ISL 3 S/F leg 2: Mumbai fail to break ten men ATK’s defence at home

by Chittu Shetty December 14, 2016

Missing their Marquee player and poor finishing in the game cost Mumbai dearly, as they bow out of the tournament with a goal less draw against ATK in the second leg of S/F 1

Ten men Atletico de Kolkata reached the final of the Indian Super League 3 on goal aggregate after playing out a hard-fought, goalless draw with host Mumbai City FC in the second leg semi-final at the Mumbai Football Arena on Tuesday, courtesy of a first leg 3-2 win.

While Mumbai started with just two changes to the side from the first leg, with the fit-again Matias Defederico and Sony Norde coming in for Cafu and the suspended Diego Forlan. On the other end Jose Molina surprised everyone by fielding an almost new side with as many as nine changes surprisingly dropping star forwards Helder Postiga and Iain Hume.

The game began with the home team getting a glorious chance to get off to a flying start in the sixth minute when skipper Sunil Chhetri was sent through on Lucian Goian’s pass but the Indian skipper’s final shot was very poor as Debjit Majumder was alert to parry the shot away.

ATK also made forays into the rival area but their first real chance came when Javier Lara sent Abinash Ruidas up on a run down the left flank for the latter to square the ball to substitute Lalrindika Ralte whose final shot was blocked. Winger Ruidas gave a fine square pass into the box was also found wasted as Juan Balencoso was found wanting.

ATK suffered a major blow late in the first half when midfielder Robert Lalthlamuana was sent off in the 43rd minute after picking a double-booking, reducing the former champions down to ten men. However Mumbai failed to take advantage of the extra men despite the huge possessions and chances but failed to make any impact.

Also Read: Mumbai look to turns things around in the second leg

In a clear move to shore up their defense after being reduced to ten men, ATK substituted Ruidas with Keagan Pereira at the beginning of the second half.

Mumbai also made substitutions from the beginning of the second half, replacing Krisztian Vadocz and Sehnaj Singh with Thiago Santos Cunha and Jackichand Singh.

Despite being egged on by their supporters in the packed Andheri stadium, Mumbai found it very difficult to break the visitors’ fort and their moves did not have the co-ordination of the first half.

ATK found two chances to put the issue beyond Mumbai but Lara, in the 60th minute, and Stephen Pearson, fifteen minutes later, both went off target from close range efforts.

Mumbai missed another close chance of scoring by the end of the game when Goian and Jackichand were both off target following a wonderful minus pass from the left by Norde Also minutes later Goian’s tried his luck from distance with a right-footed volley that could not get past Majumder.

The game ended in a huge fight among players and staffs alike of both teams resuling in a red card for Thiago Cunha and Balencoso after the final whistle.

Mumbai City FC 0 – 0 Atletico De Kolkata