Great job Three Star Club

The champion club of Nepal Three Star Club did not disappoint as they powered their way to the final round of the AFC President’s Cup qualifiers on the last day of the competition in Kathmandu recently.

A   hard fought 2-2 draw against Taiwan’s Power Company was enough for the home side to become the group champions.

They concluded the tournament with a   win and   two draw. The record does   look   impressive; there is obviously still plenty of room for improvement.  A win is a win, nonetheless, and they deserve   every credit   for the success.

The triumph   was  a  huge  relief  for  home supporters  who  so  desperately wanted  their team  to succeed. Congratulations  to  Three Star Club (TSC) for booking   a spot in the final round.

Everyone knows,   Nepali football   Teams   have   been   going through a lean patch in international arena.  Nothing can be more frustrating than to see your team perform below mediocrity, over and over.

TSC in their final game   seemed far from convincing, and they   struggled to get going, for the most part.  The defensive and mid-field woes   were evidently visible, and the   offensive line   performance left much to be desired.

Prior to   last day’s action of the competition, it was very unclear which two teams would advance to the final round. The champion club of Mongolia surprised everyone by upsetting the Bangladesh outfit by a solitary goal.

The Mongolians automatically ensured TSC a spot in the final round before their tie against the Taiwanese side. Taiwan, however, still had a chance to make it to the last round in place of Mongolia with a win over TSC, but they narrowly fell short at the end.

The defending champions are only to blame themselves for their first round exit.  Against TSC they played pretty well, especially after rebounding from a two goal deficit. They had their chances and came to scoring the winning goal on numerous occasions, however, lack of clinical finishing saw their efforts go in vain.

On the contrary, TSC got off to an explosive start, scoring two quick goals, and it looked, though, they were headed for a resounding victory. That was not to be, surprisingly. And they were rather fortunate to have not conceded the match.

Bogged down by sloppy play, they fell behind and dug themselves into too deep a hole, and that eventually opened the door for the opponent. The Taiwanese outfit seized the opportunity and stormed back strongly to dominate the proceedings till the end.

Coach Pradip Humagain has done a wonderful job since taking over TSC. He is aware that the final round is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Indeed, he and his   boys have quite a challenge ahead, and the tournament will be the acid test for them. Playing   at   a neutral venue against fairly formidable opponents does require a    much higher level   of team performance, commitment   and   competitiveness. There is absolutely  no place for   laid-back   and   lethargic approach to achieve the targeted result.   

In addition, TSC   needs   a high degree of fitness to overcome physically strong foes in the final round. It was very clear that the team was plagued with injuries   going into the   AFC President’s Cup Qualifiers.  

Some of star players carried injuries, and the backups did get   quality   playing time and   performed well. They are   key to team’s success. and the fitness issues could  greatly impact the team’s performance, over all.

It is Coach Humagain’s   responsibility to make sure that these players are given   ample time to   rest and recover. Otherwise, their injury problem will keep mounting, and it does not bode well for the   team’s interest in the long run.   

Understandably, the burden of hectic domestic tournaments has taken its toll on the team. Not surprisingly, TSC prepares for “Gurkha Cup”, another domestic tournament.

The champion club of Nepal has plenty of time to adequately prepare for   the AFC President’s Cup, taking place in September.  They stand   a good chance   of doing well, if they meticulously plan   their   preparation and keep their players healthy.