Get It India!

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Thought I'd just do a little update with some interesting(?) developments in Indian Football.

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I-League Update

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Clifford Miranda becomes the new Dempo boss.

Miranda was a favourite of mine while I was at Dempo, pleased to see him get a chance to further his off field career.



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National Team Update

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We (India) have qualified for the Asian Cup for just the 4th time in history. Congratulations to Wim Koevermans & his side. Still think I could do better though LMAO :P

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Up to 129th in the world. Never thought to check where we started at but this is the first time I haven't had to scroll down the rankings to find us. With the likes of Afghanistan & Bangladesh still ahead of us we can definitely still improve too. Also interesting to see Qatar on top of the Asian rankings, no doubt with a squad full of Brazilian converts!

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Had to share this one

It has just turned July 1 so I am in the process of sifting through a lot of newly released players in an attempt to improve my squad, when I come across this guy....

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That's right a 39 year old Damien Duff! & not only is he willing to join but check out his demands.

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475!!! Was tempted to sign him just so someone out there would recognise one of my players! This is not the Indian Super(annuation) League though lol :P


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Off-Season Update

New Faces

Diogo Salomao

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Undoubtedly the biggest signing of the year. Almost missed out on him!

I was browsing national squads, saw his name & as a Deportivo fan recognised him, thought I won't even bother clicking on him, he'll never come. How wrong I was! A real game changer!!! Hopefully.

Aryn Williams

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A guy who really impressed me at Dempo. When I saw his contract was up I snapped him up quick-smart. An Aussie who holds Indian Citizenship what more could I ask for?

Dika

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Actually my first signing for the year. Bought in to add some width which we lacked last year. Has averaged 7+ every season since I started this save.

Narayan Das

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Another guy I had at Dempo. Bought him in as cover at LB as Falganco Cardozo wanted too big a salary hike. A fringe international so will be more than capable of doing a job for me.

Jovel D'Souza

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Lost my back-up keeper on a free transfer but was more than happy to replace him with Jovel. He is the current India under 21's incumbent. A good pick up.

Season Expectations

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No debate to be had. I have been given a 50% increase in my wage budget & there is no longer any excuses. It's the title or the unemployment line!


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2018/19 Schedule

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Without a doubt the most interesting pre-season to date. Our continuing participation in the ACC means that we will only get 3 friendlies in before our first competitive match instead of the usual 12-15.

Some More Targets

Still exploring opportunities to strengthen my squad & thought I might as well share my top targets.

Mrisho Ngasa

Profile

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Demands

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Yeah, I've never heard of him either. His stats look pretty good though & his demands are only slightly above what I can offer.
I am still light on right sided wide options so he could be a possibility.

Luke Brattan

Profile

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Demands

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Followers of the A-League will no doubt recognise Luke. He has been fairly impressive with the Brisbane Roar for the last few years but whether that is reflected in his in game ability I'm not sure. His demands are a bit on the high side but I will be keeping an eye on him none the less.

Darren Rao

Profile

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Demands

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Will almost definitely be making an offer for this guy. A young striker with a terrific upside. His demands are reasonable & his squad status should mean he wont complain to much about long stints on the bench.

So there are my top 3 targets, what do ya's think? Any comments or recommendations welcome!

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Ngasa is looking good! With the increase in Wages, hopefully you win the league! :D
 
Lippo255 said:
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2018/19 Schedule

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Without a doubt the most interesting pre-season to date. Our continuing participation in the ACC means that we will only get 3 friendlies in before our first competitive match instead of the usual 12-15.

Some More Targets

Still exploring opportunities to strengthen my squad & thought I might as well share my top targets.

Mrisho Ngasa

Profile

View attachment 740808

Demands

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Yeah, I've never heard of him either. His stats look pretty good though & his demands are only slightly above what I can offer.
I am still light on right sided wide options so he could be a possibility.

