Mumbai City FC shut out Kerala Blasters FC 1-0

Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC returned to winning ways with a solid performance that saw the hosts get the better of Kerala Blasters FC 1-0 in their fifth game of the inaugural Hero Indian Super League here on Sunday.

French striker Nicolas Anelka converted a free kick in the 44th minute as a well-organised Mumbai City FC shut out their opponents to take their points tally to six and jump to fifth position ahead of their Sunday night opponents.

After the debacle in their last encounter, Mumbai City FC needed to start stronger against Kerala Blasters FC to regain their confidence and the team did just that by keeping possession in the initial stages of the match.

The hosts made two changes to their starting line-up with Pavel Cmovs coming back after suspension for Raju Gaikwad and Peter Costa making way for the experienced Deepak Mondal.

The back four kept things under control as the visitors tried to establish their physical presence on the match. Upfront, Mumbai City FC players concentrated on the small pass routine to hold on to the ball and though they had a few hiccups the ploy worked wonderfully well.

It was through such a passing routine that the hosts got their first attempt at a goal when Andre Moritz release Nicolas Anelka with a through ball and the Frenchman dribbled past a defender but could not find enough strength in his shot to beat goalkeeper Sandip Nandy.

Moritz tested the Kerala Blasters defence immediately after but with no success.

As the teams began to step up and increase the pace of the match, both teams enjoyed passages of supremacy but had nothing more than a couple of corners to show for their efforts.

And just when it looked like the half would end goalless, Anelka showed his magic to put the hosts ahead. Ishfaq Ahmed had conceded a soft free kick after bringing down Czech midfielder Jan Stohanzl just outside their own penalty area and the striker beat Nandy with an exquisite free-kick to send the D.Y. Patil Stadium into jubilation.

The hosts began the second half from where they left off before the break and could have extended their lead in the first five minutes of the restart as Moritz and Stohanzl came close to scoring.

Despite the two near misses, Mumbai City FC continued to dominate the proceedings and Anelka showed his class when he pulled three defenders towards the right flank before releasing the ball for Subhash Singh, who shot over the crossbar with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Moritz and Anelka continued to pressurise the Kerala Blasters’ defence but the team showed enough maturity to slow down the pace in the last quarter of the game to maintain a tight shape and ensure that there were no late comeback opportunities for the visitors.

Coach Peter Reid gave credit to the team for sticking to the plan and said, “It was a tactical performance that I am delighted with. We stuck to our game plan and put together a solid professional performance. We defended as a unit. Although I feel we should have scored a couple of more goals in the game overall, it’s been splendid.

“My priority at the back was to keep it tight, which I think we did pretty well,” he added.

The Englishman, who picked out Anelka for special praise, said his priority after the game to ensure that the team recovered well for the next game. “Going into the next game, my priority for the boys is the recovery. There will be a pool session tomorrow. We need to ensure that they recover well, are re-hydrated, get the right nutrition,” he added.
Result: Mumbai City FC 1 (Nicolas Anelka 44) bt Kerala Blasters 0
Hero of the Match: Nicolas Anelka
Emerging Player of the Match: Sandesh Jhingan
Swift movement of the match: Jan Stohanzl
Fit player of the match: Jan Stohanzl

SSE BFC to conduct trials for U9 to U17 age group players

SSE BFC Soccer School will be conducting fresh trials this month for players aged below 17 to be part of their football program SSE BFC Soccer Schools is a football…

Share

India Khelo Football Season 3 Trials for Mumbai and Thane are here

India Khelo Football (IKF) is back with Season 3 of its widely acclaimed trials with an aim to cover more than 50 cities this time around. After the resounding success…

Share

Mastering the Art of Football Trials: Key Pre-Trial Factors to Keep in Mind

Football trials are a critical juncture for aspiring players to showcase their skills and secure a spot in a team. To maximize your chances of success, it’s essential to tailor your approach based on your playing position as well as keeping in mind a few pre-trial factors.

Share

Somaiya Sports Academy to conduct trials for MFA 2nd Division campaign

Somaiya Sports Academy is looking for passionate young football players for the Somaiya Sports Academy Football Team to compete in the MFA 2nd Division League 2023-2024. If selected, you will…

Share

BFC Soccer Schools – Mumbai to conduct trials for U14 & U16 Girls

The BFC Soccer Schools Elite team girls’ trials are coming up in search of talented players from the U14 to U16 (Born 2009 and after) age groups into the club’s…

Share

Opportunity to make the team: U.K.M. Kothrud FC conducts selection trials for girls team

Pune-based U.K.M. Kothrud FC has announced that they will be conducting selection trials for their girl’s team on 15th January 2023 The club welcomes all players to come and showcase…

Share

The Sunday Football League Season 4 is back

The Sunday Football League is back with its fourth season, and it’s shaping up to be the best one yet. With eight talented teams competing at the Kes Kandivali turf, there…

Share

BFC Soccer Schools Elite team trials in Feb

Bengaluru FC launched their Mumbai program last season with the Soccer Schools and Elite programs with its local partner Soccer Schools of Excellence (SSE).  Bengaluru Football Club is a professional club…

Share

India Khelo Football Season 2 Trials in Mumbai: A Chance to Kickstart Your Football Career

After conducting trials in 34 cities & villages across India, India Khelo Football is coming to Mumbai to hunt talent on 7th January. India Khelo Football kickstarted its season 2…

Share

Mumbai Customs to conduct trials for Elite League

Former champions Mumbai Customs will be holding open trials for the upcoming MFA Elite Corporate League (Elite Division) The 2019 MFA Elite Division champions Mumbai Customs are conducting open trials…

Share