Local soccer back on the road
The second round of the Dialog Champions League 2013, inter-club football championship kicked off this week after a delay of two months, but with three more first round matches to be completed. From Group ‘A’ Colombo Football Club snatched the leadership as Solid Sports Club continues to lead the Group ‘B’, giving them the much needed boost. But lack of action for almost three months may largely affect on the respective teams’ run for the title, as the competition sets off for yet another nine weeks where unpredictable results may come out.
Interestingly both Colombo FC and Solid SC are debutants to the competition, who are making their intentions clear of clinching the title. From Group ‘A’ Colombo FC will def- initely have to counter the challenges from Blue Star, Navy SC, Air Force and Saunders, who have gathered momentum as the competition moved on. In addition from nine games Colombo FC has won five, drawn three and lost one. Blue Star has the same amount of wins but has two each from draws and defeats, making them the closest contenders to topple the table leaders. However Ratnam and Super Sun are yet to play their first round match, though the outcome of the game may not have a huge impact overall.
The Group ‘B’ is led by Solid SC who has won six, drawn two and lost one from nine games. Their immediate rivals Army SC, have won the same amount of matches but has a draw less and a defeat more than Solid. Though Pelicans, Upcountry Lions and Nandimithra have the ability to give a decent fight for the top spot, the mission is not simple as it seems. The delay of the commencement of the second round of DCL 2013, will drag the competition towards December.After the completion of the first round, Army SC striker Mohamed Izzadeen becomes the top goal scorer after initiating 11 neatly struck hits. Chidiebere Frank and Bodric Dimitri, two foreigners who represent Colombo FC have scored eight goals each in nine games, making them the second best in the tally, behind Izzadeen. Priyankara Silva of Don Bosco, Dhammika Ekanayake of Pelicans, Anushka Jayashan of Nandmithra, Afeez Olayemi of Blue Star and Murugan Yogaraja of Ratnam with have scored six goals each while Shanaka Praboth of Solid SC, Niranjeewa Rajapaksha of Upcountry Lions and Chathuranga Silva of Navy have netted five goals each so far.