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  FC Chitwan  vs Dhangadi FC:  An upset in the making  By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax , Va One of the tournament favorites Dhangadhi FC  are up against undefeated FC Chitwan in the National Super League  at Dashrath stadium Saturday. With one loss, one win and  one draw , they are in second  position behind Butwal Lumbini on goal difference  in standings. They had a golden opportunity to take the pole position in the match against Lalitpur City FC but only to squander, Despite taking the crucial lead,they failed  to defend and had to settle  for a point.As a matter of fact, before they surged ahead, they could have trailed behind,had it not been the spot kick miss  by  Lalitpur City FC. Also Lalitpur City had the upper hand for most part of the game. They had the lion share of attacks but were let down by poor finish. Dhangadhi FC did survive the opponent’s relentless onslaught as the defense barely held their ground. I would add, they were fortunate to escape with a draw. They were unable t

Kathmandu Rayzrs FC and Pokhara Thunders FC  are all set to duke it out to bolster their position in the National Super League Friday at Dashrath stadium, Although the sides  are level on points ,however,Pokhara Thunders  are ahead  of Kathmandu Rayzrs in the standings on goal difference. As far as the results and performances go, the  first franchised based tournament has been full of surprises and uncertainties.At this point,no clear favorites have emerged and the race to the finish  is wide open. Both teams are expected to throw the kitchen sink  at one another to earn full points as the competition begins to heat up. With Kathmandu Rayzrs struggling, Head  Coach Bal Kumar Maharjan finds himself in a challenging abd tricky spot ahead of the crucial fixture. There is no hiding the fact that  one of the strong contenders  Kathmandu Rayzrs’ performance has left wanting. They did start the tournament  on a winning note but completely lost their way in the second match against Dhangadi F

Lalitpur City FC find themselves  in uncharted territory as they face a resurgent  Dhangadi FC in the National Super League Thursday at Dashrath stadium. Contrary to expectations,things  are moving  in the wrong direction for Head  Coach Pradeep Humagain so far. With 1 point, they are languishing at the bottom of the table,which to me is unbelievable. Going by the performance,  it is fair to say that they have clearly underperformed. It has been a familiar tale of struggle and mediocrity to this point. They just have not  been able to work as  a unit and perform as planned. When a team is poorly performing, the onus is on the coach who is expected to turn things around.   Surely Coach Humagain has  assessed and analyzed the situation. He knows the areas of weakness and strength and figured out what went right and what went wrong. Perhaps the system or tactical approach  or formation or team selection is not working. Let me not get into the technicalities of the game, I am not an expert

Biratnagar  City FC  hopes to tighten its grip on the National Super League against Pokhara Thunders Wednesday at Dasharath stadium. For now Biratnagar FC  with three points are at the top of table in the round robin tournament on goal difference. They look determined  to hang on to the pole position. If their performance against formidable Dhangadhi FC is taken into account,they have a  good chance to become the first team to win two straight matches. They played well,combining aggression, consistency, positivity,coordination  and individual brilliance. More importantly, they did not let scoring opportunities go to  waste. That made a big difference . Despite a winning start, Head  Coach Yan Law  admitted that  there  are still grey   areas that need  to be  addressed  to improve the team’s performance. He is looking forward to a  much  improved performance  from his side against  Pokhara Thunders whom he considers a formidable opponent. I expect Coach Law to employ a similar  playin

 Dhangadi FC looking to rebound against Kathmandu Rayzrs Kathmandu Rayzrs FC  got off to a winning start against Lalitpur City FC in the National Super League opener in Kathmandu played at Dasarath stadium. Now they are gearing up for the second game against Dhangadi FC Tuesday. Head Coach Bal Gopal Maharjhan is plotting yet another victory to put his side in a commanding position in the competition. They did prevail over Lalitpur City in a close contest, but the performance was nowhere near expected.  They struggled to keep possession of the ball, easily losing out to the opposition.There was a clear lack of cohesion between the attack line and midfielders, coupled with poor finish.  As a result, only a few clear scoring opportunities came by. The young guns Bishwas Shrestha, Rezen Tamang and Sudil Rai must raise their performance level and play to their potential. One player who stood out was recently capped emerging midfielder Sanjog Rai. He played well, maneuvering and marshalling

Lalitpur City FC ‘s start to the National Super League did not go the way they wanted as they went down to Kathmandu Rayzrs  F C by a solitary goal in the opener held at Dasharath stadium in Kathmandu. They play FC Chitwan in the second match Monday  to keep their hopes alive in the competition. It is obvious that they cannot afford another defeat.  Head coach Pradip Humagain  is aware of his team’s situation.I know it is weighing on his mind.He has to find a way to turn things around.  Coach Humagain needs to employ a no nonsense approach  and develop a strategy to address the challenge. He has to keep players motivated and help them overcome the defeat constructively.He will agree that the offense lacked sharpness, coordination and good finish.That is something to keep an eye on, International  Anjan Bista in the role of an attacking midfielder worked  tirelessly.However, the others failed to provide him with the support  he needed in midfield. Upcoming  midfielders Arik Bista and Sh

The second day of the National Super League features two exciting, engrossing  and  enthralling matches . The day kicks off with Biratnagar City FC and Dhangadi FC clash at Dashrath stadium. The matchup has the making of a thriller. The contest should live to its expectations and billing.I expect fireworks aplenty. No wonder,  the game has generated plenty of  interest amongst football fans who are looking forward to a highly absorbing, entertaining and competitive duel. The teams are evenly matched technically, tactically and physically. They have a bevy of   skillful and energetic  players with international experiences in abundance.They are  ready to set up their game on the big stage on Sunday. Biratnagar  City’s  experienced international midfielders Sunil Bal,Santosh Tamang and Hem Tamang does  provide  depth in midfield.  Besides, the team will heavily rely  on their two veteran foreign recruits  Uruguayan born Spanish Pedro Manzi  and Nigerian Oluwabunmi for goals. The defens

The much talked about and eagerly awaited National  Super League gets off to a quiet start at Dashrath stadium Saturday. The opener  between city rivals Kathmandu Rayzrs FC and Lalitpur City FC  will be played in front of an empty stadium, TV cameras and a handful of journalists.  The inaugural tie marks the start of the first ever franchised based league in the history of Nepal football. The promotion and marketing of the tournament  has been up to the mark,and the team branding process  looks  quite impressive . The teams have  successfully barnstormed the social media  platforms to raise their profile and  boost their fan base.  In my opinion,the only downside has been the scheduling of the tournament in the midst of the pandemic and a cramped domestic schedule. It seems there was a rush to organize the competition.  The timing of NSL has adversely impacted tournaments in the  likes  of  Birat Gold Cup , Simara Gold Cup and many more.  These tournaments  suffered because of  low- qu

Unprecedented excitement  and anticipation is building among football aficionados for the inaugural kick off date of  the first  professional franchise football  league in the history of Nepal football . The start of the franchise based football tournament  is the biggest and by far the most  important breakthrough for Nepal football.  After waiting for decades, the long overdue  tournament is finally  unfolding before us much to our relief and delight. It should be noted that the first ever franchise  based  sporting event started in  Nepal with the Everest Premier League Twenty20 cricket  tournament in 2016. The epoch- making involvement of the  private sector in the development of football is a shot in the arm for Nepal football.  As we all know, the private sector plays a key role in the development of not only football but sports, on the whole. It’s involvement has become  increasingly imperative and necessary for the overall development of sports and, even more so for a country l