VIDEO: Services 4-3 Kerala on penalties

Here footage made by a fan from the stands of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi during yesterday's penalty shootout between Services and Kerala, which shows the great passion of the Kerala fans for football.

67th Santosh Trophy: Services win trophy by edging Kerala 4-3 on penalties

Services needed penalties to defend their Santosh Trophy title in the final of the 67th edition of the competition against the co-hosts Kerala at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi to win their overall third title.

Kerala right-back Surjith's shot hit the horizontal and the Services players erupted in unbridled joy. For the visitors, Dhanji Singh, Sharwan Kumar, Dileep M. and Kiran K. Varghese scored while two shots were saved by Kerala custodian Jean Christian. For the hosts, Rino Anto, Abdul Basid and Sarath B.T. found the back of the net.

After the game Services striker Lalian Mawia was adjudged the Man of the Match.

It was always going to be a battle of who blinks first. And Kerala blinked, but not without a fight. A riveting essay of 120 minutes which needed penalty shoot-outs to settle the dust, the final of the National Championships gifted the 35,000 odd spectators a great game of football.

Congratulating the Services team, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said, "I congratulate the Services team for winning the 67th Santosh Trophy. It was a great game of football and I am overwhelmed with the turnout. It must be very motivating for the players as well playing in front of a full house. Overall, the ambience was amazing."

At the closing ceremony, Chief Guest the Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was introduced to the players of both the teams and officials, while he was accompanied by Kushal Das along with K. Babu, Chairman of the organising committee and Minster of Excise, Fisheries, and Ports of Kerala; K.M.I. Mather, President of Kerala Football Association and Executive Chairman of the Organising Committee.

Coming to the match, it was end to end stuff from the first whistle. Amidst deafening chants came Kerala's first real chance in the 11th minute. Kannan – shrugging off his injury and playing in the final – latched on to a cross from the midfield inside the 18-yard box but his strike brought out the best in goalkeeper Nano Singh of Services. Usman then dribbled past defenders in the 15th minute but his shot lacked sting and went straight into the hands of the custodian, who was the busier of the two in the opening exchanges.

The visitors though had one golden opportunity to surge in front as early as in the 6th minute. But the hero of the second semifinal Lalian Mawia shot over from inside the box. Mawia had another chance to make amends in the 25th minute when he was set up on top of the box by Subrata Sarkar. But this time the goalkeeper Jean Christian blocked his effort.

Change of ends saw no change of fortunes for either outfit. They played with same verve but the elusive goal was not coming. If Kerala's rearguard must be credited for their assiduity, the defending champions' custodian Nano proved to be a rock under the bar. The midfield battle was intriguing too as both the finalists could successfully read each other's moves, thus increasing the interception rate.

The crowd was getting impatient as time wore on and so were Kerala. Sajith's jinking run from the heart of the defence was testimony to their impatience. But the centre back was intercepted on the edge of the box by his counterpart Sumesh P.S.

In extra-time, Kerala looked the more purposeful side. Not only did they raid the rival citadel frequently, but the hosts also defended sturdily. Goalkeeper Jean Christian deserves a special mention here for his couple of acrobatic saves.

Usman came closest twice in each half. His shot off Shibin Lal's spadework flew inches over the bar in the 105th minute. Early on in the second half of extra-time, the striker's effort hit the chest of the goalkeeper after he was set up by substitute Nazarudeen beautifully.

Services lacked teeth upfront and the reason was the absence of their top goal getter V.V. Farhad due to injury. Kerala also missed the services of left winger Vineeth Anthony. It of course did not matter at the end.

(Report & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)

67th Santosh Trophy: Hosts Kerala take on defending champions Services

The final of the 67th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will be played tomorrow between defending champions Services and co-hosts Kerala at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi after a month of football.

"We can beat them!" - these were the four words stressed upon by the two coaches of Kerala and Services ahead of their mouthwatering summit clash.

If Services Coach Sajith Kumar feels that the fitness level of his wards coupled with the knack of scoring late goals gives them the edge over the fancied hosts, his counterpart M.M. Jacob is of the opinion that massive home support along with the appetite to regain the coveted title after nine long years makes his side the favourites.

"We played really well in the second half of regulation time as well as extra-time. It is fascinating to see how the boys regrouped in the last quarter of the match scoring two goals in the space of nine minutes to clinch the match for us. I think this spirit can win us the title and after the semifinal win, I can assure you that the boys are highly motivated and raring to go," Kumar said.

"Kerala are a good side and the crowd will be behind them from the first whistle. But we will think that the crowd is cheering for us! That way it works and I have told the boys that," added Kumar smiling.

Jacob on the other hand feels that the strong home crowd will be a huge morale booster added to the desire to win the Santosh Trophy after a gap of nine years.

"It has been ages since we last won the Santosh Trophy. We came very near most of the times but lost our way."

Kerala has finished on the wrong side of a 1-2 scoreline when the two teams last met in the Santosh Trophy semifinals last year in Orissa.

"Our boys are much better prepared this time and the home support is a big advantage. I have always maintained that the crowd in this part of India is terrific and that will work for us, I am sure. We will definitely beat them. I may sound overambitious but I like saying that. We believe in that. We can beat them."

Both the outfits though are likely missing the services of their key strikers. Kerala's R. Kannan is doubtful after an an ankle injury, while Farhad of Services is certain to sit out after picking up a knock in the semifinal against Punjab.

"We have players who can fill the void. Lalian Mawia played so well last night scoring two goals. He along with Dhanji, who is a very versatile footballer, can form a formidable strike pair. Yes of course Farhad will be missed. He was the top goal getter last season. But we have to deal with such situations," the Services Coach maintained.

