Pokhara Thunders fate hangs in the balance against Biratnagar City FC

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  playing style, tactical ploys and attacking strategies he  used against Dhangadhi. 

There is no denying the fact that the outfit from East Nepal is well balanced and packed with skillful and experienced players.

They  must carry the momentum into the match, play  total football and  to their strengths. Their strength lies in  midfield  with the exciting and innovative  trio of Sunil Bal , Santosh Tamang and Hem Tamang in charge.  Should they take control of midfield play, they  should find themselves in a winning position.

Creative midfielder Santosh Tamang , man of the match against Dhangadi  was at the top of his game .He constantly split defenders , created spaces and fed forwards.His form is crucial for the team.

My guess is Coach Law will stick to the same winning combination of upcoming Nir Kumar Rai Pedro Manzi and Adelaja Somide  in the attack. He believes  both foreign recruits will grow performance wise.

International Ranjit Dhimal alongside Suraj Dahal and Ulrich Siewel were up to their task and will require the same defending stubbornness to protect the goal.

On the other hand, Pokhara Thunders  are pointless and at the bottom of the table. This is a must win match for the star- studded side to be back in the fray.

Apparently,defeat  will not serve their interest as they battle to stay in the competition. A win over Biratnagar is within  their reach unless they  are able to put together a winning  and robust performance.

They were left to rue their missed chances after losing 2-0 to Butwal Lumbini in their opening match. They will  need a clinical  finish  when it comes to translating  scoring chances into goals.

They have veteran Anil Gurung and ace striker Nawayug Shrestha  who have experience and scoring ability to get the task done. 

Head Coach Nabin Neupane knows he has a talented team capable of turning things around.  He needs to motivate them and  work out strategies to drive the team to success.

He  can take cue from Dhangadi FC’s  bounce back against Kathmandu Rayzrs. I will be surprised if he doesn't go for the 4-3-3 formation to put early pressure on the opponent.

In the  first match, Coach Neupane  did not include Anil Gurung in the first playing eleven. I don’t know if he has him starting for the crucial tie.

If  I am in his shoes  he starts in the match. The former ace striker Gurung certainly adds dynamism and fire to the attack. On top of that, he has a knack for scoring goals.

Foreign recruit  recruit Moussa Abagana , upcoming Rajesh Pariwar have to  step up  their performance and get more involved in the attack

Right out of the gate, they have  to come firing on all cylinders . International Sujal Shrestha who is likely to team up with Nitin Thapa ,Ravi Shankar Paswan and Bidias Rim Raphael in midfield  must up the ante to dictate play, which was missing in the last match.

The defense was left exposed in the last match.  Capped defenders Dipak Gurung, Ajit Bhandari,Man B Tamang and Ketcha Yannick  cannot afford another half -hearted  and error -prone performance. They need to put up  a  technically sound defending to give their side a chance in the crucial game.