Durand Cup: East Bengal march into semis with 1-0 win over Indian Arm…

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 17 (ANI): A first-half header from PV Vishnu saw East Bengal FC edge past a spirited Indian Army FT side and book their place in the semifinals of the IndianOil Durand Cup played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. amunra-opinie.pl

On Sunday, heading into the knockout match, East Bengal went with an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation.

Phurba Lachenpa started in goal, protected by Jay Gupta, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga and Boris Singh in defence. Rohit Kumar and Mohamad Basim Rashid formed the double pivot, providing a platform for Dani Ramirez, Christopher Ikonomidis and P.V. Vishnu to operate behind lone striker David Lalhlansanga, as per a press release.

Indian Army FT, meanwhile, opted for a defensive 5-3-2 formation to absorb the anticipated pressure. Bhabindra Malla Thakuri started between the sticks, with Sunil Benchamin, Pardeep Singh, Lethaolen Khongsai, Chabin Rabha and Shafeel PP forming the five-man defensive line. Abhishek Shankar Pawar, P Christopher Kamei and Shubham Rana comprised the midfield, while Samir Murmu and Saikhom Borish Singh led the attack.

East Bengal stamped their authority on the contest from the opening whistle, dominating possession and pinning the Army men deep inside their own half. The first major opening arrived in the sixth minute following an excellent passing move, but Spanish playmaker Dani Ramirez could not capitalise.

The Kolkata side continued to probe and came close again in the 12th minute from a set-piece. Ramirez delivered a beautifully struck left-footed in-swinging free-kick that beat the goalkeeper but narrowly missed the target, brushing the wrong side of the side-netting.

The one-way traffic continued through the second quarter, with Indian Army struggling to cope with East Bengal’s intensity. Ramirez turned provider in the 20th minute, playing a precise ball to release David Lalhlansanga, but the forward could not apply the finishing touch.

Moments later, centre-back Lalchungnunga ventured forward and unleashed a powerful long-range effort that forced Bhabindra Malla Thakuri into an acrobatic save.

Indian Army struggled to put together sustained passages of possession, often relying on aerial duels and long balls to relieve the pressure. East Bengal’s best opportunity of the half came in the 29th minute when Jay Gupta delivered a pinpoint cross for P.V. Vishnu, who found himself unmarked in a one-on-one situation. However, the forward’s grounded effort went straight into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.

East Bengal finally found the breakthrough in the 38th minute. Christopher Ikonomidis delivered an inviting cross into the box, and Vishnu made amends for his earlier miss, rising highest to meet the delivery with a perfectly timed header into the right corner. Thakuri got his fingertips to the effort but could not keep it out as East Bengal took a deserved 1-0 lead.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade maintained their control for the remainder of the half, with Mohamad Basim Rashid trying his luck from distance shortly before the interval, although his effort drifted wide.

Indian Army showed greater attacking intent after the restart and earned an early corner, which the East Bengal defence dealt with comfortably. Rashid then attempted an ambitious long-range strike from well outside the box, but his powerful effort sailed over the crossbar.

East Bengal nearly doubled their advantage around the hour mark when substitute Jesin TK intercepted a long ball from Rashid and raced past the advancing goalkeeper. However, his attempt struck the crossbar, denying the substitute an immediate impact.

Indian Army produced their best opportunity of the contest shortly afterwards. Substitute Abhi S. Biju found space before unleashing a powerful low effort that flashed just wide of the target.

East Bengal responded in the 67th minute when substitute Edmund Lalrindika picked out Ramirez inside the box, but the Spaniard’s effort flew narrowly over the crossbar.

As the match entered its final stages, East Bengal’s attacking intensity dipped, but they continued to create clear-cut opportunities. The closing ten minutes became a frustrating sequence of missed one-on-one chances.

In the 80th minute, Bipin Singh set up Jesin TK with a precise pass, but the forward failed to convert from close range. Moments later, Jesin returned the favour by putting Bipin through, only for the winger to squander another one-on-one opportunity.

Jesin had another chance to seal the result in the 87th minute when he met a cross from Edmund, but his header went straight at Thakuri.

With five minutes of stoppage time added, Indian Army almost produced a dramatic equaliser against the run of play. In the 91st minute, Abhishek Shankar Pawar unleashed a dangerous effort that briefly threatened to spoil East Bengal’s dominant display, but the Kolkata side survived the late scare.

