Prayag United SC squad for the 2012/13 season

Big spending Prayag United SC are one of the teams the Indian football fans can look forward to in the upcoming 2012/13 season. The side from Kolkata have signed some of the best talent available in India.

Star players like goalkeeper Subrata Pal, defender Gouramangi Singh and Nigerian striker Ranty Martins Soleye have joined the team, and with Costa Rican World Cupper Carlos Hernández Valverde, the club has made one of the biggest signings in the Indian football circuit in recent years.

It will be interesting to see if coach Sanjay Sen and his men can fulfil the clubs and their sponsors ambitions.


Prayag United SC

Goalkeepers
1-Subrata Pal (Pune FC), 21-Sangram Mukherjee (Mohun Bagan AC), 31-Ishan Debnath (Mumbai FC), 40-Arindam Ghosh (Chirag United Kerala)

Defenders
2-Chinta Chandrashekar Rao, 3-Ravinder Singh (East Bengal Club), 4-Gour Naskar (Southern Samity), 6-Bello Razaq, 17-Deepak Kumar Mondal, 18-Sukhen Dey, 19-Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh (Churchill Brothers SC), 25-L. Dhanachandra Singh (Mumbai FC), 29-Anupam Sarkar, 31-Dipak Mondal Jr (Techno Aryan Club), 35-Soumik Rai (BNR, Kolkata), 36-Bapi Saha

Midfielders
7-Baldeep Singh (Pune FC), 8-Lal Kamal Bhowmick, 11-Mundampara P. Sakeer (Churchill Brothers SC), 12-Gouranga Biswas, 13-James Lukram Singh, 15-Snehashish Dutta, 20-Asif Kottayil (Chirag United Kerala), 22-Lester Mark Fernandez (Pune FC), 24-Francis Xavier, 26-Thoudam Joychandra Singh, 27-Usman Ashik (Chirag United Kerala), 28-Shylo Malswam Tulunga, 30-C.K. Vineeth (Chirag United Kerala), 32-Tapan Maity (Mohammedan Sporting Club), 33-Bivas Sarkar (Pathachakra, Bengal),

Forwards
9-Ranty Martins Soleye (Dempo SC), 16-Carlos Hernández Valverde (Melbourne Victory, AUSTRALIA), 14-Mohammed Rafique, 23-Shankar Sil, 25-Shankar Oraon

Official
Sanjay Sen (Coach), Anjan Nath (Assistant Coach), Per Henrikson (Goalkeeping Coach), Djair De Miranda Gracia (Physical Trainer), Dr. Aniruddha Ghosh (Team Doctor), Sanjoy Das (Physio)


Players Released
Somnath Khara, Narugopal Hait, Jayanta Sen (all Mohammedan Sporting Club), Justine Stephen, Subhas Chakraborty, Yakubu Yusif (all Mumbai FC), Abhijit Mondal, Arnab Mondal (both East Bengal Club), Denson Devadas, Arjun Chatterjee (both Mohun Bagan AC), Sheikh Shabbir Ali (United Sikkim FC), Jagroop Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Soumik Chakraborty, F. Liandala, Crispin Chetri, Sena, Suhas S.N.Josimar da Silva Martins, Kayne Vincent

Prayag United sign Costa Rican Carlos Hernandez

Kolkata I-League side Prayag United SC yesterday signed and unveiled the 30 year old Costa Rican World Cupper Carlos Hernández Valverde as their latest signing. The midfielder comes to India on a one year contract and joins Prayag United from Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory.

Hernandez was given the no. 16 jersey and said, "I am really happy to be associated with Prayag United Sports Club. I am looking forward to this new opportunity and challenges."

Hernandez is one of the most high profile signings by Prayag United SC ever, who had earlier sealed deals with India no.1 goalkeeper Subrata Pal, India centre-back Gouramangi Singh and last season highest I-League goalscorer Ranty Martins Soleye.

Hernandez has 30 international matches to his name for Costa Rica having played for the country's under-20 and under-23 teams. He had played his last international against France in which he scored a cracker of a goal.

Hernandez played for LD Alajuelense in the Costa Rican league before shifting to Melbourne in 2007, first on loan and then permanently and he has been one of the A-League stars during his time in Australia having scored 36 goals in 121 matches.

By signing Carlos Hernandez, Prayag United SC show even more their ambitions to challenge for the I-League title this season after the signings made earlier.

Carlos Hernandez to play Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup match!

Costa Rica international midfielder Carlos Hernández Valverde is set to be in Kolkata this week for talks with I-League side Prayag United SC to possibly sign and play for them. While in Kolkata Hernández is set to play for the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) XI in a charity match, the Debanjan Sen Memorial Cup, against a football team of the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) at the latters home in Ballygunge, Kolkata on Thursday, June 28 evening.

Besides Hernández, former Costa Rica international Steven Bryce Valerio will also be in Kolkata with him and will also play for the FPAI XI in the match.

The FPAI will once more organise the memorial match in the name of their former employee the late Debanjan Sen, who died in an motorbike accident last year. Debanjan, who was very much liked in football circles, was only 22 years old.

The FPAI XI will also see some of India's best football talent especially those who were close to Debanjan Sen and they include Mehtab Hossain (FPAI Player of the Year 2011), Syed Rahim Nabi (FPAI Player of the Year 2012), Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, Deepak Kumar Mondal, Subrata Pal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Anit Kumar Ghosh, Arindam Bhattacharya (who will play as a centre forward), Dipendu Biswas and many more.

FPAI president Baichung Bhutia is highly sought after by both teamsand it looks likely that he will be strengthening the CC&FC defence rather than playing for his own FPAI team.

Last year the match was held and had ended in a 0-0 draw. The match will kick-off at 7 pm on Thursday, June 28.