Luke Brattan

Profile

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Demands

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Followers of the A-League will no doubt recognise Luke. He has been fairly impressive with the Brisbane Roar for the last few years but whether that is reflected in his in game ability I'm not sure. His demands are a bit on the high side but I will be keeping an eye on him none the less.

Darren Rao

Profile

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Demands

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Will almost definitely be making an offer for this guy. A young striker with a terrific upside. His demands are reasonable & his squad status should mean he wont complain to much about long stints on the bench.

So there are my top 3 targets, what do ya's think? Any comments or recommendations welcome!

​
Click to expand...

Yea i like the look of ngasa, but i am a sucker for an Aussie so am torn between my head & heart lol

With the addition of Diogo Salomao (& the rest) im feeling confident about the league & even giving the ACC a shake but you never know in this game. My luck Salomao will injure himself in pre-season & be out for the year lol
 
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Quarter Final Draw

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A very good draw for us IMO. North Korean side April 25. I would consider us favourites for sure. Their squad in almost all greyed out but for a few youngsters, none of which are rated over 1 & a half stars by my scouts! Very winnable!!!

The first leg will be played in North Korea on the 28th of August with the return leg in Kolkata on September 18.

More New Faces

Mrisho Ngasa

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Just couldn't pass him up. On paper he looks very impressive, let's hope it translates to on field performances.

Darren Rao

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As promised I made the move for the young Indian striker. Barring injury he wont play much this year but lets hope he can realise some of his potential & become a good player for us.

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Pre-Season Report

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Just the 3 friendlies to report on before our trip to North Korea.

With only limited time to prepare I selected as near to my strongest 11 for each game. The result? 2 wins & a draw.

To be honest the results are of no interest to me. The performances (all in all) were pretty good, all things considered, & I can take some confidence from that. Would have liked a bit more time to prepare but such is life.

Tactics

Am changing things up this year. Have gone with 3 distinctly different formations in an attempt to be more unpredictable.

Old Faithful

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The more defensive version of the tactic I used all last year. To begin with it was very effective at retaining possession, restricting the opposition & generally getting results.

A Step Back in Time

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The formation I won the league with at Dempo. Spent the off-season acquiring "wide" players with the intent to bring this one back.

My Little Dirty Secret

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Not too sure if the great KLIPPYBO has ever laid eyes on this thread but, true to my word mate, I have pinched your tactic.

This one is way more attacking then I am usually comfortable with but it proved extremely successful for him (http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...er-stories/218338-aberdeen-fc-sheep-fire.html) & was quite impressive in pre-season so I'm sticking with it.

This is the closest I've ever gone to downloading a tactic & I kind of feel dirty to be honest but F it I want to win!!! LOL ;)
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Quarter Final 1st Leg

April 25 vs East Bengal

Line-ups

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Despite the fact that we are away I've chosen to attack. We are the better side & we need to let them know that.

With no foreign player restrictions in the ACC it has also allowed me to select a very strong 11. New signings Diogo Salomao, Aryn Williams & Mrisho Ngasa all feature in their first competitive game for the club.

Result

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A massacre, pure & simple. On paper it may appear that April 25 were a bit unlucky to lose by such a margin but in all honesty they were never a chance. Most of their shots were from distance & came after we were already 4 goals to the good.

In a side that didn't have a bad player Mrisho Ngasa was a clear standout scoring a goal & dishing up 2 assists.

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Quarter Final 2nd Leg

East Bengal vs April 25

Line-ups

Once again I have forgot this! No idea what my problem is remembering it. I suppose I am just in a hurry to get into the game.

To be honest you can pretty much just flick back to the first leg as nothing much has changed from game to game.

Result

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Not as comfortable as the first leg but another win. My biggest challenge was keeping the boys focused.

We Went ahead early on before going to sleep & allowing them to equalise. Shortly after the half we fell behind but immediately hit back to level the scores again. We left it late to secure the victory but in the end we walked away with a healthy 8-2 aggregate win.

