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The never ending pre season
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So in the end I arranged a friendly a fort night just to keep a bit of fitness in the guys legs without tiring them out before the season proper. This also helped to stretch out the list of possible opponents.
Once I got it all set up I went on holiday ticking the use current tactics box but not the selection box hopefully this would allow my assistant to rotate the squad a bit while I'm away. Don't know if this will be considered cheating or lazy but no way I'm sitting through a 6 month pre season.
When I returned from holiday I was devastated to see this:
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That's right 6 to 7 months!!! Unfortunately this will most probably mean Lucas will never play a competitive match for us :'(
Am hoping I can convince him to stay on as an assistant or something as our back room desperately needs improving.
Federation Cup Group Stage
Dempo 4 - Mumbai 2
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Finally my first competitive match!
We were outplayed up until the break but managed to keep the score line to 1 all.
A change of formation & a passionate reminder that the game was still theirs for the taking saw us put the game out of reach early in the second term. Striker Kim Seong - Yong picking up the M.O.M. with a brace.
Dempo 3 - Goa 1
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Fixture congestion forced a few changes as there was only 1 day between matches.
This was a bit of a strange one, but for a brief spell (15 mins maybe) of domination, in which we wrapped the game up, it was a very tight affair that could have gone either way. Dutch winger Mustapha Riga picked up M.O.M. with a goal & an assist.
Dempo 4 - East Bengal 2
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Our best performance so far, clinches us a semi final berth with a game left to play.
Went a goal down early but from the time we equalised there was only ever going to be one winner. Once again Kim Seong - Yong nets a brace & picks up another M.O.M. that's 4 goals from 2 appearances for the North Korean!
Dempo 7 - Wahingdoh 4
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This was a hum dinger of a final match. lost count of the amount of disallowed goals yet the score line still finished 7-4! With qualification already guaranteed I threw caution to the wind & with Wahingdoh needing a win to progress so did they. What followed was a balls to the wall goal fest spectacular! M.O.M. was Mustapha Riga though Clifford Miranda got a double as well.
Fed Cup Group A Final Table
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100% record in the group stage. 18 goals in 4 matches says it all really.
Fed Cup Semi Final
Dempo 3 - Mahan Bohun 1
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The until now clinical Kim Seong Yong wasted several chances early on which always threatened to haunt us as our defence was nervy at best. Fortunately when a chance fell to Clifford Miranda he slotted it home to settle our nerves. Seong Yong then scored himself in added time to send us to the break with a 2 - 0 lead.
The second half started nervously as well as the post denied us a 3 goal lead before Mahan went down the other end & pulled 1 back.
Fortunately Micky Vaz, playing his first game of the competition, restored our lead minutes later & we held on to secure our spot in the final. No awards for guessing the player of the match, again!
Fed Cup Final
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Our group stage rivals, East Bengal return to play out the decider. Hopefully we can repeat our earlier performance when it matters most.
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A sell out crowd of 27,000 expected to pack our home ground should give an advantage in what should be a tightly contested affair.
line ups
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Despite the short turn around both sides have naturally decided to field there strongest 11 for the all important Final. The winner will be guaranteed a spot in the Asian Confederations Cup!
Blow By Blow
A 30 yard screamer from Stephen Appiah gave us the perfect start on 10 minutes, however Bengal hit straight back with a through ball for Ranti Martins to go 1 on 1 with the keeper.
On 21 minutes we restored our lead with Kim Seong Yong finishing off a superb counter attack, with an assist fro Mustapha Riga. 5 minutes later we were denied the chance to go further ahead when the East Bengal keeper pulled out 2 top drawer saves to deny Clifford Miranda & then Seong Yongs follow up effort.
Once again we were immediatley punished by a goal to Rosario Mendes, only to hit straight back ourselves through Alwyn George! This was turning into a epic battle!
A mistake from the Bengal goalkeeper allowed Miranda to tap a shot in unchallenged just before half time but once again Bengal hit straight back through Ranti Mendes! 4-3 at half time this could turn into anything!!!!!
Bengal started the second half strongly pinning us on our line as we struggled to retain possession.
With both Appiah & Seong Yong's fitness levels both dropping below 50% I made the difficult decision to replace them at the hour mark.
This was, of course, followed by Ranti Martins' hat trick to level the game again at 4 all!
On 67 minutes Mustapha Riga restored our lead from the penalty spot after a foul in the box on replacement Joy Ferrao. Riga then added another on 83 minutes to effectively hand us the trophy in an action packed decider.
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An absolute classic, 'nough said! And what do we receive for this herculean effort you ask?
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That's right 2.52k lol better then nothing I suppose but Asian football is the real prize!
Award News
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This gave me another little laugh. Clifford spent the first part of the season on loan at ISL side Goa. At the point at which he was given the award he had never played a game for us as he returned to the club injured. Never the less he dedicates the award to me.
Appreciate the sentiment but I don't think I can take too much credit for his performances lol
. Good luck chief, will definitely be following this.