Although Indian Army improved considerably after half-time and created a couple of genuine openings, East Bengal remained in control for much of the contest, enjoying around 80 per cent of the overall possession.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade ultimately secured a deserved victory, although their dominance could have been reflected in a more emphatic scoreline had they converted the numerous clear-cut opportunities they created. (ANI)

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Seven years can feel like an eternity in elite sport. Since her historic World Championship Gold in Basel in 2019, PV Sindhu’s trophy cabinet has expanded, she won her second Olympics medal, solidifying her status as arguably India’s greatest badminton icon. However a lean patch followed her, but the hunger for world dominance remains entirely unsated for India’s No.1.

At the pre-tournament press conference, the double Olympic and five times World Championship medalist spoke about the excitement of playing Worlds at home, recent form, losses that helped her become stronger, the sports science team and her 2009 worlds experience.

You recently won the Japan Open, that must have given you renewed confidence…

Sindhu: Definitely, it gives me a lot of confidence. I’m really looking forward to the World Championships, especially since it’s happening in India. Winning the Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence and a boost.

You have won five World Championship medals. Looking back, which moments shaped your career and made you tougher?

Sindhu: Having five medals at the World Championships is an amazing journey. Each win and each medal gave me a different kind of experience. Bronze in 2013, bronze again in 2014, then silver in 2017 and 2018, and finally gold in 2019.

The transition was wonderful, but there were also a couple of moments that made me stronger. One of them was losing the 2017 World Championships final to Okuhara in Glasgow. It was a very hard-fought match, almost one hour and 50 minutes. I was very hard on myself because I was almost there but couldn’t get the gold. It was a matter of one or two points, and that made me much stronger.

There were other moments too, like in 2018 when I was leading, lost the first game and eventually lost the gold. These moments, especially at the World Championships, made me stronger and helped me come back stronger.

You have five World Championship medals, the most in the world, but it has been seven years since your last medal. How special would it be to win one at home?

Sindhu: Definitely, it’s very special because it’s happening in India. I won the World Championships in 2019, so it has been almost seven years.

The Japan Open has given me a lot of confidence, and I hope I can carry that confidence forward. Everything is going well, and for me, it’s one match at a time.

Hopefully, I can get a lot of support from the Indian crowd. I’m really happy that we are playing the World Championships in India and that we get to play on home ground. I hope I get a medal here too.

How have you changed over the last seven years?

Sindhu: There have been quite a few changes, in terms of my game, how I think and how I strategise. Badminton itself has changed as a sport.

Earlier, women’s singles was more attacking and faster-paced. Now there are more long rallies and you have to stay on court for a longer period. So you need a lot of patience.

As a person, there have also been a lot of changes in terms of experience. I feel much more experienced now in terms of how to deal with situations on court.

Do you still get butterflies in the stomach before a big tournament?

Sindhu: I have a lot of experience. I’ve played many first-round matches where I had butterflies and there was a lot of pressure. I won’t deny that there is pressure, yes there is.

But at the same time, for me, there’s nothing to lose. I just want to give my best because I know I have trained hard and worked hard in my training sessions. I just have to go out there on court and give my best, irrespective of the result.

I think the hunger towards the game hasn’t changed. I know it is still in me and I can still do it. The hunger towards the sport hasn’t changed.

There were concerns about the facilities, monkeys and other issues. How do you see the arrangements this time?

Sindhu: Whatever is the best, people are doing it, and I really appreciate their effort.

I came yesterday and I’m here today, and we’ve had really good sessions. I haven’t been uncomfortable. Everything is comfortable and everything is good.

To be very fair, from the washrooms to the people here, if we need any help, there are people here day in and day out. They are putting all their efforts into making this happen. They have achieved what they wanted and this will be one of the greatest World Championships. What else do we need? Being an Indian, I can proudly say that we are happy and fortunate to play here at home.

What are your preparation methods? Do you have any superstitions or rituals?

Sindhu: Everybody has their unique way of doing it. We all believe and trust in God. But you just have to go out there because you can’t predict the result. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow.

Whatever it takes to win, everyone has their unique ways whether it’s a racquet, a T-shirt, a dress, the way you dress up, your ponytail or your shoes. For me, I just trust in God, go out on court and give my best.

You have had a consistent year, with several deep runs before winning the Japan Open. Was this a breakthrough year for you?

Sindhu: I’ve had a really good team around me. We had to build that team and it took some time to get everyone together in terms of sports science, physiotherapy and training. We all came together, sat down and noted what was required and what was needed. We discussed it with the coach and worked on those things. All of it played a major role.

People only see us when we play a match, but there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. We have to change things smartly because sometimes your body might not cooperate when you are playing.

