UBI making a fresh start

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