Defending champions Campion School (Fort) and title contenders Don Bosco (Matunga) will go all out for a place in the title clash during the U-16 Div I semi-finals at Cooperage ground today
Campion School (Fort) coach Wilfred Alva (blue jersey) instructs his players during a training session near Cooperage ground recently. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Defending champions Campion School (Fort) and last year's runners up Don Bosco (Matunga) will look to lock horns again in the final of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) inter-school U-16 Div I football tournament, but first have to face stiff resistance from St Stanislaus (Bandra) and Jamnabhai Narsee (Juhu) respectively in the semi-finals that's all set to kick off at the Cooperage ground today.
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Campion School (Fort) coach Wilfred Alva (blue jersey) instructs his players during a training session near Cooperage ground recently. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Toppers of their respective Pool 'A' and Pool 'B', Jamnabhai and Stanislaus cruised through their group games. However, the story was not the same for Campion and Don Bosco, who encountered quite a few hurdles, sealing the last four berths thanks to stoppage time goals.
Campion and Stanislaus will begin proceedings at 11.30 am. Keeping the size of the Cooperage ground in mind, all coaches, except Stanislaus have tailor-made their preparations, with fitness and endurance given paramount importance.
Stanislaus coach Oscar Alva isn't worried too much about his side's fitness, but rather wants to focus on the tactical aspect of the game in a bid to outsmart his opponents.
"We have four to five hockey players in our team so their endurance and fitness is unquestionable. I have instead placed emphasis on building tactics and drilling it into the team. I am very confident of our chances," he told mid-day yesterday.
Stanislaus are entering the semis with their confidence levels clipped having lost their last pool game to St Lawrence (Kandivli) 2-1. Campion coach Wilfred Alva wants to capitalise on the result. "Stanislaus were undefeated like us till their last game. We will try to capitalise on the defeat and look to take the game away from them. We have not conceded a single goal yet and have got our goal-scoring back which bodes well for us," an assured Alva said.
Stanislaus in-form
Don Bosco will meet Jamnabhai Narsee in the second tie that's scheduled to kick off at 1 pm. Both teams were level at 15 points, but Stanislaus' imperious form meant that Bosco had to settle for second place in pool 'B'. Don Bosco coach Leslie Machado is wary of the firepower Jamnabai possess, but is confident of his team's chances which has much to do with fitness. "We are focusing on the fitness part as the ground is big and we have an afternoon kick off which means that we also have to contend with the heat. We have played a friendly against Income Tax at the Cooperage and drew 0-0. The match gave us a feel of the ground which I think is very essential," Machado said.
Jamnabhai coach Adrian Fernandes is ready to take on the big guns, although he realises his team has to tread cautiously against Bosco. "I have not seen their match. But I am aware of the dangers of playing against such a good side. We won't ditch our usual ways and will try to attack them," Fernandes said.
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