The Kerala Coach though was optimistic about Kannan's recuperation before the all important match. "He is injured but I think he will be fit in time. He is doing well and is a key player for us. I have my fingers crossed."

67th Santosh Trophy: Services need extra-time to overcome Punjab, face Kerala in final

The neutral crowd at the Jawaharlal Stadium was today treated to another cliffhanger as defending champions Services came back from behind to beat 10-man Punjab 3-1 in the second semifinal of the 67th Santosh Trophy in Kochi. Services now meet co-hosts Kerala in the final on Sunday, March 3.

Punjab looked the more purposeful side in the opening exchanges of the tie and were rewarded for their attacking intent in the 20th minute when Rohit's header from Taranjit Singh's pass took a deflection off Vijay Kumar's chest to enter the goal. Two minutes later, Harnek Singh's boys almost doubled the lead. Gagandeep Bali took a sharp turn inside the box after being fed by Taranjit from the right flank, but his effort was inches wide. Taranjit was impressive down the right flank sending in smart crosses which at times looked threatening. One such floater was met by Rohit in the 35th minute but his strike missed the target by a whisker.

The defending champions were denied room in the middle of the park which has been there key operation area with fleet footed players like Shadip Rai and Z.V. Horin deprived of space to orchestrate goalmouth chances. The two chances that befell upon them were in the 40th and 45th minute respectively. First it was V.V. Farhad who missed a gilt-edged opportunity from close range. His bungle was followed by Horin's strike which went agonizingly off target.

Playing a high line post the breather, Services got their first real chance to equalise in the 52nd minute when Farhad released Subrata Sarkar on top of the box. But the latter tried to improvise with a backheel which backfired. Sanjith Kumar's wards played with more intent stringing together passes cohesively.

Things turned dicey when Taranjit was given marching orders in the 57th minute after being booked for the second time in the match for play-acting. Services capitalised on the numerical advantage in the dying minutes of the match with substitute Lalian Mawia equalising in the 86th minute. It stayed one-all in regulation time and the match went into extra-time.

In the end Taranjit's untimely exit was a big blow for Punjab and proved to be detrimental in their quest for a place in the finale as Dhanji Singh and Lalian Mawia scored in the span of nine minutes of the second half extra-time to dash Punjab's hopes of a final berth after hanging on to their 20th minute lead commendably well in spite of being a man down early in the second half.

67th Santosh Trophy: Humdinger on the cards as Services meet Punjab

In the second semifinal of the 67th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy defending champions Services take on seven time winners Punjab at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi tomorrow. And it will be a battle of wits when two heavyweights cross swords.

While Punjab are likely to play the aerial ball more to help their tall strikers like Amandeep Singh and Prem Kumar make early forays into the Services defence, the defending champions would prefer to string together short passes which suits their fleet footed players like Z.V. Zorin and Shadip Rai.

It will be interesting to see how the two coaches – Sajith Kumar of Services and Harnik Singh of Punjab – strategize to counter each other's different style of play. For the moment though, they preferred to hold their cards close to their chests.

"They play the aerial ball more because of the tall players in their arsenal. Our style is completely different as we play more possession football and ground passes. We like to open spaces as our players are suited to that. Our flank movement is very god and am banking a lot of that. My players are very fast with the ball and without it too. This is our advantage. Well, obviously we have got a plan to counter their game play but let's not get into that too much," Sajith Kumar quipped.

"Punjab are a very strong side and they have done really well to reach this far. They are gelling well and we have to put our best foot forward in order to win," added the Services Coach.

Punjab have won all their three quarterfinal matches in what was a Group of Death with 31-times champions Bengal, last year's semifinalists Manipur and an in-form Karnataka.

For Services, who won the trophy after more than half a century last year, it has been a mixed bag thus far. Starting their campaign with a draw against Railways, they mauled Madhya Pradesh 6-0 before toiling hard to beat Orissa 2-0.

Kumar though does not want to dwell on the past. "We did have a mixed outing in the quarterfinals but I thought my boys showed character to wriggle out of difficulties and played some scintillating football as well, against MP."

The match will kick-off at 18-30 IST and will be LIVE on DD SPORTS.

Services' Coach Sajith Kumar: We had a good Preparatory Camp for 25 days!

An almost full squad to choose from, fresh legs raring to go and almost a month's preparation time! What more can a team ask for before heading into a tournament, that too for the final stages? Defending champions Services can tick all the above mentioned boxes ahead of their first Group A quarterfinal encounter against Railways in the 67th Santosh Trophy. The other two teams in their Group are Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking to AIFF Media, coach Sajith Kumar, the man under whom Services won the coveted crown last year, said, "We have a full strength squad at our disposal. Gordon (Zormachane) and Sandu (Subba) are missing due to injuries but otherwise everyone is fit. The players are fresh and we had an excellent Preparatory Camp for 25 days prior to coming here."

Services have so far won two Santosh Trophy titles – if the first happened way back in 1961 in Kozhikode, the second crown came in the last edition in Cuttack.

Sajith added, "But at the same time we have to remember that nothing comes easy at this stage of the competition. We have been clubbed in a very tough group, especially with Railways. The first match will be very crucial in determining our fate. We have to win it in order to progress to the semifinals."

Kumar made no secret about the fact that for his side, the Santosh Trophy stays the main tournament and they prepare for it throughout the year. "Though we had a 25-day camp before the quarterfinal stage, I would be candid enough to admit that the Santosh Trophy stays the main focus for us. We look forward to it throughout the year. The boys feel this is the only opportunity for them to make a mark," he pronounced.

