face each other here at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Saturday knowing that three points will go a long way in firming up their different aspirations.
For BFC (31 from 17), it's an opportunity to lay down a marker before the second-placed Pune (29 from 17), who face Shillong Lajong later on Saturday.
Defending I-League champions, Churchill Brothers, are beginning to pick up some steam (eight points in the last four games) after an indifferent first half of the campaign. Only goal difference is keeping the Federation Cup winners off the foot of the table and they can't afford to sit back and play the waiting game anymore.
That is a sentiment which BFC coach, Ashley Westwood, shared in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "You know that they (Churchill Brothers) are coming here with the intention to win all three points. When teams are at the bottom of the league, they can't afford to stand off as they need the three points," he opined.
The good news for BFC, who have picked up only four points in the last four games, is that they have a full squad to choose from. That is a luxury that Churchill don't have. Having lost midfielder Lenny Rodrigues to a knee injury during India's friendly against Bangladesh, they are also without 'keeper Lalit Thapa and forward Cristian Lagos.
The Goan outfit's coach, Mariano Dias, said they have not performed well but has challenged his team to finish in mid-table when the season finishes. "We should have put up a better performance in the first part of the season. But we still have eight games to go and our target is to finish around sixth place when it (the season) is over," he said.
With lots at stake there are chances that the encounter could turn out to be a cagey affair but with three of the top five goal-scorers -- Sunil Chhetri, Balwant Singh and Sean Rooney -- in the current campaign, and all expected to start, both the defences could be in for a busy afternoon. This being BFC's penultimate home match, a loss could prove fatal to their ambitions. Churchill are a hard nut to crack, but BFC perforce have to perform that task as six of their last seven assigments are away from home now. Reported by Deccan Herald 17 hours ago.