Mohun Bagan ride on Yusa Katsumi’s brace to see off Mumbai FC

by Kaushal Shukla January 19, 2015

McDowell’s Mohun Bagan opened their I-League campaign as they registered a 3-1 win over Mumbai FC at the Salt Lake stadium. Yusa Katsumi’s opening goal was cancelled out by Mumbai FC’s Brazilian forward Josimar Da Silva, but Mohun Bagan fought back with two goals, either side of half time to temporarily send Mohun Bagan to the top of the I-League table.

It just took the home side two minutes to unsettle the travelling side’s defence as Justine Stephen horribly misjudged a long ball allowing Soni Norde to take control of the ball, but fortunately for the Mumbai FC defender, the Haiti International failed to deliver a telling cross.

Mumbai FC had their first opening in the 10th minute as Justine Stephen headed a cleared header from Mohun Bagan’s Pritam Kotal goalwards, but the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper, Shilton Paul was able to save and clear the danger.
Mohun Bagan opened the scoring three minutes later after Soni Norde found Balwant on the right, who laid it off to Katsumi Yusa, who slotted home after chesting the lay off from Balwant. The goal lifted the home support whose season had well and truly begun then.

Mumbai FC nearly made amends two minutes later, when Taisuke Matsugae was allowed to run at the Mohun Bagan defence as he unleashed an effort on goal which went straight into the awaiting arms of Shilton Paul.
Mumbai did get their equalizer in the 20th minute, as Josimar Da Silva nodded home after meeting a flicked header by Justine Stephen from a Rahul Bheke long throw.

Mumbai FC’s joy did not last long as Mohun Bagan regained the lead, just five minutes later, when Justine Stephen who was having an eventful afternoon, misjudged the bounce allowing Soni Norde through on goal, who did no mistake in slotting the ball past a helpless Kunal Sawant.

Mumbai FC very nearly equalized again in the 35th minute after a quick one two between Josimar Da Silva and Taisuke Matsugae, saw the former fire a shot at the Mohun Bagan goal which came off the post. Mumbai FC were quite unlucky not be level again.

Josimar Da Silva again tried to build in roads in the Mohun bagan defence as he battled his way in the box and went down, claiming a penalty. The referee rightly waved off the appeals as Josimar had gone down way too easily.
Mohun Bagan went into the break with a slender advantage. It was an even game with chances for both sides, but it was Mohun Bagan who were the more clinical of the two sides.

Mohun Bagan were straight into the thick of things in the second half, as Yusa Katsumi dribbled his way forward and nearly squared it to Soni Norde but was intercepted by Justine Stephen.

Mumbai made their first change just three minutes from the restart as Khalid Jamil threw Reisangmi Vashum in place of Sampath Kuttimani. Seven minutes later Mohun Bagan’s Balwant fired an effort straight at Kunal Sawant after Soni Norde did brilliantly to pick him out from the right.

Mumbai FC threatened again from a Rahul Bheke throw in, in the 62nd minute, which the hosts fail to deal with again, but Jayesh Rane’s shot was cleared to safety by the Mohin Bagan defence. The Mohun Bagan defence was having a nervy afternoon defending the Mumbai FC set pieces.

But Mohun Bagan eased the pressure, as they added a third goal in the 69th minute as Yusa Katsumi got his second of the game as he headed home from close range, a sublime cross from the Manish Bhargav from the right.

Mumbai FC threw in form Cletus Paul in place of Jayesh Rane two minutes later in a bid to rescue the result. But the third goal seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of the Mumbai side as Mohun Bagan gained control of possession.

Khalid Jamil sent on new signing Amoes in place of Mohammed Rafi as a last roll of the dice in the 77th minute. Mumbai tried to string together few moves, but they failed to build an attack of note in the dying minutes of the game.

Their afternoon went from bad to worse when goalkeeper Kunal Sawant was given his marching orders in the 88th minute, after the Mumbai FC goalkeeper handled the ball outside the box, denying Balwant Singh an opportunity to score.

That was the last piece of action in the game as Mohun Bagan ran out comfortable winners in the end handing Mumbai FC their first setback of the season in the very first week of matches.

Mumbai now face a daunting trip to the chilly Meghalaya capital to face Shillong Lajong while Mohun Bagan travel to Goa to face Salgaocar.