In the battle for survival, Pokhara Thunders FC are pitted against Lalitpur City FC in the ongoing Nepal Super League taking place at Dashrath stadium in Kathmandu Sunday.

The tournament is already into the second week, however the race to the finish is still wide open.The teams are bunched together and separated by a few points. Strong contenders Dhangadi FC with seven points are at the top of the table, following a convincing victory over FC Chitwan.

Pokhara Thunders run in the tournament has been a mixed bag to this point,.They have played three matches but have clearly lacked consistency and quality in their performance.

One defeat,one win and one draw sums up their ordinary performance so far.With four points,they are very much in the fray and can improve their standings provided they turn things around. With the competition tightening up, every match is important in their fight for top four. They have failed to create physical,technical and tactical rhythm as a team.

Moving forward they have to be more methodical in approach and require a lot of coordination and strong individual play as well.

Despite carrying the tag of contenders, Pokhara Thunders have been unimpressive and failed to justify its billings.They have to find a route to overcome their struggles and get their act together in order to get the job done.

And it has to start against Lalitpur City. The outcome of the game will prove crucial to their success. Apparently,victory will put them exactly where they want to be at this juncture of the tournament.

They have a fairly good chance to win. That being said, they will need a solid team effort and every team member must play to their strengths.

Slumping Lalitpur City FC find themselves in a tight spot and fighting to stay in the competition. They are still winless and nothing has gone right for them.

They lost the opener against Kathmandu Rayzrs and drew two matches in a row. Their progress has been hindered by lack of a right game plan, urgency, positive attitude and confidence.. They showed a marked improvement in their performance in the last two matches and should have won.

The struggle to capitalize on goal scoring opportunities,poor finish and inability to convert spot kicks, however, proved to be their undoing.

Undoubtedly Coach Pradeep Humagain is under pressure to deliver the result. He must address the team’s technical shortcomings.

All they need is a morale boosting victory to stay afloat in the competition.Otherwise, they are headed  for the exit.

By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax, VA