Sporting Clube in semifinals KANNUR: Sporting Clube de Goa made good use of the chances that came its way to score a 2-1 win over Kerala XI and enter the semifinals of the second E.K. Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup football tournament at the Municipal Jawahar Stadium here on Friday.
The Goans also did a favour to Ferroviaria, Sao Paulo, ensuring a semifinal berth for the Brazilian side as well, as Kerala XI, with its second loss in the four-team Group 'A,' has gone out of the tournament along with Mohammedan AC, Kolkata, which faces Ferroviaria on Saturday. The only thing that the match could decide is who would top the pool. Fred Mascarenhas and Viera Fernandes scored for Sporting in the second-half, after local lad K.V. Kalesh, who was named Man of the Match, put Kerala XI ahead in the first. The home side, expectedly, played some attractive football and actually created more scoring opportunities than its more formidable and experienced rival. Kerala XI's relentless attack bore fruit in the 41st minute when Kalesh's powerful angular carpet drive from just inside the box, after being given an excellent pass from the left by O.K. Javed, beat the Goan custodian, David D'Souza. He didn't make things easier for the Kerala XI strikers, making a couple of excellent saves. http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/19/stories/2008041961392200.htm ~(^^)~ Avelino
