But they missed a flurry of chances with the striking line-up of Manvir Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan and Liston Colaco showing little coordination upfront, underlining the lack of firepower in the absence of Roy Krishna and David Williams.
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg and Spanish World Cupper Luis Garcia will be the centre of attention when Mumbai City FC kick off the inaugural Indian Super League football tournament on October 12 at Atletico de Kolkata, in a tournament that will feature 61 games spread across 70 days.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Seventy thousand fans cheered wildly as world soccer boss Joseph Blatter went round the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in an open jeep.
Mohammedan Sporting have opted against playing in the second division of the I-League and also pulled out of the Durand Cup football tournament, beginning October 28, apparently due to financial crisis.
Kolkata will host the summit clash of the U-17 World Cup football on October 28 while Navi Mumbai and Guwahati were chosen to stage the semi-finals.
The Asian Football Confederation recommended the AIFF to "open a pathway" for two I-League clubs' entry into ISL by the end of 2020-21 season.
Opener Arindam Das struck a fine knock of 111 to give Bengal a headstart against Karnataka on the opening day\nof the Ranji Trophy group league match.
Spectators chanted "refund" after Messi stayed on the bench during the match.
Chris Witty is a five-time Olympian who will carry the American flag at the Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
An unmarked Pritam Kotal got in between the Goa centre-backs and nodded the ball into the net to give them the lead.
A star-studded England will take on unpredictable Chile in a Group F match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
The Kolkata franchise have nine points from four matches to occupy the top spot, ahead of FC Goa (eight points).
Delhi Dynamos played out their third draw on the trot at home as their Indian Super League (ISL) football match against defending champions Atletico de Kolkata ended in a 1-1 stalemate in New Delhi on Saturday.
ATK may have qualified for the play-offs, but the loss came as a big blow to their AFC Champions League qualifying aspirations with FC Goa taking a three-point lead at the top with only a match left for the league stage to conclude.
Putting their bitter club rivalries aside, Kolkata's Big Three football clubs joined in to mourn the loss of Pele and remember his magical presence that wowed the metropolis 45 years back.
The FIFA Under-17 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and England has been shifted from Guwahati to Kolkata because of poor pitch conditions in the North-Eastern city.
The railways heritage lines that are part of the UNESCO-accorded sites list include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and Kalka Shimla Railway.
India's chances of the hosting the Under-20 World Cup in 2019 have brightened after the overwhelming success of Under-17 World Cup which is all set to topple China-1985 as the best attended event in the tournament's history.
Brazilian striker Gustavo dos Santos struck an injury-time goal as Delhi Dynamos beat defending champions Atletico de Kolkata by a solitary goal in a closely-fought Indian Super League match.
Inspired by the presence of Brazilian great Pele, defending champions Atletico de Kolkata climbed to the top of the table with a 2-1 win over last year's runners-up Kerala Blasters in their first home match of the Indian Super League.
The total number of spectators, who turned up at the six host venues across the country, currently stand at 12,24,027, a mere 6949 less than the earlier attendance of 12,30,976 set in the first edition of the tournament in China in 1985.
Skipper Sunil Chhetri struck twice to help Bengaluru FC beat Shillong Lajong 2-1 in a thrilling 12th round match of the Airtel I-League in Bangalore on Sunday.
Nandhakumar ends East Bengal's 1658-day wait to beat Mohun Bagan
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday.
Adil Khan ensured that India at least secure a point from the home match
Fikru Teferra struck an equaliser off a dubious penalty decision to force a 1-1 draw for Atletico de Kolkata against a 10-man FC Goa and sneak into the semi-finals of the Hero Indian Super League on Wednesday.
Chile conceded an own goal through substitute Diego Valencia in the 81st minute.
A 25-member West Indies contingent, including support staff, checked in at Kolkata on Monday to play a three-day practice match and the opening Test of the two-match series that will be the swansong for batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
But the hosts did have their equaliser in the 54th minute from another corner. Rene Mihelic whipped one into the far post where Rana Gharami managed to head it back across the box. Kotal, this time around, directed it home from close-range.
The city of Kolkata will turn into the headquarters of FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 as well as the main broadcasting centre to cater stories of the entire tournament to 209 countries, FIFA Head of Events Jaime Yarza Said on Thursday during his visit to Kolkata. After meeting the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna, Yarza told reporters that they were happy with the venues and other infrastructure in the city to conduct the tournament successfully. Expressing satisfaction over the work done at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Yarza said that the venue would turn into a top venue of the U-17 World Cup.
'If I cared about what is being said and written about me, then I'd get consumed by it and wouldn't have time for what I'm doing.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Venezuelan Miku (64th minute and 78th) and skipper Sunil Chhetri (95th) starred for Bengaluru at the Balewadi Sports Complex as the side registered their fourth win this season to cement their place the top of points table.
The jury is still out on whether the Indian Super League (ISL) can wake the world's second most populous nation from its football slumber but the first week of the eight-team competition has at least made people sit up and take notice.
India midfielder Syed Rahim Nabi was named captain of Indian Super League side Mumbai City Football Club ahead of the tournament lung opener against Atletico de Kolkata at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata.
A winless India must beat Bangladesh on Monday if they want to jump to third spot in Group E standings and keep themselves afloat for a direct berth in the Asian Cup third qualifying round.
The India football captain said others players in the side are very much capable of outperforming him.
Two headers from Robbie Keane just after halftime gave LA Galaxy a 2-1 win over Dallas in Major League Soccer on Saturday, lifting them top of the Western Conference after Vancouver lost to Sporting Kansas City.
A goalkeeping howler and Yuri Alberto's opportunistic late strike were enough for Brazil to beat Mali 2-0 in an uninspiring match and finish third in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
