Shillong Lajong FC welcomes NorthEast United FC to Shillong. Both teams will battle it out in a ‘NorthEast Derby’ for a place in the final of the 133rd Durand Cup semi-final to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. The match, originally scheduled to be played in Kolkata, has been moved to Shillong on the request of fans.
NorthEast United defeated a valiant Indian Army side 2-0 in the quarter-finals in Kokrajhar, while Shillong Lajong stunned Kolkata giants Emami East Bengal 2-1 in front of their home crowd to book their place in the first semi-final. The stadium was packed for all matches in the tournament and the semi-finals tomorrow will also be played in a packed stadium with fans from both sides supporting the teams.
Shillong Lajong FC have played excellent football throughout the tournament, winning their group and then knocking East Bengal out in the quarter-finals with some tactically brilliant football. They defended well and then made East Bengal difficult on the counterattack. The home team’s productivity from set pieces was excellent, with captain Hardy Nongbri’s passes putting the opposition under pressure. Marcos Rudwere Silva has scored goals, while Phrangki Buam and Everbrightson Sana have impressed in attack. The defence, led by Brazilian Daniel Goncalves, has been solid, conceding just two goals in the tournament.
Ahead of the match, Shillong Lajong FC head coach Jose Hevia said, “The semi-final tomorrow is a big match for the club, its fans and everyone in Meghalaya. We are well prepared for the match and will do our best to face a very strong opponent.” “We are looking forward to tomorrow’s match and will play our style of football in front of our loyal fans. NorthEast is a good team and we will have an exciting match against them,” he added. Shillong Lajong captain Harry Nongbri.
On the other hand, NorthEast United were brilliant in attack, scoring 10 goals in the group stage. Jithin MS, Guillermo Fernandez and Nestor Albiach worked well together in attack with the able support of Moroccan midfielder Mohammed Ali Bemmamer. Spaniards Guillermo Fernandez and Nestor Albiach scored the decisive goals in the quarter-finals. The Highlanders’ defence was also stingy, conceding just one goal in the tournament.
“It will be a great experience for us to play in the semi-finals of such a great tournament in front of our fans and in a full stadium,” said Juan Pedro Benali, head coach of NorthEast United before the game. When asked about the pressure of playing in front of away fans, the Spaniard replied: “Actually, quite the opposite, we love playing in front of such full stadiums. It helps the players to lift their spirits and play freely to get a positive result from the game.”
