SHILLONG: Fresh from their first ever victory in the I-League, Rangdajied United FC will take on Kolkatan giants East Bengal in a 13th round match at the JN Stadium, Polo, on Saturday at 5:00pm.
After five losses and five draws, the Shillong club were finally able to break their duck with a 2-0 triumph over Mohun Bagan in Kolkata last Sunday.
The Red & Gold brigade have played just eight games so far and have won three, lost three and drawn two in an inconsistent early part to their campaign where they beat table-toppers Bengaluru FC, but then lost to Dempo and Salgaocar at home.
The Kolkatan outfit delivered a stunning 4-0 hammering to Shillong Lajong FC at the JN Stadium in early October, but were not able to carry that momentum forward.
One of the problems for coach Armando Colaco is that his boys are carrying quite a few injuries. Quick turnaround times are also an issue, with only a few days in between matches for his players to recover.
East Bengal are currently in 10th place with 11 points, but have games in hand over their nearest rivals in the standings. Rangdajied, on the other hand, have made it to 12th spot, but are locked in a seesaw battle with bottom-placed Churchill Brothers.
A win over a second legendary Kolkata outfit would provide a massive fillip to one of the two I-League qualifiers and on paper the Blues look good.
The players that they have taken on loan from IMG-R have proven to be a real boon, especially Subrata Paul under the bar, with the goalie keeping a clean sheet in the game against Bagan.
However, Rangdajied will still be missing out on the injured Edmar Figueira, but Kashyap is almost spoilt for choice when it comes to his playing XI.
