Chennaiyin FC beat FC Goa 3-2 to emerge ISL champions

December 21, 2015

Margao, Dec 21: Forced to shift base to another venue due to floods in their home city, Chhenaiyin FC were today crowned the Indian Super League champions after they beat FC Goa 3-2 in a drama-filled summit clash in which three goals were scored in the last four minutes here today.

chennaniyan

In a befitting grand finale of the ISL second season which saw 186 goals scored in 60 matches as compared to 121 last year, the Chennaiyin vs Goa clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here saw as many as five goals, all of them coming in the second half in the edge-of-the-seat match.

Bruno Pelissari put Chennaiyin ahead in the 54th minute but Goa equalised within four minutes with Thongkhosiem Haokip finding the target. Joffre Gonzalez then put Goa ahead for the first time in the 87th minute in what looked like to be the winning goal.

But, under dramatic circumstances, Goa goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani conceded an own goal in the 90th minute to level the score before Chennaiyin striker Stiven Mendoza found the target in the first minute of the injury time to stun the home supporters of Goa.

The thrilling final, attended by the likes of Indian Test cricket team captain and Goa co-owner Virat Kohli and his actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma besides Chennaiyin owner Abhishek Bachchan and ISL Chairperson Nita Ambani, brought a climactic end to the season of the lucrative league.

For Chennaiyin, coached by Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi, the triumph was all the more remarkable as they had to shift to Pune for their semifinals first leg after their home venue was devastated by the floods.

They were also struggling in the early part of the league phase and needed four wins on the trot in their last four matches to qualify for the semifinals.

On the other hand, it was heartbreak for Goa who looked the most attacking side in the season under Brazilian legend Zico who is not expected to return for the next season.

The winners got richer by Rs 8 crore while the runners- team got Rs 4 crore. The two semi-final losers got Rs 1.5 crore each.

Colombian Mendoza, who continued with his fine form in the tournament today also, was later named as the best player of the tournament besides also winning the Golden Boot Award for scoring highest number of 13 goals. He though missed a penalty kick in the match.

Both the team, looking for their maiden title after they lost in the semifinals last year, started cautiously and had the honours shared equally in the barren first half.

The visitors made one change in the starting line up bringing in Pelissari in place of Elano Blumer. The home side fielded unchanged eleven that won against Delhi Dynamos in the semifinals.

They got an early jolt when striker Dudu Omagbemi got injured after an aerial duel with Mailson Alves and was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was replaced by Jonathan Lucca who played as a defensive midfielder, allowing Leo Moura to move further up along with Joffre.

Mendoza, who has been a threat to all opposition defence this season, was kept quiet for long before he made his presence in the 37th minute when he played a one-two with Jeje Lalpekhlua.

Mendoza dribbled past two rival defenders before letting go a firm left footer which keeper Kattimani did well to put out of danger.

Earlier, Kattimani did well to come out of his charge to push the ball out of danger before Mendoza could score after defender Bikramjit Singh failed to intercept it inside the box.

Goa made attacking moves but the alert Chennaiyin defence led by Bernard Mendy did well to cut off their moves even as they came close to scoring on a couple of occasions.

Goa coach Zico once again reverted their earlier formation, playing two strikers bringing in Thongkoisep Haokip in place of Leo Moura to create more impact upfront.

Mendoza, who looked dangerous whenever he had the ball, earned a penalty for his team in the 54th minute when Pronay Halder brought him down inside the box. Pelissari who took the penalty saw his shot saved by keeper Kattimani but the Brazilian made sure he scored the goal in the rebound.

Goa retaliated and restored parity in the 58th minute as Romeo Fernandes sent a cross into the Chennaiyin box for Thongkoisep Haokip to tap home. Indian Test cricket captain Virat Kohli was seen punching in the air to celebrate the goal by his team.

Minutes latter, Mendoza again earned a penalty for his team after he was brought down by keeper Kattimani. Mendoza took the penalty himself but his effort was saved by Kattimani who dived to his left to put the ball out.

