Durand Cup 2022: NorthEast United FC vs Army Green - 3 player battles to watch out for

Group D action continues in the 2022 Durand Cup as Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC host Army Green at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday, August 21.

The Islanders debuted in the Durand Cup with a 0-6 drubbing at the hands of fellow ISL outfit Odisha FC on Wednesday. In their first match in front of the home fans for over two years, the Highlanders' youth squad had no answer to the Juggernauts' onslaught from the first minute.

Coach Subham Rabha will hope to put that heavy loss behind them and display a much-improved performance against Army Green in what should be a more competitive contest.

This will be Army Green's first match in this year's competition. They won the title in 2016, beating NEROCA FC on penalties in the final in Delhi. Army Green made it to the quarter-finals last year after wins over Jamshedpur FC and Sudeva Delhi FC in the group stages. Their journey ended in the last eight after a 2-3 defeat to Bengaluru FC in a thrilling fixture.

Army Green have a squad with a good mix of youth and experience, including a number of players from their 2016 Durand Cup-winning team. It will be intriguing to see how the youngsters of NorthEast United FC deal with the experience and physicality of the armed forces' side.

On that note, let's take a look at three key player battles that can determine the fate of this match.

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#3 Ningthoujam Bimol Singh (NEU) vs Sochin Chhetri (AG)

Like most of NorthEast United FC's defenders, Bimol Singh was left hapless against the menacing Odisha attack from start to finish. However, he was one of the few defensive players who was not substituted by coach Subham Rabha.

The 17-year-old will have a chance to make amends when he faces Army Green's reliable attacking midfielder Sochin Chhetri. In the 2021 Durand Cup, Chhetri scored one goal and formed a good partnership with Deepak Singh.

The NorthEast United FC backline will need to be wary of the threat posed by Chhetri's runs and his connection with Lallawmkima up front.

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#2 Alfred Lalruotsang (NEU) vs Vikas Zanje (AG)

Forward Alfred Lalruotsang was one of the few Highlanders who had an impact against Odisha. The 19-year-old operated as a lone striker and tried to progress the ball forward whenever he got the chance. Lalruotsang made his ISL debut for NorthEast United FC in the 2019-20 season against Hyderabad FC.

Against Army Green, he might get a few more opportunities going forward, but standing in his way will be centre-back Vikas Zanje. The 26-year-old from Maharashtra was solid in defense for Army Green in last year's Durand Cup.

Lalruotsang will require good support from his teammates to get past the Army Green backline which also comprises Soubhagyan Somaraj and Ayush.

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#1 Nikhil Deka (NEU) vs PC Lallawmkima (AG)

NorthEast United FC's 19-year-old goalkeeper Nikhil Deka had an evening to forget against Odisha, letting in six goals on his senior debut for the club. He didn't do much wrong in the match though. On a few occasions, it was the defense that let him down and on the other, it was just Odisha's brilliance.

Things aren't going to get any easier for Deka as he'll be up against Army Green's biggest attacking threat PC Lallawmkima. The Mizo striker scored four goals to lead his team to the Durand Cup crown in 2016. Lallawmkima is also Army Green's primary free-kick and penalty taker, which could pit him directly against Deka.