But at what cost?......

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Dialo Guidileye - Twisted ankle 6-7 weeks!

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Peter Opiyo - Twisted ankle 6-7 weeks!!!

That's both my first choice central midfielders gone for as good as 2 months. Iban Salvador also left the field injured meaning we finished the game with 10 men but thankfully he had made a miraculous recovery upon full time.

With injuries to my central pair I am now in 2 minds whether to push through it & hope my back ups can do the job or make a move for Aussie midfielder Luke Brattan. Decisions, decisions! :S

Other Results

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So we are joined in the semi finals by Vietnamese side Gia Lai, Muangthong Utd of Thailand & Indian Champions Pune FC whose game was played the day before.

I can only imagine that having 2 of the 4 ACC semi-finalists will see the leagues reputation sky rocket this year, fingers crossed anyway.

Semi-Final Draw

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So we get the Vietnamese side Gia Lai & Pune will have the tough task of facing Thai side Muangthong Utd. Once again the draw has been kind to us. Could we really go all the way? What are the chances of an all Indian final???

Some very interesting times ahead!

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Injury update

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It seems due to the sporadic scheduling of the ACC my midfielders will only miss 1 game. The away trip to Vietnam.

However......

Luke Brattan

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Any excuse to sign an Aussie LOL.

In my defence he had lowered his demands to a completely reasonable 1.5k which I then negotiated down to 1.2k so really he was a bargain! & who can pass up a bargain LMAO!!!

In all honesty though when all my options are available I am now going to have a real juggling act on my hands to keep everyone happy. Lets hope I'm up to the task.

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Indian Clubs Out To Make History

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Confederation Cup semi-finalists FC Pune & East Bengal will be out to make history when they step onto the field for their respective matches. Only twice in the 14 year history of the competition has an Indian side made the semi final stage (Dempo, 2008 & East Bengal 2013) with no side ever going on to reach the final.

Indian football clubs in Asian competition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A few years ago the idea that Indian clubs would represent 2 of the 4 ACC semi-finalists would have been dismissed as ridiculous, an all Indian final, laughable.

Asked to give his thoughts on the results Indian footballing legend & former East Bengal manager Armando Colaco had this to say.

"It is evidence of the remarkable progress the game has made in the country over the last 5 years." Colaco continued
"I'm sure I speak for Indian football fans everywhere when I wish the guys luck in not only making the final but bringing home the trophy."​
 
DeathRage said:
Going well, mate!
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Yea mate, having scouted my opposition im fairly confident we can make the final.

They have some very good prospects but at the moment it looks as though they are all potential, if we perform well we should win!
 
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Semi-Final 1st Leg
Tuesday 2/10/2018

Gia Lai vs East Bengal
Attendance: 21,138

Line-ups

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Once again I've gone out to attack. They're a young side so i don't want to let them ease into the game & have it become an arm wrestle.

The longer they think they're a chance the more likely it is they will rise to the occasion. That's my thought process anyway.

Highlights

13 min - Our Keeper smashes a clearance into an on running striker the ball falls straight into his path & he taps home into an empty net! 1-0. Not a great start.

23 min - Lalkamal Bhowmick both wins a free kick then proceeds to bury the resultant free kick into the back of the net. 1-1. We strike straight back. Bhowmick has a habit of getting us out of trouble.

30 min - Iban Salvador deftly evades his marker, goes one on one with the keeper but doesn't even test him :S

32 min - Diogo Salomao burns his opponent, whips a pin point cross onto the foot of Salvador who hits his shot straight at the keeper!!! Luckily Shayne D'Cunha is there to tap home on the rebound. 1-2. We lead!

37 min - A superb counter, which starts on the edge of our box, ends with Luke Brattan sliding a through ball to Iban Salvador who, unselfishly, cuts the ball back across goal to hand D'Cunha his second for the match. 1-3.