Is there any pressure of being the defending champions? "It was indeed euphoric last time round. Our confidence level scaled heights and we are still carrying it. I would not say that we are basking in the glory but the boys are upbeat and they don't feel any sort of pressure. They want to hit the greens and continue from where they left last year."

That certainly won't be music to the ears of all other rival coaches.

(Interview & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)

AIFF all praise for Services and Tamil Nadu!

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy was played from May 11 to 28 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh. It ended yesterday with Services beating Tamil Nadu 3-2 in the final.

The All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das congratulated the Services team for winning the 66th edition of the Santosh Trophy at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium besides their consistent performance and discipline throughout the tournament. This is Services' second triumph in the tournaments long history, the earlier one being in 1960-61.

Mr. Das also hailed the performance of the young Tamil Nadu side who ended up as runners-up. "This was the first time Tamil Nadu made it to the final of the Santosh Trophy after forty years. The average age of the boys was between 23-24 and that's commendable indeed. I sincerely believe the performance will inspire a new generation to take up the sport," Kushal Das said.

Mr. Das also had a word of praise for the President of the Tamilnadu Football Association, Seni Mohinudden. "Under his leadership, football in Tamil Nadu is surely on the rise. His energy, enthusiasm and dedication will certainly go a long way in developing the sport in Tamil Nadu," he added. "I look forward to working with him for the development of the sport in the state and country in general."

66th Santosh Trophy: Complete Tournament Statistics

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy was played from May 11 to 28 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh. In total 34 teams are taking part in the inter-state tournament with Services winning the tournament.


GROUPINGS & FIXTURES

Preliminary Round - Cluster Stage

Cluster-I - Sambalpur
Jharkhand, Delhi, Andaman&Nicobar Island, Gujarat

11-May-2012: Jharkhand 9-0 Andaman&Nicobar Island
[30,36,83 Anjan Dey, 34 Subash Majhi, 53,77 Bosen Murmu, 74,81 Gurumati Mukhi, 90+1 Subansh Deogun]
11-May-2012: Delhi 4-0 Gujarat
[7,71 Kamal Singh, 59,83 David Ngaihte]
13-May-2012: Andaman&Nicobar Island 0-13 Delhi
[7,23,50 Deepak Mehra, 41,44,60,81 Monu Choudhary, 56,75 Kamal Sngh, 68 P.S. Rawat, 82 Vikas Rawat, 86,91 David Ngaihte]
13-May-2012: Gujarat 2-1 Jharkhand
[G: 29 Sagar Thapa, 73 I. Sheikh; J: 70 Sachin Jariya]
15-May-2012: Andaman&Nicobar Island 1-12 Gujarat
[A: 60 Manuah; G: 16,67,85,90 Mehul Rana, 37,75 Jahid Pathan, 46 Dipesh Pun, 61,79 Sagar Thapa, 65 Imtiyaz Shaikh, 78 Aamir Pathan, 81 Mandeep Barad]
15-May-2012: Jharkhand 1-3 Delhi
[J: 85 Anjan Dey; D: 44,62 Mahender Singh, 79 Kamal Singh]

Cluster-II - Cuttack
Kerala, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh

11-May-2012: Kerala 4-0 Tripura
[45,69 Usman P., 63 Firos K., 85 V. Antony]
13-May-2012: Tripura 2-3 Himachal Pradesh
[T: 66 Premjit Singh Barua, 74 Arjit Singh Barua; H: 10,38 Chandan Kumar, 72 Pawan Thakur]
15-May-2012: Himachal Pradesh 0-4 Kerala
[46 Rakesh K., 54,59 Vineeth Antony, 75 Mohammed Rasi]

Cluster-III - Baragarh
Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Pondicherry

11-May-2012: Chandigarh 2-1 Madhya Pradesh
[C: 11 Navdeep Singh, 27 Amrit Pal Singh; M: 85 Shiwang Kumar]
11-May-2012: Meghalaya 4-0 Pondicherry
[43 Ronnie McDonald Nongbri, 70 Niwan-O-Gathphoh, 78 Fullmoon Mukhim, 86 Restom Khriam]
13-May-2012: Madhya Pradesh 0-1 Meghalaya
[79 Bansharai Sun]
13-May-2012: Pondicherry 1-2 Chandigarh
[P: 78 Manikanandan; C: 14 Harminder Singh, 35 Gagandeep Singh]
15-May-2012: Madhya Pradesh 1-0 Pondicherry
[72 Prateek Lal]
15-May-2012: Meghalaya 5-1 Chandigarh
[M: 45+1,90 Bansharai Sun, 48 Timmy Ryngkhlem, 81 Regional Shadap, 90+4 Restom Khriam; C: 88 Harminder Singh]

Cluster-IV - Cuttack
Jammu&Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra

11-May-2012: Maharashtra 4-0 Arunachal Pradesh
[5 Reuben D'Souza, 59 Linekar Machando, 88 A. Sheikh, 90+2 Argha Chakraborty]
13-May-2012: Arunachal Pradesh 1-2 Jammu&Kashmir
[A: 30 T.C.Teli; J: 12 Khalid Umer, 69 Asif Majeed]
15-May-2012: Jammu&Kashmir 2-5 Maharashtra
[J: 65 Sandeep Sharma, 78 Aman Thapa; M: 7,63 Reuben D'Souza, 67 Kenistan C., 71 N.Z. Ur-Rehman, 73 Arvind George]

Cluster-V - Bhubaneswar
Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland

11-May-2012: Karnataka 5-0 Nagaland
[31 Ngurneilal Hmar, 56,85 Gopi, 68 Arun Pandian, 81 Prakash]
11-May-2012: Bihar 0-1 Uttar Pradesh
[78 Budhuram Soren]
13-May-2012: Nagaland 1-1 Bihar
[N: 85 K. Kiwe; B: 72 Murari Kumar]
13-May-2012: Uttar Pradesh 2-1 Karnataka
[U: 8 H.H. Khan, 62 Biru Yadav; K: 1 Gopi]
15-May-2012: Nagaland 2-3 Uttar Pradesh
[N: 18,30 Kin Sumi; U: 5 Suresh Patel, 30 Ballu Verma, 90+1 Mohammed Kammaluddin]
15-May-2012: Karnataka 5-0 Bihar
[39 B: Prakash, 48 Lokeshwar Singh, 49 Deepan Thapa, 69 Amoes, 77 S. Rajesh Jr.]

