History beckons for Meghalaya and Karnataka
Dream. History. Landmark. Words that often run the risk of being worn out, thanks to their casual usage. Finding a more fitting expression to accurately describe what awaits Meghalaya and Karnataka on Saturday night though could be a challenge. That's precisely why the words kept repeating themselves each time coaches and players of the two teams spoke on the eve of the Santosh Trophy final, set to be played at the King Fahd International Stadium here on Saturday.
Meghalaya are in the final of the senior national championships for the first time in the competition's 82-year history while Karnataka last won the title 54 years back, when the state was still known as Mysore. The southern state though has played the final nine times -- eight times as Mysore -- winning on four occasions. The last final they played was 47 years back (1975-76), and the last time they won it was in 1968-69 in Bangalore.
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Karnataka coach Ravi Raju Babu was two years old when Karnataka last reached the Santosh Trophy final. "No one in our squad was born when we last played the final. We are fully aware of what is at stake. We landed here with the goal to go back with the trophy, and we shall achieve it," he said.
"Over the years I have heard stories of Mysore teams reaching the finals and winning it. Now is the time to write our own history," the 49-year-old, who took charge of the Karnataka team only in December 2022, said.
With an average age of 25, his team is a nice blend of youth and experience with the majority of the players being products of Bengaluru's efficient league system. The squad has four players who are reserves at Bengaluru FC, three play for Bangalore Sporting, four from FC Bengaluru United, and five from Kickstart FC. All these clubs play in the Bangalore Super Division league, which is the top state-level league in Karnataka.
"The biggest motivation for our players is to land professional contracts, maybe in ISL or I-league clubs. Santosh Trophy can open a lot of avenues for them," the coach said.
Karnataka hardly had a smooth run to the final. After finishing second in their pool in the group stage, they finished behind Punjab in the final round with two wins and three draws. Two of those draws were secured in the second-half injury time. A convincing win finally arrived in the semis when they beat Services 3-1. In their last three matches -- against Punjab, Maharashtra, and Services -- Karnataka conceded first, a concern that the team would like to address in the summit clash.
"That (conceding early goals) is an issue. We can't afford any mistakes against Meghalaya who become very compact after scoring. They have good strikers and midfield, but we would like to put their defence under pressure," Ravi Raju said.
"My message to the boys is simple: Stay calm for 90 minutes. No wrong passes, keep possession, and score when you can. In big finals, you need to go with an uncomplicated mind. We would like to kill the contest in the regulation time because the hard ground really tests your stamina as the game progresses. I have told my boys not to celebrate till the trophy is won."
Meghalaya, on the other hand, are not shy of baring their emotions. "You'll see a lot of crazy celebration after we win the trophy," chuckled forward Sheen Stevenson, who scored the winner against Punjab in the semis.
"This is a special occasion for us. Football is quite huge in Meghalaya and we expect thousands to turn up to welcome us if we win," added Brolington Warlarpih. The 34-year-old defender will hang his boots after the final. Most districts in the northeastern state have put up a giant screen where the final will be streamed live, informed coach Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh.
"A win tomorrow (Saturday) will be huge for our state. We have been getting calls and messages from home wishing us well. It is overwhelming," he added.
Skipper Fullmoon Mukhim, who missed the semi-final to a strain in his right calf, will be available for the final. "Karnataka are a good team, but on the field, it is always 11 versus 11. We start as equals," he said.
The third-place match will be played between Services and Punjab. While Services have won five of the last ten finals, Punjab made it to the last stage twice in the same period.
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