Goa face Kerala while Bengal take on Mizoram in Santosh semis

Image
Press Trust of India Bambolim
Last Updated : Mar 22 2017 | 9:02 PM IST
Goa and Kearla lock horns against each other for a place in the final while Bengal face Mizoram in another semifinal match of the Santosh Trophy football tournament here tomorrow.
Hosts Goa, who lifted the trophy in the 2008-09 edition, have not been in cruise control mode in any of their matches. A scrappy 2-1 win over Meghalaya in their opening match was followed by dull draws against Bengal and Chandigarh respectively.
However, the last-gasp win over defending champions Services would give them plenty of confidence going into this crucial game tomorrow. The biggest concern facing Goa coach Mateus Costa was that he has been forced to constantly chop and change his side. He has already used three goalkeepers in the four matches.
The defensive combination has changed in all the games and the midfield too has undergone changes due to injuries to Leny Pereira and Francis Fernandes in the last game. Both look doubtful starters tomorrow.
Goa are likely to persist with Bruno Colaco at the goal and a final decision on the fitness of Leny Pereira and Francis Fernandes will be taken tomorrow after consulting the physio.
Utility man Peter Carvalho would feature in defence or midfield depending on Leny's fitness with Cajetan Fernandes, Glan Martins, Latesh Mandrekar and Brian Mascarenhas likely to make up the rest of the midfield. Young star Liston Colaco is likely to start alongside Aaren D'Silva upfront.
Kerala, on the other hand, have had a relatively easy ride to the semifinals, qualifying with a game to spare.
Striker Jobby Justin, Asharudeen and captain P Usman in attack would be looking to exploit the Goan defence with their pacy runs and sharp finishing while Asharudeen would look to provide all the ammunition from midfield.
A win for Kerala would put them in the final for the first time since the 2012-13 season when they lost to Services on home soil.
In the other semi-final, Bengal will take on Mizoram. Bengal, winners of the Santosh Trophy for a record 31 times, would look to put it across Mizoram who will be fresh from their 5-1 rout of Railways two days back.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 22 2017 | 9:02 PM IST

Next Story