Soccerites looking for spectator support

Elmo Rodrigopulle

The Sri Lankan footballers have done well to enter the semi-finals of the 8th South Asia Football Federation tournament and qualify to meet the Maldivians under lights at the Sugathadasa Stadium at 7.30 p.m today.

Sri Lanka headed their group while the Maldivians were runners-up in their group. In emerging top notchers in their group the Lankans won the right to battle Maldives and a game with no quarter asked or given would be on show.

With Channel Eye taking the action to the homes in the earlier games, crowd attendance was not what it should have been Channel Eye will do similarly again.

The Lankan footballers are gallantly fighting to bring back the trophy they last won in 1995 and if the spectators make it a point to pack the stadium and cheer and encourage the footballers it could do their game a world of good.

The Lankans played their hearts out in the earlier games. But it was apparent that they lacked the necessary spectator support. Spectator support could help them raise

their game in every aspect. So it is hoped that soccer fans would pack the stadium and cheer their countrymen.

That Lankan football is on the up and up in recent times there is no doubt. It is said that to succeed in sport luck is essential. Luck was not with the Lankan strikers in the earlier three games, and it is hoped that luck would play for them this time round and help them to hit the net.

Led by Chatura Maduranga, the Lankans have been playing very good soccer. They have been doing everything right in defence and the midfield, but sadly the strikers have failed to deliver.

When in front of goal, the strikers seemed to be overawed and in their eagerness to score have blundered and let easy scoring chances go abegging. Kasun Jayasuriya and Nimal Fernando are not playing the way we know they can. But in today's game, which will be make or break, the strikers must go all out, keep their cool and direct the good passes into the net.

How the Sri Lankans must be wishing for a striker in the class of P.D. Sirisena. Had Sirisena been there he would have toyed with the opposing defence and slotted in many goals. That was Sirisena.

G.A.K. Abeysekera who has been in the swim of things for well over three decades, predicts a close game and he says he will wager on the Lankans to win and move into the final.

He reckons that the Lankans are playing as one unit and if the strikers play the way he knows they can, then the highly rated Maldivians can be brought down to earth.

It will be every Sri Lankan's wish that the soccerites would rise to the occasion and bust the Maldivian invincible bubble and walk off the field at the final whistle with their heads held high. But the Lankans must guard against complacency. Complacency has gone to make teams take it easy and it has led to their defeat.

That the Maldivians have improved tremendously in recent years there is no doubt.

In the past the Lankans have trounced them without raising a sweat. But now with foreign coaches showing them how they have hit the big time.

I remember the days when Sri Lankan coaches were signed up to teach the Maldivians how. But now the game is religion to the Maldivians and they will not go down without a fight. So watch out for a game that will excite, enthral and provide thrill a minute football. Chandrishan Perera, the man better known for his excellence on the rugby field and now commentator, has excelled in describing the football action to the TV viewers. His versatility knows no bounds.

Sunil Senaweera the former Sri Lankan soccerite too is doing a grand job behind the mike describing the action in Sinhala.

Chandrishan and Sunil will do want to keep the viewers informed of the scores.