Dharamsala Beat Bir/Chauntra, Pokhara Settles for a Draw
Dharamsala, 9 June: Despite heavy rain, both players and spectators stood abreast for the day 5 of the most coveted football tournament of the Tibetan community yesterday.
Dharamsala conceived the first goal as their goalkeeper’s gloves did not have the friction required to hold on to the ball as Bir/Chauntra forward Phuntsok hit a strong volley in the 15th minute. Dharamsala’s equalizer through Rinzin Namgyal also could stay within the grip of their goalkeeper’s gloves. Both teams battered the muddy field in search for a goal that would keep the two teams apart. And a moment fro Dharamsala to thank their opponents came shortly after Bir/Chauntra defender mistimed his stoppage and created an own goal. Bir/Chauntra’s striker Karma Namgyal did hit several powerful shots on target but Dharamsala’s goalkeeper Jigme Norbu was always at the right position at right time. The match ended in Dharamsala’s favour by a lone goal, which was not scored by Dharamsala. With two straight wins, Dhasa now stands on the top of their pool with 6 points. For Bir/Chauntra, the defeat further shattered their hopes to remain in the tournamnet as they now stand at the bottom of the table with not a single point. The other two teams in the same pool, Dhanglob Rukhag and Kathmandu have 3 points each.
The second match between Pokhara and Delhi was a real neck-to-neck contest and was a game full of misses. Pokhara were dominant in the first fifteen minutes as their strikers Sonam Rinchen dropped the ball on his chest and banged right into the net to claim the first goal. A handball in Delhi’s box awarded a penalty for Pokhara. The penalty was blocked by the Delhi goalkeeper but the referee ruled out the kick and asked for a retake. There were strong display of frustration among the players of Delhi for this judgement. Miraculously enough for Delhi, their goalkeeper made himself hero of the day by saving the retaken penalty. The game was entering into the last few minutes when Pokhara found the net and the celebrations on the field was enough for Delhi players to give away the match. But Pokhara’s clebrations and dreams to stay in the tournament was turned into a nightmare when Tsepal of Delhi hit a thunderous volley into the right corner of Pokhara’s goal. There was a roar of applause among the Delhi fans and disappointment among Pokhara fans as the referee signalled the end of the match just a minute later. Pokhara, the defending champions had to settle for a draw for the second time in the tournament. Delhi will play against Southern Stars today and is a must win game for the boys from the Indian capital if they have to stay in the tournament.