Federation Cup 2009: Keita denies Viva Kerala victory
Viva Kerala and Salgaocar battled in the last group A game which was rather inconsequential given that East Bengal already qualified for the semi-finals after beating JCT.
Having held the likes of East Bengal and JCT in their earlier games, Viva Kerala were one of the most organised teams in the group. East Bengal’s victory was a blow for Salgaocar’s hopes of setting up a semis clash against Mohun Bagan on New Year’s Eve.
It was the team from the souther part of India who started better as they won a series of free-kicks. For Salgaocar, it was their skipper Luciano Sobrosa who kept Viva’s attacks in check.
The best chance of the opening half of the game came in the 18th minute after Mandjou Keita fancied a long range effort which was just wide of the target. Viva, too, had their moments but nothing as an out and out chance as such.
The opening goal came in the 36th minute when Viva’s Reuben utilized his height to the fullest as he banked on the mispass and his striken found it’s way past Salgaocar custodian Kalyan Chaubey.
In the second half, there was an intense midfield battle which kept the referee busy as he flashed a few yellow cards to players like Luciano Sobrosa and Sirajuddin.
Just when it looked like Viva were to end their Federation Cup campaign on a high, Keita cut their joy minutes before the final whistle.
The action from Group A ended with East Bengal topping the charts with Salgaocar coming second followed by Viva Kerala as JCT finished at the bottom.
Source: Goal.com
