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Ahead of the 2018-19 I-League season, the 11 participating teams surely fancied their chances of winning the title this year. But, while for some it seemed like wishful thinking, others - the big dogs of the league - seemed realistic in their title claims. The likes of Churchill Brothers who won the title on two occasions were amongst the top contenders. And, so were defending champions Minerva Punjab whose fairytale run last season had made them a team to watch out for. So, when Chennai City's Spanish forward Pedro Manzi, ahead of the 2018-19 season, claimed that his side will go on to win the I-League title, many lauded his confidence, while quietly rejecting his bold claim. And, they weren't wrong either. It's good to be optimistic at the start of a season, but going by Chennai's fortunes in the league, Manzi's prediction seemed a bit far-fetched. Chennai had barely avoided the drop on the last day of the 2017-18 season after winning just four games in total. That season also saw Chennai scoring a mere 15 goals in 18 games that saw them finishing at a lowly eighth spot. If that wasn't enough, the fact that Chennai had only won eight games in the history of their participation in the I-League, further made everyone question Manzi's title claims. But, what eventually unfolded in the recently-concluded season was no less than a fairytale for Chennai and their fans. When we made the dressing room, a mess ððð¦ ! pic.twitter.com/ujIxSGkUFv — Chennai City FC (@ChennaiCityFC) March 9, 2019 Chennai found themselves in trouble even before kicking the ball this season. They lost Michael Soosairaj - their star performer last season - to the riches of Indian Super League (IPL) as he joined Jamshedpur FC for Rs 25 lakh. But, that didn't stop Chennai from dreaming on. They roped in Singaporean football coach, Akbar Nawas, who continued the club's tradition of signing cheaper, but effective, players to bolster the squad for the season. Manzi was roped in from a fourth-division side in Spain, Sandro Rodriguez came from the third division in the Canary Islands and Nelson Gordillo was bought from third-tier Cornella from Catalonia - a Spanish trio that was going to changing the fortunes for Chennai. © Twitter/@ChennaiCityFC As Nawas built his team around the Spanish troika, his aspirations, unlike Manzi, were more realistic and grounded. The Chennai manager was hoping to make it to the "mid table" in the I-League - something they hadn't done in the past. The Coimbatore-based club began the season with an emphatic 4-1 triumph over Indian Arrows which was followed by four wins in five games. Their first loss came against another underdog side Real Kashmir - a team they failed to beat all season. But, that didn't concern them as their high pressing, possession-dominant style of play allowed them to go to the top of the league by December. And, it was the Spanish signings that were carrying Chennai forward. With 21 Goalsâ½, @PeterManzi19 is the Joint Top scorer of @ILeagueOfficial 2018-19 ð#Champions #NammaTamizhagam #WeareCCFC #Lions pic.twitter.com/yVnusHwGIt — Chennai City FC (@ChennaiCityFC) March 11, 2019 An exceptional centre-forward, Manzi bamboozled opposition defenders with his pace and skills. For someone who managed to score goals at will, Manzi also held the ball pretty well and engaged defenders to create spaces for his teammates. His long-rage strike against Aizawl secured vital points for his side. And, another hat-trick against Gokulam saved Chennai the blushes in a closely-contested clash. If Manzi, who began the season with a brilliant hat-trick against the Arrows, was raking in one goal after another, the midfield duo of Rodriguez and Gordillo provided Chennai the vision to break through the tightest of defence. The two Spanish midfielders showcased the ability to play in a variety of positions as they were often seen shuffling flanks to keep the opposition guessing. Looks who's flying ð @roh00#Champions #NammaTamizhagam #WeareCCFC #Lions pic.twitter.com/7oH8Y9wTzH — Chennai City FC (@ChennaiCityFC) March 10, 2019 While Gordillo developed a knack for finding Manzi with his defence-splitting passes, Rodriguez's ability to score from set-pieces further aided Chennai through their campaign. The Spanish trio of Manzi, Gordillo and Rodriguez showcased patience, understanding and skill over the course of the season in a partnership that kept Chennai in the hunt for the title. In the end, Chennai thwarted East Bengal's challenge and claimed the title by beating Minerva Punjab 3-1. After a 0-0 deadlock in the first-half, Manzi got Chennai in front in 56th minute before defender Gaurav Bora's brace (69', 90+2') sealed the game for the hosts. While Manzi finished the season with 21 goals, Gordillo appeared to be in a league of his own with 44 key passes. And, the fact that 40 out of the 48 goals scored by Chennai this season came through their Spanish trio, further highlights their importance in Nawas' side. Champions! Champions! ðð#HeroILeague #ILeagueIConquer pic.twitter.com/h8JIVJz7xl — Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 9, 2019 Claiming their maiden I-League title, Chennai have become the first team from Tamil Nadu to be crowned champions. And, they achieved the feat just two years after getting promoted to the first division. For a team that was fighting relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, Chennai's marauding run to the I-League is no less than a fairytale that will be an inspiration for generations to come.