You have to make sure you get enough rest and make those decisions smartly so that you can be at your peak at the right time. I think we’ve been doing that correctly, and that has made the difference.

You recently spoke about changes with your sports science team. How do you feel physically and mentally?

Sindhu: It was very important to have a sports science team around me, in terms of strength and conditioning and physiotherapy. The coach is always there as well.

Wayne Lombard heads the strength and conditioning, Heera Mundluru is my physiotherapist and Shreyasi Sanjay looks after the S&C. It’s very important to build around that because sometimes your body is not at 100%, but you still push. Injuries don’t tell you before they come — they just happen.

So, before that, what precautions do you take and how smartly do you change things? We have all these gadgets now to record your strain, how tired you are and whether you can push yourself or not. These are the metrics we use to make sure we take precautions. Maybe the next day you can do a different kind of training. These are the small things that you change.

It has helped me. Physically and mentally, it has been quite good. I can see the changes in my game and movement, so I’m happy that it’s going in the right direction.

What are your memories of the 2009 World Championships in India?

Sindhu: I was a very small girl. I used to come and watch matches from morning until evening. We would just play around and watch matches.

At that time, it was just like, ‘Okay, you get to see a lot of top players.’ You didn’t know how serious it was back then. But now, when I look back, I got to experience the best. I’m playing the World Championships in India again after 17 years, so it’s really good to see the journey from then until now.

The whole journey has been memorable. It’s always good to play in India, and this time I’m hoping that I can get a medal on home ground.

We always speak about An Se-young, but you have also played Wang Zhi Yi several times, including at the World Championships. How do you see this rivalry?

Sindhu: We have played a lot of times. I won against her at the last World Championships, and the last time we played, I was leading but lost from there.

She is doing well and is among the top players in the world. You just need to give your best. Everybody wants to give their best at the World Championships or any tournament. We might know each other’s games, but at the same time we have to make changes according to the court and shuttle conditions and make sure it is comfortable for us to play against each other.

Every athlete has a different style of play. Whether it’s Wang Zhi Yi, Yamaguchi or An Se-young, I’m not saying it will be easy. It will be hard, there will be tough matches and I need to be prepared.

Women’s singles has changed, with veterans returning and a new generation coming through. How do you assess the changes, especially with the new-scoring format?

Sindhu: There is a younger generation coming up in badminton, especially in women’s singles.

Regarding the scoring system, yes, it is going to be different and very challenging. With 21 points, if you are 7-0 down, you still have time to come back. With 15 points, if seven points are gone, almost half the match is done.

You need to be on your feet from point one. You can’t take it easy and think you will come back later. With the 15-point system, you need to be alert from the beginning.

There is some good young talent coming up. Being experienced, I feel the game is changing and evolving all the time.

Earlier, it was more of a faster game. Now it has become more competitive, with slower and longer rallies. With 15 points, it might become different, with shorter, quicker and faster rallies. You have to adapt.

I’m happy to see changes in the sport. Anything is good for Indian sport. You have to get used to it because that’s how sport is. The game changes, the scoring changes and the shuttles keep changing. You have to change too, you don’t have a choice.

Over a period of time, how has been your working relationship with coach Irwansyah?

Sindhu: It has been good. He has been with me for the last one and a half years. We have made some changes to my game. Initially, when you get a new coach, it takes some time to understand what the coach needs. But now it is working out well.

As I mentioned, it is important for the coach and sports science team to come together, understand the requirements and work accordingly. That’s what we are doing. We need to make sure that we also make those changes accordingly.

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Barcelona [Spain], August 17 (ANI): Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle to sign Manchester City star Rodri, various sources confirmed to ESPN.

Barcelona’s previous two bids for Rodri had failed, but the La Liga champions made a third offer over the weekend with a total package of 76.5 million pounds (65.3 million USD). Sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday that a deal had been brokered between the two clubs, paperwork exchanged, and now the agreement is being finalised.

Rodri, 30, is expected to arrive in Barcelona in the coming days and could be presented as a player before Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al Ahly at Camp Nou.

The agreement for the Ballon d’Or winner came shortly after sources told ESPN that fullback Joao Cancelo is also set to return to Barcelona, and these two could become Barca’s fourth and fifth signings of the season after the arrivals of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu.

The club is also aiming to secure a striker as well, with their eyes on Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez after the exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Rodri was not in the club’s plans originally, but the club seized the opportunity as he made himself available after winning the FIFA World Cup with Spain.