Cluster-VI - Cuttack
Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Rajasthan

12-May-2012: Uttarakhand 2-4 Rajasthan
[U: 5 Sishir Saha, 36 Rahul; R: 13,90+3 Parmaveer Singh, 38,89 Narendra Singh Rathore]
14-May-2012: Rajasthan 0-12 Mizoram
[11,17,41 F.Lalrinpuia, 12,77,79 Zico Zoremsanga, 42 David Lalthansanga, 55, 84 Malsawmdawngliana, 63 Lallawmzuala, 74 H. Malsawmtluanga, 87 David Lalrinmuana]
16-May-2012: Mizoram 6-0 Uttarakhand
[24 Lalchhawnkima, 53,84 F. Lalrinpuia, 71,74 Malsawmdawngliana, 80 Lalrinfela]

Cluster-VII - Bhubaneswar
Haryana, Sikkim, Assam, Daman&Diu

12-May-2012: Haryana 4-1 Daman&Diu
[H: 31,41 Pankaj Sura, 80,86 Abhisek; D: 35 Rahul Barath]
12-May-2012: Assam 5-2 Sikkim
[A: 12,45 Chayaram Basumatary, 40 Monoj Boro, 73,88 Manaj Manjit Chhetia; S: 20 Shanti Ram, 76 T. Bhutia (pen)]
14-May-2012: Daman&Diu 0-6 Assam
[7,17 Sayaram Basumatary, 12 Jayanta Basumatary, 19,41 Khirod Das, 59 Manas Manjit Chetia]
14-May-2012: Sikkim 1-4 Haryana
[S: ?; H: 14,74,77 Abhisek, 26 Pankaj Sura]
16-May-2012: Daman&Diu 1-4 Sikkim
[D: 21 Rahul Barath; S: 12,29 Bir Bahadur Pradhan, 81 Sanjay Chettri, 88 Bijay Subba]
16-May-2012: Haryana 2-0 Assam
[31 Abhisek, 81 Ajay]


Quarterfinal League - Group Stage:

Group-A - Cuttack
West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala (Cluster-II winner), Maharashtra (Cluster-IV winner)

18-May-2012: West Bengal 1-2 Maharashtra
[W: 71 Tarif Ahmed; M: 20 Kailash Patel, 70 Linekar Machando]
18-May-2012: Punjab 1-2 Kerala
[P: 38 Rohit Kumar; K: 73 Sajith T., 90+3 Shibinlal]
20-May-2012: Kerala 0-0 West Bengal
20-May-2012: Maharashtra 5-0 Punjab
[7 Vijith Shetty, 29,71,83 Kailash Patil, 88 Reuben D'Souza]
22-May-2012: Maharashtra 1-3 Kerala
[M: 8 Kailash Patil; K: 10 Surjith V.V., 72,81 R. Kannan]
22-May-2012: West Bengal 2-1 Punjab
[W: 17 Mohammed Mukhtar, 87 Tapan Maity; P: 16 Gurmeet Singh]

Group-B - Bhubaneswar
Manipur, Goa, Meghalaya (Cluster-III winner), Uttar Pradesh (Cluster-V winner)

18-May-2012: Manipur 1-0 Meghalaya
[62 L. Chaothoiba Singh]
18-May-2012: Goa 2-0 Uttar Pradesh
[54 Gabriel Fernandes , 61 Agnelo Colaco]
20-May-2012: Meghalaya 1-2 Goa
[M: 70 Bansharai Sun; G: 57 Sachin Gawas, 87 Gabriel Fernandes]
20-May-2012: Uttar Pradesh 0-6 Manipur
[32,53,65,68 L. Chaothoiba Singh, 78 Kh. Thoi Singh, 90+2 Kh. Naoton Singh]
22-May-2012: Meghalaya 3-0 Uttar Pradesh
[7 Ronnie McDonald Nongbri, 18 Bansharai Sun, 82 Timmy Ryngkhlem]
22-May-2012: Manipur 2-2 Goa
[M: 19 Kh. Thoi Singh, 70 M. Govin Singh; G: 26 Gabriel Fernandes, 45 Prathesh Shirodkar]

Group-C - Cuttack
Services, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Haryana (Cluster-VII winner)

19-May-2012: Services 4-0 Haryana
[8 Z. Horin, 67 Subrata Sarkar, 74,85 Farhad V.V.]
19-May-2012: Orissa 4-0 Chhattisgarh
[45+1,82, 90+1 Gokul Oram, 66 Antu Murmu]
21-May-2012: Haryana 1-1 Orissa
[H: 8 Abhisek; O: 44 Antu Murmu]
21-May-2012: Chhattisgarh 0-6 Services
[4,33,75 Farhad V.V., 44 Z. Horin, 62,90 Thyagarajan]
23-May-2012: Haryana 6-1 Chhattisgarh
[H: 5,67,83 Abhisek, 37 Habib Khan, 45 Ajay, 53 Devender; C: 54 K. Praveen]
23-May-2012: Orissa 1-1 Services
[O: 33 Gokul Oram (pen); S: 55 Gordon Zoramchhana]