For those who've been following the ongoing FIFA World Cup closely, you are bound to have come across the phrase, “It's Coming Home”. What started off as typical English sarcastic mockery of themselves, soon became a hopeful chant as manager Gareth Southgate ticked more and more boxes in Russia. However, as England comprehensively beat Sweden in the Samara arena, that hopeful chant looks like it's becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cynics will shout all sorts of excuses for England's “chance” success in Russia, but the truth is that Southgate's men have defied all expectations to write a sweet story of redemption for a nation that's suffered from perennial underachievement. © Reuters England came into this tournament as the third youngest team in this World Cup. Most of the players in the squad, who've have played in the lower rungs of English football, wouldn't have dared to imagine themselves getting an England cap, let alone play in a World Cup. To add to that, was Gareth Southgate's poker-faced personality and his inexperience as a manager. On paper, these things form the perfect recipe for disaster. The acceptance of the modest roots of this squad had seeped into the English fans and the unforgiving English media. Amidst these lowered expectations, the English team has shined and how! As England came up against Sweden in their first quarter-final since 2006, most English fans felt as confident as they'd ever been. Once again, England showed that what they lack in guile and style, they make up for that through their graft. England had the majority of the possession, looked confident on the ball and dug out chances against an unforgiving Swedish defence. Their hard work was rewarded with two well-worked headers either side of half-time. © Reuters On a largely uneventful evening, the match could've been really interesting if not for English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. He made crucial last-ditch saves throughout the match to save his team's arse. He's had only two successful seasons in domestic football, and his rise to the top is symbolic of the struggles of this entire English squad. However, the heroes of this unlikely English success have been captain Harry Kane, and manager Gareth Southgate. Kane leads the golden boot charts with 6 goals, and has been a role model to his team all throughout the tournament. The real mastermind, however, has been Southgate, who has made one bold decision after another and finally put together an English squad, which is bigger than the individuals in it. Amidst all this hysteria, the English fans will have no qualms if England were to bow out in the semi-finals, as they would've created history anyway. © Reuters The victory against Sweden means that England will play in a World Cup semifinal for the first time in 28 years and that we will soon see Zlatan in an England shirt at Wembley. However, for those still dreaming and hoping, there would be nothing quite like the sight of football finally coming home after 52 years!

A Hal Robson Kanu wonder goal sees Wales progress to the semifinals of Euro 2016 after beating Belgium 3-1. Are the Red Devils football's perennial underachievers? Roberto Martinez's side has all the ingredients to win football's biggest prize. Can they stitch it together this time? History © Reuters Belgium have qualified twelve times for the FIFA World Cup finals, appearing in the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930, finishing eleventh. Their best showing was at the 1986 World Cup, where they finished fourth, losing out to a Maradona brace in the semifinals. After a perfect record during the group stages at the 2014 World Cup, Belgium met the United States in the Round of 16. Even though they progressed via a 2-1 win in extra time, that match is remembered for the heroics of US goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made a record 15 saves. Their run came to an end at the quarterfinal stage, again at the hands of Argentina, courtesy a solitary Gonzalo Higuain strike. Failure to get out of the 1998 group stages saw a Marc Wilmots-inspired Belgium through to the second round in 2002, only to lose to eventual champions Brazil then. Belgium won the FIFA Fair Play award that year. Current Form © Reuters Qualification was relatively easy for the Red Devils, having topped Group H. The group, containing Greece, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Estonia, Cyprus, and Gibraltar saw them unbeaten, ending with 28 points from 10 matches. Having played two friendlies over the past week against Saudi Arabia and Portugal, they presented a half-baked case. After a 4-0 win against Saudi Arabia, they struggled to deal with a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal, scampering to a 0-0 draw. The team included De Bruyne, Lukaku, Hazard and Mertens and struggled to get past the Portuguese center backs, who are on the wrong side of 30. Their latest friendly saw them to a 3-0 win over Egypt, courtesy of an Eden Hazard masterclass. The Chelsea winger set up 1 and scored 1, before being substituted at half-time. Expectations At The World Cup © Reuters Belgium are placed in a tricky group, containing Panama, Tunisia, and England. Having qualified at the expense of the USA, Panama will be confident and daring, having nothing to lose. A clash against England will undoubtedly decide the group standings. Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul, an African treble winner with ES Tunis will definitely have a few tricks up his sleeve. Belgium will have to look at least beyond the quarterfinal stage this time and have the firepower to do so. Proven Premier League stars such as Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Alderweireld will have to perform if Belgium were to challenge Germany, Brazil, Spain towards the latter stages of the World Cup. Coach Martinez, with the 2013 FA Cup win to his name and a stint at Everton, had been found out of depth and no squad backing during his time in the Premier League. Can the Spaniard redeem himself? Squad Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) Midfielders: Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yinfang), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain) Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Borussia Dortmund), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia M'gladbach), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Naples).