43 min - Salomao once again skins his opponent, cuts into the box & is hacked down as he is about to shoot. Penalty!

Oh no, Salomao stays down! He's coming off!!! NOT EVEN A CARD!!!!!

I'm forced to bring on young striker Darren Rao (Out of position), Salvador keeps his nerve & scores from the spot. 1-4.

Halftime - I tell the boys I'm happy!

50 min - I switch formations to my narrow 4-5-1 & sub out Ngasa, he's looking complacent & Gia Lai are finding far too much space through the centre.

77 min - They have been pushing hard for a good 10 minutes but we are resisting them with ease.

79 min - Had to say it, they score a soft goal from a corner. 2-4 :S

83 min - Now Salvador has gone down injured! This is getting disastrous!!!

Fulltime - It's over. We will take a 2 goal lead back to Kolkata!

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Injury count

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Luckily it's just a gashed leg for Iban, still 2 to 3 weeks though? It must be quite a gash!

Thankfully that is all. Salomao has recovered & will not miss any football, Phew! I was cursing my luck for a while there.

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With good reason too. Never even got a look in domestically but i am glad to see that someone has taken notice of his terrific performances for us!

Other Results

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So Pune go away from home & get a win as well. All things are pointing to an all Indian final. Unbelievable!!!

Still plenty of football to be played though, so let's not get ahead of ourselves!





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Some Bad News

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OK, so he is not first choice but he is key to me as back up for Diogo Salomao. Since signing he has played 2 friendlies for us & been injured for the rest of the time. :S

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Sounds like good news right? That's what I thought until I read the next news item.

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God ****!!!

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:'( :'( :'(

With midfield duo Opiyo & Guidileye not due back until the day before the semi, back up striker Sarkar out, Salvador questionable & now D'Cunha & Dika missing our depth will definitely be tested in the return leg. Starting to get a very bad feeling about this.


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Good first leg result! How unlucky with injuries though! FM Gods not looking out for you at the minute!
 
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Semi-Final 2nd Leg
Tuesday 23/10/2018

East Bengal vs Gia Lai
Attendance: 31,972

Line ups

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A change in formation for this game. The attacking 4-4-2 was leaving me a bit vulnerable defensively, don't want to give up an early goal & end up with a nervy game. Also with all the injuries I just don't have the cattle to play 2 up top.

Highlights

28 sec - Yea, that's right seconds!!! Iban Salvador dribbles at a retreating defence, they fail to close him down allowing him to measure the perfect pass to Ngasa to get in behind & finish. 1-0. Ooh what a start!!!

3 min - A Gaikwad long throw bounces around the box before falling to Brattan to have a snap, over! We have started very well.

9 min - A seemingly wasteful Salvador hit & hope from the edge of the area some how finds the back of the net. 2-0. We're cruising to the final!

30 min - A poor clearance from one of their defenders finds Brattan who slides a pass through to Salvador to go 1 on 1 with the keeper. Saved!

31 min - We win the ball straight back, Salvador picks out the perfect pass to Ngasa who once again slots it home from close range. 3-0.

33 min - A questionable foul by Salvador results in a free kick on the edge of our box. Pham Thanh Tuan steps up & deftly slots it in over the wall. 3-1

44 min - A Das cross finds Ngasa unmarked on the far post. His first shot is saved, then his follow up is also saved before he is brought down. Penalty! Ngasa steps up & completes his hat trick 4-1

Halftime - Well done boys, keep it up!

59 min - With he final all but guaranteed I sub out Ngasa & Salvador.

73 min - Again they are finishing the game strongly but we are holding them out & really who cares They need 6 goals!

80 min - I get Salomao off just in case.

Fulltime - We're through to the final! Let the celebrations begin!

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So who will our opponents be??

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Pune secure the "dream" all Indian final with a 2-1 victory at home. An absolutely remarkable result! History has already been made & whatever happens an Indian side will be the ACC champions! incredible!!!

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