New Delhi: The domination of teams from northeastern states continued to hog the limelight in the ongoing 56th Subroto Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium here today.
It was an absolute win-win situation for all the three teams that featured in today’s matches. If Chanamban Thambou Higher Secondary School from Manipur and the Sports School from Nagaland registered easy victories against their opponents in the morning, Dakhin Mazbat High School from Assam inflicted an equally powerful triumph against Goa’s Our Lady of Rosery High School.
The Assam girls kept the intensity going throughout the first half, scoring four and not letting up the grip in the second to add another three for a 7-0 verdict. Somehow, the Goan girls could not overcome extremely efficient Assam girls who were capable of scoring at will. The winners were never in a hurry and yet made their presence on the ground count.
Anjali Deka started it all with a goal in the 13th minute and left it to her team mate, Macha Sharma, to take over in the 22nd and 24th. Dibi Baro slotted in once in the 30th minute before the teams went for the break. Within two minutes of changing ends, Bhabani Kumar added to the tally and then Macha (44) and Junaki Boro (59) finished it off.
In the morning, the Manipur girls found easy prey in Chandigarh's DAV Senior Secondary School as the former beat 7-0. The Manipuri girls took it so lightly that they did not have to do anything extra in the first session and yet managed to score two goals.
Kashmina opened their account with a goal in the seventh minute and it was followed up by Asem Raja Devi in the 23rd minute. When the two teams returned after break, there was no respite for the Sector 8 school girls who were caught on the wrong foot yet again. This time Ranjitha added to the tally with a goal in the 35th minute and another in the 44th.
As if on cue, Kashmina struck her second in the 47th and when Asem Raja Devi struck twice in quick succession, in the 55th and 56th minutes, the DAV girls were groping for cover.
As compared the first match, the second one was orderly and did not reach the proportions of a major embarrassment to the local team, Sanskriti School, Chanakyapuri. They could not, however, escape from the routine onslaught that one would expect from the sturdy Nagaland girls.
After a barren first half, there was a sudden burst of action from the Dimapur school girls in the second. That explains the spurt in scoring as all the four goals came in this session.
And there seemed to be a pattern to their scoring as well as Abeino and Neichutu'O alternated to strike a brace each. First Abeino scored in the 34th minute and five minutes later it was the turn of Neichutu'O. Abeino added one more to her tally in the 40th minute and a minute later Neichutu'O completed the rout.
Exciting final on cards
Thirteen days into the tournament, the Subroto Cup will witness the season’s first final tomorrow between two contrasting outfits, Afghanistan school team against Mizoram’s, and it promises an exciting fare. Both teams are tough and calculative in their approach but none of them is going to make it any easier for the other.
However, there is a distinct advantage with the home team which, with its solid defence and good attack, can make the trophy theirs while the Afghan boys, who have a measured attack, have not revealed much of their strengths so far. Perhaps, they are keeping things under wraps only to let loose in the final.
One thing that both the teams can hope for is a solid support from the Delhi Dynamos FC players, who will be present at the stadium in their team jerseys to cheer for them. It will be a great opportunity for the teams to play in front the likes of Brazilian Roberto Carlos, the player-manager of the ISL team, along with French Florent Malouda, the former Chelsea left-winger.
Thursday’s fixture:
Sub-Junior Boys Final: Irtiglal High School boys (Afghanistan) vs Chawngfianga Middle School (Mizoram) 3 p.m.—Ambedkar Stadium.
Delhi Dynamos team with Roberto Carlos & Malouda to be present during the finals to cheer the team.