Adding her name to the mounting list of women alleging sexual assault at the hands of powerful men, USA goalkeeper Hope Solo sent shockwaves across the football fraternity after accusing former FIFA president Sepp Blatter of sexually assaulting her during FIFA's Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in 2013. In an explosive interview with Portuguese newspaper Expresso, the 36-year-old claimed that "Sepp Blatter grabbed her ass" right before she walked onto the stage alongside him to present the FIFA women's world player of the year award to her teammate and USA's women's football team striker Abby Wambach. (c) Reuters "Sepp Blatter grabbed my ass, it was a few years ago at the Ballon d'Or ceremony just before I got on stage," Solo told the Expresso. While speaking to the Guardian, the standout US goalie elaborated on the incident: "I was in shock and completely thrown off. I had to quickly pull myself together to present my team-mate with the biggest award of her career and celebrate with her in that moment, so I completely shifted my focus to Abby”. While Solo revealed her ordeal, there were noticeable comments that neither sounded right nor properly fit in. Blatter did manage to get the headline in her story, but she doesn't really pull any punches further down in her revelation, which is pretty unlike the Solo we all know. Missing The Premise (c) Reuters In her remarks to the Portuguese newspaper, Solo claims: "For years, in the past, female players date and end up marrying their college coaches, which obviously a coach should not be doing, especially with a young player. I've seen it not just with coaches. I've seen it with trainers, doctors and our press officers. I've seen it amongst players in the locker room. It's rampant". Now, to put things in perspective, Tarana Burke's #MeToo campaign was created to raise awareness of sexual violence experienced by - but not limited to - women through personal testimony. And, after it turned Hollywood upside down while contributing to a growing consciousness of the issues faced by women, it is now taking the world of sports by storm. But, more importantly, it's there to highlight the plight of those who have suffered at the hands of the mighty and powerful. So when Solo says that a player shouldn't date or marry their coach, she's not just straying away from the point, but also sends a wrong message. For instance, if a player and a coach have a consensual relationship and eventually a good marriage, what's the problem? Just because some low-life pervert touched an athlete inappropriately during training, does that mean every coach or every member of the support staff shouldn't date, marry or have any relationship (other than professional) with the player, even if theirs is consensual? It's the fundamental power disparity governing the relationship between aspiring athletes and elite coaches that creates the precondition for sexual harassment, not love. Heights of Hypocrisy (c) Reuters After missing the premise of the whole debate, Solo then goes on to express her disappointment with the women who have not spoken about it in the sports world. “I'm actually very disappointed with the women who haven't spoken about it in the sports world. I wish more women, especially in football, would speak against it, about the experiences, because some of those people still work (in football),” she said. But, wait, why is she disappointed with those who didn't speak up earlier? Is she any different from them? While she wished there were more women who would speak against the issue, Solo herself took more than four years to reveal the details of her sexual assault story at the hands of Blatter. Why aren't we surprised? Reeks Of An Opportunist (c) Reuters When asked why she had not spoken about the incident before, Solo reveals she has her personal way of dealing with it (which, given the circumstances, makes perfect sense). "I speak out directly (with people) when things like that happen. In other cases, for instance, I've told my teammates: 'Don't ever fucking touch me! Don't do it'. It has been in the showers, it's been in the locker room. I usually speak directly to the person. In the case of Sepp Blatter, I went on the stage, I was nervous about the presentation. It was the Ballon d'Or I was presenting. After that, I didn't see him and that was kind of bad. I didn't get to tell him directly 'Don't ever touch me!' That's the way I've always handled things. Directly," she claimed. While it's surely her personal way of dealing with things, Solo's explosive revelations, unfortunately, reeks of an opportunist. For more than four years, she didn't see Blatter and hence couldn't tell him not to touch her again. But, going against her personal mechanism to deal with it, she conveniently hops on the sexual harassment exposure train with her own groping story. Our Conclusion (c) Reuters For anyone who has known Solo all these years, they will all agree that the stand-out American goalie has had her equal share controversies alongside her degrading success. In 2014, she was arrested in a domestic violence case where she assaulted her half-sister and young nephew during a family gathering. Her tweet over the Zika virus made her the most-hated athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Following a loss to Sweden at the Olympics, Solo flouted every rule in the book when she slammed their opponents while claiming "we played a bunch of cowards". Her comments attracted a six-month suspension from the national team. But, we did not list out her controversies to say that she is lying, nor do we claim that an absolute disgrace such as Blatter couldn't do something like that. There is no doubt that her troublesome past should not overshadow her recent claims. But, since she did not report it before and now there is absolutely no way of validating her claim, the entire reason of shaming powerful men (and also women) for sexual assault seems lost. We are neither feminists, nor we're trying to be misogynists here. As the revelations get more explosive, perpetrators more prominent and victims absolutely devastated, we should expect to hear more stories like these and we should expect to feel more outrage in the times ahead. But, if we're not dealing with this on the question of policy, we are doomed to more of the same!

