<p>Jaded and short of creativity and answers, HASC looked a shadow of the side that put up impressive shows against big teams. With a small squad at their disposal, it was obvious that the Aircraftmen and their players were desperate for a break. Which is why the almost month-long hiatus -- taken due to India playing in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and the IFA Shield in Kolkata -- should see a refreshed outfit looking to get back to the form they showed in the middle part of the season.<br /><br />Their task has been made a little harder though, with defensive stalwarts Joseph Femi and Rohit Chand missing out due to suspension. “It’s a blow because our defence has been our best bet all season,” Muralidharan, HASC manager, said.<br /><br />Jai Kumar is expected to step in at centreback for Femi with Gautam Debnath switching to left back, giving James Singh his first start in a couple of months.<br /><br />Xavier Vijaykumar, who suffered a hamstring tear in the match against Viva Kerala, has recovered and will start in his preferred right midfield position. The rest of the team will bear the same look with A Hamza and last match’s goal hero RC Prakash starting upfront with Meitei playing in the left of midfield and captain J Murali pulling the strings in the centre along with James.<br /><br />Indian Arrows, who have performed above expectations, lie one place and one point below their opponents in tenth with 19 points. <br /><br />Desmond Bulpin -- the Indian Arrows coach -- has admirably marshalled the young side into a cohesive unit that has been hard to beat, especially at home.<br /><br />The players from the Arrows will be brimming with confidence after a few of their players performed remarkably well in the AFC Challenge Cup for India — none more so than Jeje Lalpekhlua, who scored four goals to spur his country to a top-of-the-table finish.<br />Apart from Jeje, who has scored eight goals in the League so far, the man to watch out for in the Delhi-based side will be Jewel Raja. <br /><br />The box-to-box midfielder has a tremendous engine in him and is capable of scoring from outside the box, as witnessed in the match against Chines Taipei.<br /><br />HASC need the three points to put their bad recent run to rest, while Indian Arrows will look to ride on the wave of confidence, leaving this match intriguingly poised.<br /></p>
<p>Jaded and short of creativity and answers, HASC looked a shadow of the side that put up impressive shows against big teams. With a small squad at their disposal, it was obvious that the Aircraftmen and their players were desperate for a break. Which is why the almost month-long hiatus -- taken due to India playing in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and the IFA Shield in Kolkata -- should see a refreshed outfit looking to get back to the form they showed in the middle part of the season.<br /><br />Their task has been made a little harder though, with defensive stalwarts Joseph Femi and Rohit Chand missing out due to suspension. “It’s a blow because our defence has been our best bet all season,” Muralidharan, HASC manager, said.<br /><br />Jai Kumar is expected to step in at centreback for Femi with Gautam Debnath switching to left back, giving James Singh his first start in a couple of months.<br /><br />Xavier Vijaykumar, who suffered a hamstring tear in the match against Viva Kerala, has recovered and will start in his preferred right midfield position. The rest of the team will bear the same look with A Hamza and last match’s goal hero RC Prakash starting upfront with Meitei playing in the left of midfield and captain J Murali pulling the strings in the centre along with James.<br /><br />Indian Arrows, who have performed above expectations, lie one place and one point below their opponents in tenth with 19 points. <br /><br />Desmond Bulpin -- the Indian Arrows coach -- has admirably marshalled the young side into a cohesive unit that has been hard to beat, especially at home.<br /><br />The players from the Arrows will be brimming with confidence after a few of their players performed remarkably well in the AFC Challenge Cup for India — none more so than Jeje Lalpekhlua, who scored four goals to spur his country to a top-of-the-table finish.<br />Apart from Jeje, who has scored eight goals in the League so far, the man to watch out for in the Delhi-based side will be Jewel Raja. <br /><br />The box-to-box midfielder has a tremendous engine in him and is capable of scoring from outside the box, as witnessed in the match against Chines Taipei.<br /><br />HASC need the three points to put their bad recent run to rest, while Indian Arrows will look to ride on the wave of confidence, leaving this match intriguingly poised.<br /></p>
