Laitpur City FC battles Pokhara Thunders for survival

In the battle for survival, Pokhara Thunders FC are pitted against Lalitpur City FC in the ongoing Nepal Super  League taking place at Dashrath stadium in Kathmandu Sunday.

The tournament is already into the second week, however the race to the finish is still wide open.The teams are bunched together  and separated by a few points.

Strong contenders Dhangadi FC with  seven points are at the top of the table, following a convincing victory over FC Chitwan.

Pokhara Thunders run in the tournament has been a mixed bag to this point,.They have played three matches but have clearly lacked consistency and quality in their performance.

One defeat,one win and one draw  sums up  their ordinary performance so far.With  four points,they are very much in the fray and can improve their standings provided they turn things around.

With the competition tightening up, every match is important in their fight for top four. They have  failed to create physical,technical and tactical rhythm as a team. 

Moving  forward they have to  be more methodical in approach and require a lot of coordination and strong individual play as well. 

Despite  carrying the tag of contenders,Pokhara Thunders have  been unimpressive and  failed to justify  its billings.They have to find  a route to overcome their struggles and get their act together  in order to get the job done.

And it has  to start against Lalitpur City. The outcome of the game will prove crucial to their success .Apparently,victory will put them exactly  where they  want to be at this  juncture of the tournament.

They have a fairly good chance to win. That being said, they will need a solid team effort and every team member must play to their strengths.

Slumping Lalitpur City  FC  find themselves in a tight spot and  fighting to stay in the competition. They are still winless and nothing has gone right for them.

They lost the opener against Kathmandu Rayzrs  and drew two matches in a row. Their progress has been hindered by lack of a right game plan, urgency, positive attitude and  confidence..

They showed a  marked improvement in  their performance in the last two matches and should have won.  The struggle to capitalize on goal scoring opportunities,poor finish and inability to convert spot kicks, however, proved to be their undoing.

Undoubtedly Coach Pradeep Humagain is under pressure  to deliver the result. He must address the  team’s technical shortcomings.

All they need  is a morale boosting victory to stay  afloat in the competition.Otherwise, they are headed for the exit.

The team must avoid complacency, look  a lot sharper, and creative from the start  of play.The overall performance has to be solid, offensively and defensively..

Also they must  rise to the occasion,come out swinging and prove themselves .It is  a  vital match they have to win. I truly believe they can make it happen only if they perform flawlessly on all fronts.