Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
VASCO: The Tilak Maidan will once again come to life on Sunday when former champions Churchill Brothers will play their first home game of the season against Mumbai FC.
The match will be played at 4 30 p.m.
Underdogs Churchill will try to go all out to log in full points and raise their game one notches higher. They have gone through the hard grind for the past three days.
Churchill will have the support of their only foreign recruit on Sunday as Anthony Wolfe is back with the team and could make a world of difference as far as scoring goes. The rest of the team looks to remain unchanged under the watchful eyes of hard working coach Alfredo, who must be credited with a very good showing against Bagan despite the fact that the team had only four combined practices.
Manager Danzie Ferrao stated that they were yet to register another three players and that the final 18 would be finalised on Saturday.
“We will give our best no matter what. We have entered the arena late, but that can no longer be an excuse. We have players who have the talent and they are ready to prove it. This is a big challenge for us, to shine on the big stage” exclaimed Danzie.
“We are almost ready on the organisational front. We are still working hard, this being our first match. Minor hiccups are there, but with the SAG and GFA providing full backing, things will fall in place. We have been working overtime,” disclosed Anthony Mum Fernandes, the general coordinator.
The match commissionner, Ravi Shankar as well as the AIFF official Akshay Rohatagi arrived on Friday to oversee the arrangements. They inspected the venue and other facilities like the dressing rooms, medical room, dope room, press room, the mixed zone, the pitch, dug-outs and prepared for a pre-match press briefing tomorrow at 4 p.m at the stadium. A rehearsal with the flag bearers, ball boys and stretcher volunteers is also scheduled on Saturday.
“We expect a full crowd, this being the first big match and that to on a Sunday. Tickets have been priced at Rs 100 and are expected to go on sale from Sunday morning at the venue so as to avoid rush at the last moment. Fans are essential to cheer the players and the Vasco stadium has always been packed for such important matches,” remarked Anthony, who added that many Salcete fans were also expected to throng to the stadium and root for the home team.
A fully-charged Mumbai FC arrived in the state on Friday, a day earlier, and had a feel of the turf to prove their seriousness in search of three full points. They have several Goan stars namely Kattimani, Victorino, Pratesh besides several other stalwarts which make the outstation team a formidable lot especially after their narrow solitary goal win over DSK Shivajians earlier in the first round with Manipur’s Thoi Singh scoring the match-winner.
With head coach Santosh Kashyap, Mumbai started on a winning note, producing a disciplined performance in the Maharashtra derby at Cooperage. The win was all the more precious for Mumbai as they played without a foreign recruit.
