Brisbane Roar are up against Odisha FC in the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy Semi Final at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday night.
Roar booked their spot in the competition’s final four after finishing second in Group A with wins against Dempo and Sporting Goa along with a defeat at the hands of group winner, FC Goa.
Roar’s most recent group game was a 2-0 triumph over Sporting Goa thanks to goals from Louis Zabala and Harry Van Der Saag with the defensive duo joining Thomas Waddingham, Walid Shour, Jay O’Shea and Jez Lofthouse on the sides goal scorers list at the tournament so far.
Roar will be without defender Jack Hingert for the remainder of the tournament after the defender was called up for Sri Lanka’s Asian Cup qualifiers against Cambodia during the September international window.
Odisha reach the Semi Final after topping Group B with maximum points after defeating, Defensa y Justica, Chennaiyin and Churchill Brothers.
The Kalinga Warriors, who are coached by Spaniard Sergio Lobera finished fourth in the 2023/24 Indian Super League season.
Odisha’s attack is spearheaded by former Wellington Phoenix forward and Johnny Warren Medal winner, Roy Krishna who finished as the Indian Super League’s equal top scorer last season with 13 goals.
Speaking following Roar’s final group stage game, Head Coach Ruben Zadkovich said his side were looking forward to testing themselves against Odisha in Tuesday’s Semi Final.
“Our game plan is very similar, we always try and control the game as much as we can with the ball and we want to be dominant, we want to make the other team work without the ball, we want to frustrate them and suffocate them in their own end, be dominant with our field position, we want to create chances and score goals and that’s not going to change,” Zadkovich said.
“But, I’m sure Odisha they’re going to have their own game plan too, they’re a very good side I know some of their players, I’m sure they’re very well coached so it’ll be a good test for my team and we look forward to the challenge.”
The winner of Tuesday’s Semi Final will face either FC Goa or Defensa y Justica in the Bandodkar Trophy Final on Friday.
You can catch all the action live and free on FIFA+ and the SportsCast India YouTube channel.
MATCH DETAILS
Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy- Semi Final: Odisha FC vs Brisbane Roar
PJN Stadium, Fatorda
Tuesday, September 3 (11:30pm AEST KO)
BRFC squad – Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy:
1. Macklin FREKE, 2. Scott NEVILLE, 3. Corey BROWN, 4. Ben WARLAND, 5. Marcus FERKRANUS, 6. Joe CALETTI, 8. Walid SHOUR, 10. Florin BERENGUER, 11. Jez LOFTHOUSE, 12. Lucas HERRINGTON, 15. Hosine BILITY, 16. Thomas WADDINGHAM, 17. Harry VAN DER SAAG, 21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 26. Jay O’SHEA, 27. Ben HALLORAN, 29. Matt ACTON, 30. Quinn MACNICOL, 35. Louis ZABALA, 43. Adam ZIMARINO, 47. James DURRINGTON, 49. Ivan OZZI, 55. Joshua LAKKIS
