#TFGtake - Bengaluru FC & Johor Darul Takzim are fast becoming fierce international rivals

I'LL JUST COME OUT and say this. Has anyone else noticed how similar Johor Darul Ta'zim and Bengaluru FC are? 

Both teams wear blue. Their emblems have the same shape. Both are known for their passionate fans who create an intimidating atmosphere at the home games. Both clubs have surpassed others in their leagues in terms of achievement in the last 3 years. 

Both have a decent amount of professionalism and money power backing them. And both have made their teams with the Asian competitions in mind, not just their domestic leagues and cups.

And over the last two years, these two clubs have crossed paths again an again. So far, of those four encounters, 3 have seen Johor Darul Ta'zim come out on top, and once, Bengaluru FC have held them to a draw.

And that one result has brought the tension ahead of tonight's potentially historic second leg clash to a head. Yesterday, as the vast lush green pitch at Kanteerava lay empty except for a bunch of kites roosting on it, in a corner of the arena, behind the East Lowe B block, Johor coach Mario Gomez passionately addressed the media about the rotten standard of refereeing in AFC Cup. "I have been working with football for 40 years," he said, "andit has never been this bad."

Admittedly, Johor Darul Ta'zim have picked up a high number of bookings in the last 2-3 games. And they are without 3 of their prominent attackers in tonight's game. But the words of Gomez had more than concern for the officiating. It was pre-game mental warfare - targeting the opponent coach or organizers or referees before a particular game to create pressure (while doing nothing in an official capacity) - the kind made famous by Alex Ferguson and most notably applied in Indian football by former Bengaluru FC gaffer Ashley Westwood. 

But tactics like these are usually reserved for the gravest of battles, against the most fierce rivals. Westwood invoked it most before playing Mohun Bagan last season; arguably their biggest rival in the I-League. So the question is, why are the mighty Johor Darul Ta'zim doing it to some puny Indian club with a budget of about 10% of their own?

Back home, Johor have had a near perfect season. They won the top division league of Malaysia for the third season in a row. They also won the Malaysian FA Cup and Charity Shield. With 3 major trophies already in their pocket, Gomez wants to successfully defend their AFC Cup title to make it a dream season; something that will go down the annals of Malaysian football history. It will be a pinnacle of his coaching career. So one can understand when this 3 year old club, who were least of his concerns when they were losing back to back group stage games, are suddenly back with a vengeance, holding an away goal advantage over Johor's head. 

Other factors will give BFC an edge as well. Johor are missing 3 prominent attackers. And playing the biggest game of their history, the Blues will enjoy the most fierce  backing yet from their fans. The club has been receiving a lot of solidarity from its domestic rivals and their fans; the way the occasion is building up seems like fate, a perfect stage for Bengaluru FC, the underdog dreamers, to bring about a David vs Golliath moment set yet another benchmark in Indian football.

And that must irritate Johor more than anything else. The defending champions who have been almost impossible to beat recently are suddenly playing a second fiddle to their opponents. And given the circumstances, they are being forced to consider BFC as a real threat, a solid rival. Who wants to be one-upped by a much smaller club and have the climax of their perfect season ruined? The distaste was palpable in the first leg from the Johor fans, and now for that team it's a matter of honour. 

All of which are signs that a real rivalry is brewing between Bengaluru FC and Johor Darul Ta'zim. And this is significant for Indian football too; no other Indian club can claim to have such passionate history with a foreign club. This is yet another sign that Indian football is growing up and being taken more seriously in the international stage. And to top it all is the fact that all of this is being done by an I-League club. ISL teams, with all their money and glamour, cannot accomplish something like this.

So tonight, when Bengaluru FC and Johor Darul Ta'zim will play out a contest that will have implications bigger than either club. And no matter who turns out to be the winner, this will not be the end of the story. Both Johor and Bengaluru fans have long memories. And there's a high probability that both these clubs will meet once again in 2017, either in AFC Champions League or AFC Cup. And when they do, tensions will flare again. 

Bengaluru FC will always make Johor Darul Ta'zim uncomfortable. Because despite having a minuscule budget in comparison, BFC have challenged Johor in a way that they haven't experienced too often in AFC Cup. The prospect of losing face to a smaller club will make them come out swinging, and with every hard-fought game the rivalry will build further up. 

For BFC, having such a rivalry with a larger, more accomplished foreign club is no less significant than their domestic league titles. Ruffling a giant's feather is the first step to going big in Asia. If they win tonight, it will earn them the reputation of 'Giant Killers' in AFC Cup, and probably make them the club with the highest growth rate in Asia after Western Sydney Wanderers; something Johor Darul Ta'zim have long laid a claim on.

The year 2016 has been significant for Indian clubs in Asia. There's little doubt that the continent is the next frontier and Bengaluru FC on the journey of a pioneer. And Johor wouldn't like the idea of being reduced to a mere stepping stone in that journey tonight. Hold onto your hats, folks.