The Hindu : TN fails to breach the Maharashtra fortress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

Sport

Sport - Football

TN fails to breach the Maharashtra fortress

By S.R. Suryanarayan

Photo: K. Gajendran

Vasanthi (extreme left) of Tamil Nadu is challenged by Maharashtra's Remata Fernandes even as goalkeeper Pooja Akkalwar (extreme right) looks on anxiously in the quarterfinals of the 11th senior women's National football championship in Chennai on Friday.

Assam 3 U.P. 0

Tamil Nadu 0 Maharashtra 0 CHENNAI JUNE 20. The decibel level from the galleries had never risen to such a level at the Nehru stadium in recent times as was experienced on Friday. But all that was drowned in the end by the shrieks of joy from the small bunch of Bihar players, sitting below the VIP stand. They had a reason too. Tamil Nadu had just failed to achieve what it set out for — a 2-0 margin win over Maharashtra — to make it to the last four at Bihar's expense from Group III in the senior National women's football championship.

Bihar thus made it amidst jubilant scenes and will meet Manipur in the semifinal, while Bengal will play Kerala in the other. Both the semifinals will be played on Sunday. Tomorrow is a rest day.

Let alone a win, Tamil Nadu could only attain a goalless draw. It would be lot more appropriate to state that Maharashtra achieved what it had targeted as a minimum requirement to sign off from the Championship on a reasonably contented note.

Otherwise, it was a disappointing experience for the side for it had lost narrowly to the team it helped (Bihar) earlier and that instantly meant curtains as it always becomes in a three-team league. With little at stake thus, Maharashtra decided that Tamil Nadu had to earn its passage and not get it on a platter.

To that extent, it was a challenge for the host but sadly for all the vocal support, all the frenetic pace and activity it forced at the rival end, Tamil Nadu just did not have the plan for the occasion. Set aside freedom of space, Maharashtra at times had all the eleven players crowding the defence area. If Tamil Nadu girls had to break this fortress, there was need for variations, be it in the passing or ball skills to lure the defenders out. Alas, none in the Tamil Nadu front line was ready for this except trying in vain shots, which only saw the ball repeatedly rebound.

In fact, at times Tamil Nadu was lucky that when the ball travelled into its area, Maharashtra did not have a striker to capitalise. Jennifer Rayar was no threat.

And so were the Tamil Nadu forwards. Be it Vasanthi, Sushila, Ruby or Shalini none looked a threat to the Maharashtra defence where once again Shahina Khan and Queenie Mendes proved that only an artful dodger could get past them. Then there was goalkeeper Pooja Akkalwar, assured in taking aerial balls. All in all the dice was heavily loaded against Tamil Nadu and remained that way. Surprisingly for much of the initial phase Vasanthi, Sushila and Shalini raised cheers only for the way they rushed upfront.

Seeing the pace of the Tamil Nadu girls the crowd looked pleased. There was promise from the way Ruby tried an acute angled shot or Vasanthi chipping onto the bar. However, notwithstanding the trend of the flow, the promise gave way for desperation. The substitution of Sushila in the first half itself was the first indication of disquiet. More signs of inability came through as Tamil Nadu girls kept bunching up in the middle sacrificing position-play.

None showed the usefulness of the long diagonal passes as Thamimunisa, who retained her gritty approach unlike the others, with her tackles and quick clearances. It was her long ball passes from far touchline late in the match that made the team rue for not trying the variation early. For, this medium did trigger a disarray in the crowded defence.

It is a different matter that on a few opportunities, neither Shalini nor Vasanthi could capitalise. But that was one medium Tamil Nadu could have utilised to spot chinks in the defence-oriented Maharashtra approach. When Vasanthi too was replaced early in the second half the team management was clearly desperate. Fresh legs did not improve matters.

When Shalini remained a mere spectator when goalkeeper grabbed the ball after Poongodi and Abiga had combined to provide her a through ball late in the contest, Tamil Nadu's plight was complete.

Earlier in a Group IV match of no consequence since Bengal had already qualified from this Group, Assam had it easy over UP. Anjana Saikia (28th), Anjana Pegu (penalty 39th) and Kunti Dighal (67th) were the scorers.

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