Thereafter, the match came to alive as both the teams made attacking moves with Goa looking more threatening. They took the lead in the 88th minute. Joffre took a free kick and Rafael ducked himself and the ball took the deflection of Elano Blumer before going into the net in the 88th minute.

Chennaiyin fought back and restored parity in the 90th minute. From a move on the left, Mehrajuddin Wadoo's looping ball inside the box saw Kattimani come off his line to punch it clear with Mendoza applying pressure. However, the ball took a touch of Kattimani's hands before landing into the net.

With the match heading for penalty shoot out, Chennaiyin pocket dynamo Mendoza scored the winner in the injury time. Rane played the ball for Mendoza from the left. The Colombian striker chested it down and got the better of Arnolin and Lucio and took a shot which Kattimani could only get a touch but could not keep out.

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News Network
July 24,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 24: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was earlier banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Anti-Corruption Code, on Friday, said that people are bound to make mistakes and the important thing is that how well they make a comeback.

Shakib was banned from all forms of cricket on October 29 last year after he accepted the charges of breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. He will be able to resume international cricket from October 29, 2020.

"You have to be honest. You just can't lie to the people and pretend different things. Whatever happened has happened. People are bound to make mistakes. You are not 100%. The important thing is how well you can comeback from those mistakes. You can tell other people not to make those mistakes. Tell them the path so that they never take those paths," Shakib told Deep Dasgupta in a videocast hosted by ESPNcricinfo.

The 33-year-old all-rounder said he has seen many controversies ever since he was first made captain in 2009. He had trouble with the board chief, selectors and the media, mainly about selectorial decisions and not being made permanent captain between 2009 and 2010.
He believes those experiences have changed him as a person over time.

"I think [it's] combination of both [controversy following him, and vice versa]. I got the responsibility so early in my career, I was bound to make mistakes. I was captain when I was 21. I made a lot of mistakes, and there are so many things that people think about me. Now I realise that it was my fault in some areas, and in some I was misunderstood. But I get it completely. It is part and parcel in the subcontinent," Hasan said.

"Of course I will try to minimise [my mistakes] as much as I can, but by the time I got married, and now I have two kids, I understand the game and life better. It has made me a calmer person than I was in my twenties. I have changed quite a lot. People won't see me doing a lot of mistakes now. My two daughters changed my life completely," he added.

Shakib is likely return to international cricket during Bangladesh's proposed Test series against Sri Lanka in October. 

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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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March 7,2020

Melbourne, Mar 7: He will be supporting Australia for sure but former pacer Brett Lee feels an Indian victory in Sunday's T20 Word Cup final could be a "start of a major breakthrough" for the women's game in the cricket-mad country.

India and Australia will lock horns in what is expected to be a blockbuster title clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"As an Australian, I'd love nothing more than for (Meg) Lanning's team to do the job. But if India were to win the World Cup for the first time, victory would do so much for women's cricket in a country that already adores the sport," Lee wrote in an ICC column.

"This could be the start of a major breakthrough, particularly with the amount of talent that is coming through."

The former speedster said Australia will have to look for ways to counter the in-form 16-year-old Shafali Verma.

"In Shafali Verma, India boast one of the most talented players in the world and you feel that for Australia to win the game, dismissing her will likely be their first job.

"I've been so impressed with the opener - it's staggering to believe she's only 16 with the confidence she has in her own ability and the way she strikes the ball so cleanly.

"She's such good fun to watch and I'm not sure the women's game has seen anyone like her for such a long time."

Shafali has been the star of the tournament, having amassed 161 runs at a strike rate of 161, consistently providing India solid starts, and that was not lost on Lee.

"To be the world's best T20 batter already shows just how far she has progressed in such a short space of time and the experience in this tournament will hold her in good stead for years to come.

"Even with the way she's played in Australia and her fearless brand of cricket, you still get the feeling she has more to come as well."

He reckoned Shafali may have another big score awaiting her.

"She's got a big score in her locker and there's probably no better place to do that than the MCG. Shafali is already a record breaker but if she can steer her side to their first Women's T20 World Cup title at just 16, then the sky really is the limit for her career."

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