For Ishant Sharma, the year 2017 has been the one of great turnarounds. Not only he was recalled as a part of India's Test squad, but the lanky seamer also managed to find a suitor in Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) after going unsold at a base price of Rs 2 core at the IPL auctions. But, more than his bowling abilities, it has been Ishant's antics on the field that have been a huge hit with cricket fans. His unique way of sledging Steve Smith during the home series against Australia didn't just get social media buzzing, but also inspired BCCI to come up with the 'Ishant Game Face Challenge' for the commentators. © Twitter Even after failing to find any takers at the IPL Auctions, Ishant continued to entertain cricket fans by becoming the butt of all jokes on social media. And even when he found a late signing with Punjab - courtesy Virender Sehwag, fans couldn't help but troll the Indian speedster. Not being a white ball bowler and having a base price of 2 crore INR has not helped Ishant Sharma's cause — Aleem M (@aleem025) February 21, 2017 So, when he was playing his second game this season, the hopes of all cricket fans were once again pinned on him to tickle their funny bone. But, to everyone's surprise, Ishant actually bowled well, conceding just 23 runs in 4 overs including 11 rare dot balls and a single boundary scored off him. © Twitter Disheartened by his good bowling performance, the cricket fans almost gave up hope until they saw the 6-feet-three-inch man walking out in the middle with a bat in his hand. If the sight wasn't funny enough, the fact that Punjab and their fans were expecting Ishant to score seven runs off four balls, clearly was. © Twitter With six runs needed off three balls, the 28-year-old saw his stumps castled by the long-due yorker from Siddarth Kaul. As another batting disaster became the nemesis for Punjab, the cricket fans wasted no time in bringing out their uncanny 'Ishant Sharma' jokes on the social media. Ishant Sharma is the worst thing that has happened to Punjab ,and we have had terrorism ! #axeishant — dhruv verma (@d2ruv) April 17, 2017 Unusual for Ishant to be involved at the end of a tight chase when the batting side doesn't win. #srhvkxip — Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) April 17, 2017 What a batting Performance by Sir Ishant Sharma.#Great Best in the World for a Reason. ????#SRHvKXIP David Warner Bhuvi#Vohra #Rashid — Sir Ashish Nehra (@SirAshish_Nehra) April 17, 2017 SRH won d match. Vohra have won the hearts. Bhuvi Brilliant spell takes the game. Whereas Ishant Sharma won lungs, Kidney?#SRHvsKXIP — Sohail (@sohailrocks11) April 17, 2017 Ishant sharma right now ? pic.twitter.com/KtRFZkexHC — MANAS (@rk_kashyap1) April 17, 2017 Ishant Sharma got a full toss the previous ball he got out, that even a noob batsman could have hit for six and he defends it -_- — • T.O.H • (@mehdi_nisar1) April 17, 2017 Kings XI Punjab buy Ishant Sharma who is not a bowler, who keeps overstepping, can't bat, can't field. Only can make faces ? #SRHvKXIP — Mayanti Langer (@Langer_Mayanti) April 17, 2017 This must be the first time in the history of IPL, where a batting side lost the game with Ishant Sharma there in the middle. — Smoking Skills (@SmokingSkills_) April 17, 2017 Close competition this ! Shikhar Dhawan is the Ishant Sharma of batting and Ishant Sharma is the Shikhar Dhawan of bowling.#SRHvKXIP — The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) April 17, 2017 Ishant Sharma would get abused even if he takes 10 wickets. Rohit Sharma will remain talented even if he keeps failing. Tale of 2 Sharmas ? — Aria (@adagio_aria) April 17, 2017 Elder brother of Ishant sharma, seems more like a Bakra. ? https://t.co/iQWzxAvlHp — ISHAAQ NEWTON (@newtunpk) April 17, 2017

