Colombo lads making inroads after first week
Former FA Cup champions Colombo Football Club will look to add another feather to their cap when they take part in the Dialog Champions League 2015 as the Super 8 round. However, champions of 2008/09, Army Sports Club, made a stern warning that they are back on the track to regain what was lost back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.
Colombo FC beat Air Force SC in the opening match of Super 8 rounds by 4-1, a margin that keeps them on top of the points table while Army SC rocketed to the second spot with a resounding 3-2 win against 2003 winners Blue Star.
At No.3 are Renown SC, who beat Java Lane comprehensively by 4-0 but surprisingly not granted bonus points as Colombo FC and Army SC have earned. The final points tally of the top two teams, Colombo FC and Army SC have been bolstered by three points each but interestingly, despite recording the best winning margin in the first weekend, Renown SC are not granted with the extra boost of three bonus points.
At fourth are Crystal Palace, who drew 2-all with Navy Sports Club followed by Blue Star and Air Force at fifth and sixth places respectively. Navy are at seventh while the week’s worse losers, Java Lane are at the bottom of the table.
The top eight teams qualified to contest in a crucial Super 8 league, after completing over 100 preliminary round games. The Super 8 stage will include a total of 28 matches where four teams each compete in two groups. In Group ‘A’ are Army, Air Force, Crystal Palace and Renown while Colombo FC, Blue Star, Navy and Java Lane are competing in Group ‘B’.
Yesterday Colombo FC took on Crystal Palace while Blue Star and Renown met each other with aims of winning their respective games. Today Java Lane will meet Army at 3.00pm while the game between Air Force and Navy will be followed at 5.00pm. The entire Super 8 round will be played at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. - NA
