After an exciting few months filled with thrilling matches, wonderful goals and bone crunching tackles the Quarter Finals of the 2013 Dialog Champions League has finally arrived.
A good lineup is on the cards and all football lovers will have very exciting DCL quarter finals in the coming Saturday till Tuesday.
Ratnam will play the Anuradapura Solid who had a good season this year in the first quarter finals. Solid has the services of the Ex National Captain Sunanda Bandara and three Nigerians who have helped them to reach quarters this year. It will be interesting to see how the defending champions Ratnam with many ex National stars and an experienced team face the youthful Anuradapura team in Colombo. Ratnam too has the services of Tharusha, Channa and consistent goal scorer Yogaraj to create exciting moves to upset the new comers.
Consistent Blue Star from Kalutara will have it tough with Renown who had shown tremendous form in the second round with Fazal, Zain, Fazul and dependable goal keeper Sathish. Both teams have won this DCL trophy and it will be interested to see how they play in the knockout stage. Renown had stepped up their game in the second round and has been a free scoring team. Blue Star coached by former Sri Lankan center back and Captain Dudley Stainwall has had the best defensive record in the league and will depend on the three Nigerians and the Ex National Goalkeeper Manjula to carry them to the semi finals.
Colombo FC who is leading the points table from Group A is a team to watch at this year’s championship. Being new comers to the DCL they have performed very well and their forwards play a well combined game which resulted in them scoring 50 goals in the season. Their Cameroonian stricker Gabriel and Nigerian Franke has been heavy goal scores in the season. For Don Bosco who are also former DCL Champions came back to the league in the second round with good wins to their credit. They too have the services of three Afrikaans and also couple of Ex National Players and have experienced and capacity to block the goal scoring Colombo FC forwards.
Army are another former DCL Champs and is the table leader from Group B. They have the services of ever dependable ace stricker of the country M Izadeen who has scored 22 goals to his credit out of 47 goals scored by Army. It will be very tough to contain the much experienced Army bullets in the front line and the Airmen will have to use all their defensive skills if they want to advance to the Semi finals. It will be very challenging for Air Force to contain them but the Airmen also have well experienced and high ranking forwards to take them to an unexpected victory. Especially the crafty Nipuna Bandara, attacking midfielder Kavindu, Chaminda and new comer Prabath, the custodian will have to perform as expected for Airmen and it will be a tough game as these forces will display much physical application and stamina in the field.
Venue: Vernon Fernando Stadium, Kalutara
Kickoff: 3.30 p.m.
DATE MATCH
30.11.13 QF1 Ratnam SC Vs Solid SC
01.12.13 QF2 SL Air Force SC Vs SL Army SC
