The attract of the Santosh Trophy is plain, enduring over time — protest, partition, and pandemic mere hurdles surmounted by the burden of a pan-India match that hones younger expertise, produces glowing unknowns and provides stalwarts an opportunity to cement legacies. The twelve groups which have certified for the ultimate spherical of the 76th Santosh Trophy will hope to etch their very own names on a trophy synonymous with the very best of Indian Soccer.
The group stage of the match was performed throughout six totally different venues — Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha and Kerala — and contested by 36 totally different groups. Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, Bengal, Meghalaya, Delhi and Manipur certified from the group levels. They are going to be joined by Railways and Companies within the closing spherical of the match to kick off in Bhubaneswar on February 10, 2023. The semi finals, third place play off and the ultimate can be performed in Saudi Arabia.
Can Kerala Defend Title?
Defending champions Kerala go into the ultimate spherical as, arguably, the favourites. The numbers bear testomony to this. Not solely have they received two of the final three editions — and 7 titles total — however they’ve additionally been supremely dominant within the group levels too, scoring essentially the most objectives (24) in 5 video games at a mind-boggling fee of 4.8 objectives per sport. Taking part in at residence, they conceded a mere two objectives within the group levels to qualify for the ultimate spherical.
Bengal’s Problem
Their greatest problem will come from Bengal, who maintain the report for essentially the most titles within the match’s historical past (32). Bengal’s final win got here within the 2016-17 version, however the workforce has made three of the final 4 finals, shedding each occasions to Kerala — as soon as at residence in Kolkata and the second in Malappuram. Slotted in Group B, they won’t meet their nemesis until the knockout levels, if all goes to plan.
And there’s no cause it won’t. If Kerala are the freescorers, Bengal have a watertight defence, one which has conceded only one aim by way of the group stage, having stored 4 clear sheets from 5 video games. They haven’t been miserly in entrance of aim both, scoring 17 occasions, the joint third most of any workforce that has certified for the ultimate rounds.
Darkish Horses
In addition to the 2 long-term favourites and nemesis, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka will hope to experience on the darkish horses tag to make the minimize for the knockouts. Delhi, who’ve certified for the ultimate rounds after lacking out on the final two events haven’t received the match since 1942. They go in as underdogs but when their efficiency within the group levels is any indicator, nobody will take them evenly.
A historically sturdy Companies workforce will hope to reach on the closing rounds and do what they do — silently make it to the ultimate spherical, effectively and with out a lot fuss. Companies have received 5 of the final ten editions of the match and can be eager to erase the reminiscence of a disappointing efficiency final trip.
Bengal striker Narohari Shrestha, Maharashtra’s Arif Sheikh and Kerala’s Nijo Gilbert lead the goalscoring charts with six objectives every. Whereas none would possibly come near breaking Inder Singh’s unattainable feat of 23 objectives, they’ll hope to etch their names alongside him because the winner of the golden boot for the match.
The match returns to Odisha for the primary time in over a decade, and Odisha can be eager to profit from it. The state has by no means received the match and even made the semi-finals of their historical past. Maybe they are going to be 76th-time fortunate.
Teams for the ultimate spherical of the Santosh Trophy
GROUP A: Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab
GROUP B: Bengal, Meghalaya, Delhi, Companies, Railways, Manipur
FIXTURES
February 10:
Goa vs Kerala
Maharashtra vs Odisha
Punjab vs Karnataka
February 11:
Delhi vs Bengal
Manipur vs Railways
Meghalaya vs Companies
February 12:
Kerala vs Karnataka
Punjab vs Maharashtra
Goa vs Odisha
February 13:
Bengal vs Companies
Meghalaya vs Manipur
Delhi vs Railways
February 14:
Karnataka vs Goa
Odisha vs Punjab
Kerala vs Maharashtra
February 15:
Companies vs Delhi
Railways vs Meghalaya
Bengal vs Manipur
February 17:
Maharashtra vs Karnataka
Odisha vs Kerala
Punjab vs Goa
February 18:
Manipur vs Companies
Railways vs Bengal
Meghalaya vs Delhi
February 19: Karnataka vs Odisha
Goa vs Maharashtra
Kerala vs Punjab
February 20:
Companies vs Railways
Delhi vs Manipur
Bengal vs Meghalaya
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