
MUMBAI, JULY 1: They are not among the fancied teams in the fray for the Gulf Oil Wifa Super League title. But then Union Bank of India have no problems being the under dogs. 8220;UBI is known to spring surprises and that is a good feeling,8221; says coach Anand Puthran, who took over the reigns of the team just two months ago. Though he hasn8217;t been with the team for long, Puthran says he is lucky to have sincere boys.
8220;When I got the team their enthusiasm was at a low ebb. But now, they are raring to go,8221; notes the Railwayman.
While the team has many a youngster in its ranks, the players who are most likely to make a difference for the team are the old hands. 8220;Age may not quite be on our side, we do have a lot of experience in our ranks,8221; reveals Puthran.
Prominent among those are defender Vijay Thapa and forwards Francis and Ryan. But injury to Ryan8217;s right knee during a practice match has given the team strategy a shake.
Planning is one department where UBI have left no stone unturned. Different strategies have been meticulouly chalked out for different rivals, with the basic idea of crowding the mid-field. 8220;This way the ball can be kept out of our territory as much as possible.8221;
Though Puthran would have liked to spend more time with the team, he feels the players8217; efforts more than make up for the short preparation time they had on hand. Says Puthran: 8220;We will play to the best of our ability. The rest we leave it to God.8221;
FACTFILE
Coach: Anand Puthran
Manager: Julian D8217;Souza
Players to watch: Vijay Thapa, Suresh Mendon
TEAM
Goalkeepers: Nadeem Ansari, Kiran Shetty, Ateeq
Defenders: Suresh Mendon, Vijay Thapa, Rakesh, Vijay Kunder, Brendon, Julian D8217;Souza, Michael, Pandey
Mid-fielders: Mario, Steven, Dheeru, Rajesh, Ameen, Marshall
Forwards: Francis, Ryan, Keenan, Lenz