Group-D - Bhubaneswar
Railways, Tamil Nadu, Delhi (Cluster-I winner), Mizoram (Cluster-VI winner)

19-May-2012: Railways 2-2 Mizoram
[R: 15 Gurpreet Singh, 45+2 Rizu; M: 40 V. Lalanpuia, 50 F. Lalrinpuia]
19-May-2012: Tamil Nadu 1-0 Delhi
[76 S. Karthik]
21-May-2012: Delhi 1-2 Railways
[D: 84 Vikash Rawat; R: 82 Lalmohan Hansda, 86 Gurpreet Singh]
21-May-2012: Mizoram 3-4 Tamil Nadu
[M: 2,22 F. Lalrinpuia, 88 Lalbiakhlua; T: 38 Charles Anandraj, 49,78 U. Jayakumar, 90+2 M. Ramesh]
23-May-2012: Mizoram 0-3 Delhi
[53 Mahendra Singh, 78 Dhiraj Singh, 87 Kamson Kabui]
23-May-2012: Railways 0-0 Tamil Nadu


Semifinals
25-May-2012: Kerala 1-2 Services
[K: 83 Vineet Anthony (pen); S: 5 Subrata Sarkar, 50 Mohammed Marsook (own Goal)]
26-May-2012: Manipur 0-2 Tamil Nadu
[35 A. Reagan, 85 M. David]

Final
28-May-2012: Services 3-2 Tamil Nadu
[S: 45 Sanju Subba, 49 Subrata Sarkar, 67 Farhad V.V.; T: 82 Santa Kumar, 89 M. Ramesh]

Services are winners of the 66th Santosh Trophy

Services are champions of the 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy winning 3-2 against Tamil Nadu at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. The tournament reached its climax today with the grand finale after being played since May 11 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh.

At the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack this evening Services captain Gordon Zoramchhana lifted the trophy for the first time, Services won for the second time (the earlier victory being in 1960-61). Services midfielder Sanju Subba scored the first goal – his right footer curling away from Tamil Nadu goalkeeper Akhil Soman to bulge the net just before the break. Subrata Sarkar doubled the lead in the 49th minute while Farhad V.V. tapped it past an onrushing Akhil for Services' third goal in the 67th minute. Santa Kumar and M. Ramesh reduced the margin for Tamil Nadu in the 82nd and the 89th minute respectively.

By the time it started to drizzle midway into the first half, Services had already seized the initiative. On slippery underfoot conditions due to heavy rains before the game, Services kept possession of the ball but not being allowed the width to penetrate into the box, they stayed content in taking snap shots from outside the box. First, Captain Gordon Zoramchhana's shot dipped at the last moment to bounce off the crosspiece and then in the 17th minute, Z.V. Horin's shot found Tamil Nadu central defender Suman Raj on the way.

Tamil Nadu relied on counter-attacks and their first worth-mentioning move didn't come till the 22nd minute – Jayakumar's angular shot just going wide. Their best chance of the first half came in the 44th minute when Charles Anandraj outjumped rival central defender Rary Raj to head Nirmal Kumar's cross but Services goalkeeper A.K. Balwant thwarted it in his second attempt. But Services pressed hard and were eventually rewarded on the counter attack. Sanju Subba's powerful right-footer from just outside the box curled away from Akhil to bulge the net in the 45th minute as Services went into the interval enjoying a one-goal cushion.

Immediately after resumption, Services doubled their lead. With the drizzle still on, Z.V. Horin's grounder came out of a diving Akhil's palms and Subrata Sarkar tapped it in. Two goals within 5 minutes of play (of either half) upset Tamil Nadu's calculations. Frustrated, they tried to come out of their shell to change into an attacking mode and it further helped Services. The raid of attacks earned them their third goal – Farhad V.V. placing it in past an onrushing Akhil.

A positive on this night for coach Syed Shabir Pasha was that Tamil Nadu's young lads didn't give-up. In the 82nd minute, substitute Santa Kumar managed to reduce the margin and then M. Ramesh pulled another back in the 89th minute. But it came a bit too late otherwise it would have been a more interesting finish to the game.

After the final whistle it was party time for Services, who in the end were deserving winners in Cuttack. Captain Gordon Zoramchhana not only lifted the trophy, but also received a cheque over Rs 500,000 (5 lakhs) for the winning team.

Out of the seven entries into the final, this was Services second triumph in the 66 editions of the Santosh Trophy. For Tamil Nadu, who were runners-up in 1972-73, the wait continues after their second final loss.

66th Santosh Trophy - Final: Services challenge for Tamil Nadu

Services face Tamil Nadu tomorrow in the final of the 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. The tournament reaches its climax tomorrow after being played since May 11 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh.

Tamil Nadu may have qualified for the final of the Santosh Trophy after a gap of 40 years but the young Tamil Nadu team don't seem to live in this era. Barely minutes after their hard-earned semifinal victory against Manipur, they seemed to go back to the Stone Age. If not motionless, expressionless!

Coach Syed Shabir Pasha turned to his boys and smiled. On the Dinner table, his wards were just going through the motions.

"This is the first time they have moved out of Tamil Nadu to play. This is the first time they are getting some exposure. This is the first tournament for most of them," Pasha quips. You look at the players once again. Heads down, eyes on the plate, the only movement was from their hand to mouth. And then, you found it hard to even spot the chewing.