A long-term injury faced by Frenkie de Jong has also meant that Barcelona is exploring some new midfielder options in the market.

Real Madrid, FC Barcelona’s arch-rivals, had also tried to sign Rodri, sources had earlier told ESPN, but the footballer preferred his next destination to be Barca.

Rodri is being viewed as a marquee signing by Barcelona, who can take the Hansi Flick-managed side, back-to-back La Liga champions, to newer heights. After spells at Villarreal and Atletico, Rodri joined Man City back in 2019 and has made a rich CV for himself there, with four Premier League titles and a Champions League title, including European Championships and the FIFA World Cup with Spain. He was also named the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in both of Spain’s triumphs.

The success at the Euros earned Rodri the Ballon d’Or back in 2024. (ANI)

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Cardiff [UK], August 16 (ANI): Defending champions Arsenal made a statement in the Community Shield final, cruising to a commanding 3-0 victory over Manchester City in Cardiff.

The Gunners stunned City and new boss Enzo Maresca after just 23 seconds, as Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sublime pass released Riccardo Calafiori, who coolly slotted home the opener. It was a nightmare start to life after Pep Guardiola for City, as per Sky Sports.

Christos Tzolis then played a key role in Arsenal’s next two goals, first delivering a pinpoint ball across the face of goal for Kai Havertz to force home the second past Gianluigi Donnarumma, before setting up captain Martin Odegaard to tuck in the third just three minutes after half-time at the Principality Stadium.

Donnarumma was left on the floor by Odegaard for the third goal, capping a difficult outing for the goalkeeper behind a City defence that looked badly disjointed.

City had already needed Josko Gvardiol to clear Odegaard’s effort off the line just before half-time after Donnarumma spilt the ball, while returning star Bukayo Saka also passed up two good opportunities to add to Arsenal’s tally.

In contrast, Arsenal’s defence, which had come under scrutiny during pre-season after conceding eight goals in four matches, looked far more assured.

Their determination to preserve the clean sheet was perfectly illustrated when David Raya denied Erling Haaland, Lewis-Skelly reacted quickest to the rebound, and Ben White then bravely threw himself in front of a Jeremy Doku effort.

Haaland and Anderson were withdrawn after underwhelming performances, while the absence of Barcelona target Rodri was impossible to overlook. As Maresca continues his search for the right formula following City’s decade of dominance under Guardiola, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal look well placed to capitalise on their current position of strength.

The last team to win the Community Shield and go on to lift the Premier League title was Manchester City in 2018/19, when they also completed a domestic treble.

While victory in the curtain-raiser is no guarantee of league success, Sunday’s commanding win could provide the perfect launchpad for Arsenal as they chase back-to-back top-flight titles for the first time in 91 years. (ANI)

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London [UK], August 17 (ANI): A bludgeoning half-century from Tim Seifert helped Manchester Super Giants (MSG) capture their maiden Men’s Hundred title, beating Trent Rockets by five wickets in the final at Lord’s on Sunday.

Seifert had a memorable night, taking home the ‘Player of the Match’ and the ‘Player of the Tournament award as he effortlessly hit sixes to help his team chase down a modest total. In 10 innings, Seifert made 394 runs at an average of 49.25, with a strike rate of 168.37 and five fifties.

Winning the toss, MSG elected to field first, with Ben Duckett (31 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six) adding 48 runs for the first wicket with Finn Allen (15). Following that, the team crumbled to 95/5, with Noor Ahmed’s (3/33) spin web demolishing the Rockets’ batting line-up. Aneurin Donald (38 in 19 balls, with five fours and two sixes) looked good, but fell to Noor, sending half the side into the pavilion.

Cameos from Mitchell Santner (20 in 16 balls, with a four and a six) and Lewis Gregory (32 in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes), who added 44 runs for the sixth wicket, took the Rockets to 158/8, with pacer Sonny Baker (2/34) and Josh Tongue (1/27) also causing considerable damage.

During the chase, Seifert and Paul Walter (22 in 14 balls, with two fours and a six) added 66-runs for the first wicket, while Buttler also played a quick cameo of 23 in 14 balls, with three sixes. Seifert was on a rampage, reaching his fifty in 23 balls and becoming the first player to make five fifties in a single edition of the tournament.

Seifert (72 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and seven sixes) and Leus du Plooy (27* in 18 balls, with four boundaries) took the team to the brink of victory. With three runs needed in three balls, Liam Dawson unleashed the winning six, chasing down the total with five wickets and two balls in hand.

Mohammad Amir (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers for Rockets. (ANI)

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