Min Chol Son reveals why his goal against Bengaluru was no fluke

by Kaushal Shukla January 29, 2016

Min Chol Son put in yet another Man of the Match performance as Mumbai FC thumped Bengaluru FC 2-0 at Cooperage on Wednesday evening. The North Korean wasn’t just a rock in the Mumbai FC defence all evening long, but also scored Mumbai FC’s second goal on the evening. The goal all but put Bengaluru FC to bed as things turned out despite it coming in the 12^th minute of the game.

However, it wasn’t the goal’s timing but the manner in which it found the back of the net that caught the eyeballs and a bit of post-match comments of the two managers. While Ashley Westwood completely dismissed it calling it a clearance, the Mumbai FC Head Coach Khalid Jamil too admitted there being an element of luck involved in the strike.

But when the Mumbai FC media team caught up with ‘The Wall’ as Son has been described by the Mumbai FC fans, his suggestions were a stark contrast to what both the manager and majority of the spectators in and outside of Cooperage thought.

Son claimed he knew what he was doing when he stuck a looping shot what appeared as a clearance to most in the back of Ralte’s net. While it seemed Son was kidding for starters, his explanation of the claim was quite stunning.

“For sure I wanted to score there. That goalkeeper (Ralte) was with me in Shillong Lajong and I knew before that he always takes a high position on the pitch. So I was aware we might get a chance with him. I saw he was he was some way off his line and took a chance and it went in,” Son disclosed to the Mumbai FC media team after the game.

There might be some who might still choose to disbelieve Son, but his explanation of the goal has plenty of footballing logic to it. Son spent three years at Shillong Lajong and was also the captain of the side. So it isn’t beyond him to know so much detail in Ralte’s play, who like Son chose a move away from Shillong Lajong to Bengaluru FC ahead of this season.

Son’s revelations have certainly made things interesting and that makes the goal go down as one of the finest goals scored in the I-League, closely competing with Taisuke’s goal from behind the half line against Pune FC last season. As far the coach Khalid Jamil is concerned, he said you will get one such goal every season at Cooperage, so for those who were there to witness it, you’ve got to be lucky.