Pasha prefers to run around. Arranging for the ice-bath, co-ordinating the evening stretching session, query about water bottles reaching the players, laundry, food, and other minute details. Seasoned Pasha who is a youngster as coach is in control, stays on top of things and ensures everything works to perfection.

Though he stays more than a thousand miles away, you cannot undermine his presence in the Tamil Nadu set-up, the presence of Colm Joseph Toal, the Head Coach of the Youth Development. "Call me a shadow of Colm," Pasha quips. "He has nurtured me as a coach. Before working with him, I wasn't sure of what to do. But he has fine-tuned me," Pasha, who has worked as an assistant to Colm for age-group National Teams, adds.

"I did speak to him after our semifinal victory. Colm said: 'Carry on the good work.' He will never discourage his student. Never!"

This is Tamil Nadu's only second entry to the final, the earlier one being forty years back. For Services, who have been Champions in 1960/61, it is their seventh final appearance and the last entry to final was in 2007/08.

"Services are a much better side than us," Pasha comes back to the final. "They have prepared long for this tournament. If you pit the players of both the sides on a one-to-one basis, Services will win with ease. They surely stay the favourites," Pasha maintains.

"You just cannot compare both the sides. We are amateurs. If we don't stay organised against them, we will be whipped. They attack fast and come hard at you. They enjoy an edge."

Services coach V. Sajith Kumar smiles. "We will miss our goalkeeper Nanao Singh who is out for a double booking. The semifinal against Kerala has been our best match in the tournament so far," he informs. "A final is a final. We will stick to the strategy and go all out from the start. Though Tamil Nadu looks an organised side, we intend to attack."

Interestingly, Pasha contradicts Sajith. "Most of our boys stay unaware of what a final is. They have never reached this far," he goes on.

Can Tamil Nadu topple the Services applecart? Pasha's eyes stay fixed. "We need to maintain our Shape! Let us enjoy and play well," so much reminiscent of what Colm says.

You turn to the boys again. This time they are moving – up from their tables and proceeding towards their respective rooms.

The final will kick-off at 18.00 IST at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and the match will be telecast live on DD Sports.

Services scrape past Kerala to enter Santosh Trophy final

Services are the first team to reach the finals at the 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy after beating Kerala 2-1 and now await the winner of the second semifinal Manipur and Tamil Nadu. The tournament is being played from May 11 to 28 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh.

Services surged into the lead as early as the fifth minute when Kerala stopper Mohammed Marsook failed to clear a Sanju Subba cross in the box and Subrata Sarkar was agile enough to capitalise – chipping it over Kerala custodian Joby Joseph. After the early set-back Kerala tried to regroup. But they weren't allowed the space in midfield to manoeuvre as the nippy Services recovered faster than their rivals. Upfront Kerala striker R. Kannan with his deft touches and positional sense did catch the rivals unaware a couple of times, but he didn't get much support. Maybe that prompted Kannan to go solo. In the 19th minute, his ambitious over-head kick sailed over and then in the 34th minute his long-ranger was fisted over by Services goalkeeper Nanao Singh.

For Services, Captain Gordon Zoramchhana who preferred to fall down and operate from the deep, played the pivotal role. He often fed Santu Subba, who broke through quite a few times down the right. The goal apart, Services' best chance came in the 36th minute when Subrata failed to beat Joby from close after being set in the clear by a Horin through pass. Five minutes later Kerala striker Usman missed an easier one. Off a corner, Kannan soared above all to head it to an unmarked Usman P. who blasted wide even as Nanao stayed out of position.

Changing over, Services doubled the lead in the 50th minute. A harmless P.S. Sumesh cross was back-headed into his own net by Kerala defender Mohammed Marsook. But Kerala didn't give-up. In the 55th minute, Kannan broke down the right and his low centre needed a tap from Usman; but the latter failed. Kerala did attack relentlessly as Kannan wrecked havoc in the Services box for most part of the second half. But even he failed to reduce the margin when he blasted out from inside the box in the 70th minute. Services goalkeeper Nanao's reflexes further denied Kerala within a span of two minutes. First in the 75th minute, he denied Shibinlal’s first-timer and then in the 77th minute, he palmed away Usman's tap to frustrate Kerala. However, Nanao pulling down Usman in the 83rd minute in the box with substitute Vineet Anthony converting from the spot.

With a few minutes remaining Kerala went all out. But Services survived some anxious moments and managed to hold on to reach the finals.

Services take on Kerala in first Santosh Trophy semifinal

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy is being played from May 11 to 28 across Orissa in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Baragarh. We have 12 days of football action behind us and tomorrow Services take on Kerala in the first semifinal in Cuttack.

In the former capital of Odisha, the Dahi Sharbats for a moment prompt you to believe not all is bad about summers though the heat could be a factor in the game. You look further, and you find football – the two teams gearing up for a slot in the final of the historic tournament.

Both Services and Kerala have come with a mission. For most of the talented Services footballers who don’t splurge out to play club football in the I-League, the Santosh Trophy stays the platform to make a mark. They have been consistent over the years, one has to admit.

“We will play attacking football. That has been our style and we will stick to it,” commented Services coach V. Sajith Kumar. "We will stick to the same combination which played in our last match," Sajith added.

The vastness of the country and commitment to one's service often pits an individual planning the downfall of his own home state. Sajith, himself a Keralite, laughs it off. In fact, it isn't him alone. Services also boast of four footballers from Kerala in their first XI.

Kerala Coach M.N. Jacob stays a bit cautious. "We are confident but not over confident. In such a match, there's no room for complacency," Jacob maintained. "The flanks stay an important proposition in our plans," he added.