After a gruelling Test season at season, the Indian cricket fans will finally have a chance to witness some pulsating T20 action with the country's prized tournament the Indian Premier League (IPL) slated to begin on 5 April. As you count down the days to the mega event, we have decided to help you decode the chances of the eight participating teams this season. And first up, it's none other than the IPL's perennial under-achievers - Delhi Daredevils. Misfortune and the Delhi franchise have gone hand in hand in the last eight seasons of the IPL. Ever since the tournament's inception in 2008, Delhi have always found themselves in the limelight for being consistently inconsistent. Be it shabby show in the field or injudicious purchases year-after-year, Delhi have consistently failed to live up to the potential of their squad. Players have been replaced, re-purchased, and released again, but Delhi couldn't find their way out of the mid-half of the table. With a new season raring to kick-start next month, Delhi and their fans are once again hopeful of a long-awaited change in luck and performance as they compete against some of the most ruthless T20 outfits for the coveted title. Squad © Twitter Ahead of the 10th edition of the IPL, Delhi Daredevils splurged a whopping Rs 44.5 crore to retain 18 players including five overseas cricketers. At the auctions, Delhi went on to add nine more players to their squad. Players Retained Players: JP Duminy (Rs 2.20 cr), Mohammad Shami (Rs 4.25 cr), Quinton de Kock (Rs 3.50 cr), Shahbaz Nadeem (Rs 85 lakh), Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1.60 cr), Jayant Yadav (Rs 10 lakh), Amit Mishra (Rs 3.50 cr), Shreyas Iyer (Rs 2.60 cr), Zaheer Khan (Rs 4 cr), Sam Billings (Rs 30 lakh), Sanju Samson (Rs 4.20 cr), Chris Morris (Rs 7 cr), Carlos Brathwaite (Rs 4.20 cr), Karun Nair (Rs 4 cr), Rishabh Pant (Rs 1.90 cr), CV Milind (Rs 10 lakh) and Pratyush Singh (Rs 10 lakh). Players Purchased (at auction): Kagiso Rabada (Rs 5 crore), Patrick Cummins (Rs 4.5 crore), Angelo Mathews (Rs 2 crore), Corey Anderson (Rs 1 crore), Murugan Ashwin (Rs 1 crore), Aditya Tare (Rs 25 lakh), Ankeet Bawane (Rs 10 lakh), Navdeep Saini (Rs 10 lakh) and Shashank Singh (Rs 10 lakh). Batting © BCCL The Delhi franchise doesn't have any shortage in firepower as far as their batting department is concerned. In Quinton de Kock, they boasts of a proven opening batsman who has been consistent on the international circuit. However, a finger injury seems to be threatening De Kock's chances of playing this season. Apart from De Kock, JP Duminy has ruled himself out from the upcoming season due to personal reasons. Thus the onus will now be on Sam Billings, Karun Nair, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant to provide the much-needed depth to their batting. One of the rare positives for the Delhi camp will be the red-hot form of Nair, Iyer and Pant - all of whom were impressive in the domestic circuit. The availability of Chris Morris, Carlos Brathwaite and Corey Anderson should also strengthen their middle-order. Bowling © BCCL After splurging Rs 5 crore for Kagiso Rabada at the auctions, Delhi showed their intent to strengthen their bowling line-up which has failed to deliver the goods in the past. But, the fact that Rabada will not be available for full season amid national duty and other big names in the bowling department are either injured or yet to recover fitness, is a serious matter of concern for Delhi. Mohammad Shami is currently injured and might not be able to recover in time for the season. On the other hand, Angelo Mathews' availability is much like Zaheer - a subject to his fitness. If that wasn't enough, the fact that Chris Morris will leave for national duty, only adds to the woes. Corey Anderson is yet to regain his bowling form after his back injury, while Brathwaite is more of a batsman than a bowler. Delhi's strength lies in their spin department that boasts of four proven Indian spinners - Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem and Murugan Ashwin. While Mishra is likely to be the no. 1 choice, the other three spinners are likely to be used in rotation. Prediction © Twitter If the injuries weren't enough, finding the right team composition will surely be an uphill battle for skipper Zaheer Khan. And, somehow, even if Zak manages to get his perfect playing XI, the chances of Delhi making the playoffs will be a miracle, let alone winning the IPL title this season. For the Delhi fans, it's going to be another year of frustration and sheer disappointment.