"It's hard to play consecutive matches but the positive it's helped us to sort out the perfect combination. We've no complaints."

The history book points out Services enjoying an edge against Kerala. Stay certain, Services are not banking on history and Kerala stay desperate to turn tables around. The historic Barabati Stadium awaits the kick-off at 18.30 IST.

66th Santosh Trophy - Day 12: Services & Tamil Nadu qualify for semifinals

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on its twelweth day today played matches in Group C and D of the Quarterfinal League in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Hosts Orissa are out of the tournament as Services and Tamil Nadu progress to the semifinals.

Services came back from behind to hold hosts Orissa 1-1 and in the process top Group C to qualify for the semifinal. Services play Kerala in the first semifinal on May 25. At Cuttack's Barabati Stadium, Orissa surged into the lead when Gokul Oram converted from the spot in the 33rd minute. But Services came back strongly in the second half to level proceedings when Gordon Zoramchhana equalised in the 55th minute. Services finished with seven points while Orissa ended on five points.

In an inconsequential match Haryana rode on Abhisek's hattrick to breeze past Chattisgarh 6-1. Besides Abhisek, Devendra, Ajay and Habib scored one goal each, while K. Paveen reduced the margin for Chattisgarh. Haryana finished in third spot in Group C with four points while Chattisgarh couldn't open their account.

Tamil Nadu played out a goalless draw against Railways in their last Quarterfinal Group D League match to advance to the semifinals in the 66th Santosh Trophy. Tamil Nadu topped Group D and ended with seven points while Railways came second with five points. Tamil Nadu now play Manipur in the second semifinal on May 26.

In the other Group D match, Delhi blanked decimated Mizoram 3-0 to finish on three points while Mizoram ended on point. For Delhi, Mahendra Singh scored in the 53rd minute while Dhiraj Singh and Kamson Kabui scored one apiece in the 78th and the 87th minute respectively.


Day Twelve Results

Group-C - Cuttack
23-May-2012: Haryana 6-1 Chhattisgarh
[H: 5,67,83 Abhisek, 37 Habib Khan, 45 Ajay, 53 Devender; C: 54 K. Praveen]
23-May-2012: Orissa 1-1 Services
[O: 33 Gokul Oram (pen); S: 55 Gordon Zoramchhana]

Group-D - Bhubaneswar
23-May-2012: Mizoram 0-3 Delhi
[53 Mahendra Singh, 78 Dhiraj Singh, 87 Kamson Kabui]
23-May-2012: Railways 0-0 Tamil Nadu

66th Santosh Trophy - Day 10: Tamil Nadu beat Mizoram in thriller

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on its tenth day today played matches in Group C and D of the Quarterfinal League in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The hosts Orissa were held to a one-all draw by Haryana. Abhisek gave Haryana an early 8th minute lead but Antu Murmu equalised for the hosts in the 44th minute with the remaining at 1-1 until the end. Orissa move to four points from two matches while Haryana are on one point from two matches.

Services were on a goal-scoring spree when they thumped Chhattisgarh 6-0 in their second match of the Quarterfinal Group C match at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. For Services, Farhad V.V. scored a hattrick (4th,33rd,75th minute) while Thyagarajan scored a brace (62nd and 90th). Z. Horin completed the rout in the 44th minute. With this victory, Services move to the top of Group C with six points from two matches, while Chhattisgarh remain pointless.

In a thrilling Group D quarterfinal clash at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Tamil Nadu rallied to beat Mizoram 4-3. Mizoram were up 2-0 by the 22nd minute through two F. Lalrinpuia (2nd and 22nd) goals, but Tamil Nadu turned things around first with Charles Anandraj scoring in the 38th minute and then a double strike from U. Jayakumar in the 49th and 78th minute. Mizoram came back to equalise two minutes from time through Lalbiakhlua, but M. Ramesh scored the winner in the second minute of injury time for Tamil Nadu. But the match was marred by controversy as in the second session as handball decision led to on-field violence with three Mizoram players and two from Tamil Nadu send-off. Courtesy the victory, Tamil Nadu move to six points from two matches while Mizoram stay on one point.

In another Group D match, Railways scraped past Delhi 2-1. After a barren first half, Lalmohan Hansda put Railways in the lead in the 82nd minute only for Vikash Rawat to restore parity in the 84th minute. Railway's Gurpreet Singh sealed the fate of the match in the 86th minute. Railways move to four points from two matches while Delhi are yet to open their account.


Day Ten Results

Group-C - Cuttack
21-May-2012: Haryana 1-1 Orissa
[H: 8 Abhisek; O: 44 Antu Murmu]
21-May-2012: Chhattisgarh 0-6 Services
[4,33,75 Farhad V.V., 44 Z. Horin, 62,90 Thyagarajan]

Group-D - Bhubaneswar
21-May-2012: Delhi 1-2 Railways
[D: 84 Vikash Rawat; R: 82 Lalmohan Hansda, 86 Gurpreet Singh]
21-May-2012: Mizoram 3-4 Tamil Nadu
[M: 2,22 F. Lalrinpuia, 88 Lalbiakhlua; T: 38 Charles Anandraj, 49,78 U. Jayakumar, 90+2 M. Ramesh]

66th Santosh Trophy - Day 8: Hosts Orissa open with win

The 66th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy on its eighth day today played matches in Group C and D in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar of the Quarterfinal League in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Hosts Orissa made a successful start into the 66th Santosh Trophy with a 4-0 win against Chhattisgarh riding on a hattrick by Gokul Oram and another goal from Antu Murmu. Gokul gave Orissa the perfect lead, in injury-time of the first half with Antu Murmu doubling the lead in the 66th minute. Gokul would add two more late in the game in the 82nd and first minute of injury time.

In another Group C match Services also won 4-0, they won against Haryana Z. Horin put Services in the lead as early as the 8th minute only for Subrata Sarkar to double the score in the 67th minute. Services scored their third goal in the 74th minute when Farhad V.V. bulged the net and he would add another one in the 85th minute.

Mizoram held Railways to a two-all draw. For Railways, Gurpreet Singh and Rizu scored in the 15th and the 45th minute respectively while Mizoram scored through V. Lalanpuia (45th) and F. Lalrinpuia in the 50th minute.

Tamil Nadu made a perfect start into the tournament with a 1-0 win against Delhi. The golden goal was scored by S. Karthik in the 76th minute.


Day Eight Results

Group-C - Cuttack
19-May-2012: Services 4-0 Haryana
[8 Z. Horin, 67 Subrata Sarkar, 74,85 Farhad V.V.]
19-May-2012: Orissa 4-0 Chhattisgarh
[45+1,82, 90+1 Gokul Oram, 66 Antu Murmu]

Group-D - Bhubaneswar
19-May-2012: Railways 2-2 Mizoram
[R: 15 Gurpreet Singh, 45+2 Rizu; M: 40 V. Lalanpuia, 50 F. Lalrinpuia]
19-May-2012: Tamil Nadu 1-0 Delhi
[76 S. Karthik]

Players Status Committee: Tuboi was eligible for Lajong

The AIFF's Player's Status Committee met today at Football House in Dwarka, New Delhi to decide on a number of pending issues with the big issue being the status of Shillong Lajong FC striker Saikhohao Tuboi.


The AIFF decided the following on Tuboi:

It was held that player Saikhohao Tuboi was eligible to play for Shillong Lajong FC during the 2010/11 season. He was not eligible to play for Army XI in the IFA League (Calcutta Football League) during the 2010/11 season. Tuboi has been suspended by the AIFF on the PSC's preliminary findings on 06.05.2011. Therefore he is not eligible to play for any team w.e.f 06.05.2011. The period of his suspension to be finalised by the AIFF Executive Committee.

Other PSC decisions were:

- It was also held that the players who played for East Bengal Under-19 team were eligible to play as they were cleared by IFA on the basis of the directives from the AIFF.

- The Committee further made the following recommendations to the Executive Committee in relation to Players playing for any Services or Railways team(s):

"The PSC recommends to the Executive Committee of the AIFF to alert all State Associations to obtain a declaration from any player registering with it for Services or Railway team(s) that he/she is not registered with any other State Association. Where such declaration is not made the normal procedure of inter-state transfer should be followed. And such Services or Railway team(s) shall thereafter be deemed on par with other clubs within the State Associations."

65th Santosh Trophy: Semifinalists finalised

The quarterfinal league in the 65th Santosh Trophy finished yesterday with the four teams - Manipur, Railways, West Bengal, Services - now known who have qualified for the semifinals which will be played over the next couple of days.

The 65th edition of the Santosh Trophy is being held from May 6 to 30 across Assam in the seven cities of Guwahati, Nagaon, Mangaldoi, Tinsukia, Shivsagar, Kokrajhar and Bongalgaon, but since the quarterfinal league the tournament is being held only in the capital Guwahati.

Group A saw former champions Manipur topping the group with two wins and a draw, while defending champions West Bengal came through with four points, but Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh were eliminated with only three points.

Group B was a much more interesting affair, then Railways went through with an all win record, but the three other sides Services, Punjab and Goa all finished with two points from two draws and a loss. But Services were the lucky side as they had the same goal difference with Punjab, but had scored a couple of more goals.

But there isn't much of a buzz surrounding this edition of the Santosh Trophy with the I-League and the second Division I-League keeping the best players away from the tournament. And this seems to have hit the traditional power houses of Indian football hard, while Railways and Services could draw on the players on their payroll and build strong teams to challenge the best states in the country.

For the semifinals and final the AIFF has been able to rope in DD Sports, who will be showing the matches live from 17.30 IST onwards.


Quarterfinal League

Group A

#- Team-------- P W-D-L GF-GA GDF PTS
1. Manipur----- 3 2-1-0 06-02 +04 07
2. West Bengal- 3 1-1-1 07-05 +02 04
3. Tamil Nadu-- 3 1-0-2 05-06 -01 03
4. Chhattisgarh 3 1-0-2 04-09 -05 03

17-May-2011: West Bengal 4-1 Chhattisgarh
17-May-2011: Tamil Nadu 1-2 Manipur
19-May-2011: Chhattisgarh 3-2 Tamil Nadu
19-May-2011: Manipur 2-2 West Bengal
21-May-2011: Chhattisgarh 0-3 Manipur
21-May-2011: West Bengal 1-2 Tamil Nadu

Group B

#- Team-------- P W-D-L GF-GA GDF PTS
1. Railways---- 3 3-0-0 07-02 +05 09
2. Services---- 3 0-2-1 06-07 -01 02
3. Punjab------ 3 0-2-1 04-05 -01 02
4. Goa--------- 3 0-2-1 04-07 -03 02

20-May-2011: Punjab 2-2 Services
20-May-2011: Goa 0-3 Railways
22-May-2011: Services 3-3 Goa
22-May-2011: Railways 2-1 Punjab
24-May-2011: Services 1-2 Railways
24-May-2011: Punjab 1-1 Goa


Semifinals

26-May-2011: Manipur - Services (17.30 IST)
27-May-2011: Railways - West Bengal (17.30 IST)

Final

30-May-2011: Winner SF1 - Winner SF2