MFA Super League: MSP holds Tarun Sporting to a hard-fought draw

by Chittu Shetty November 7, 2023

In a closely contested game between Mumbai Soccer Prodigies (MSP) and Tarun Sporting, involving numerous goal-scoring opportunities, the match ultimately concluded in a nail-biting 0-0 draw.

The opening half witnessed MSP starting on the front foot, displaying their offensive prowess. Nihal Colaco, the star of their attack, nearly broke the deadlock as he maneuvered past a defender, darting into the Tarun Sporting box. His curling shot seemed destined for the back of the net, only to be denied by Tarun Sporting’s goalkeeper, Pritam. A subsequent corner presented another golden opportunity, with Akshay positioned at the edge of the box. Unfortunately for MSP, his shot whizzed past the side netting.

Tarun Sporting fought back with a series of attacks. Jayesh Sutar has an attempt on goal from inside the box after a deflected ball fell to him. However the fullback’s shot whizzed past the bar as the score remained 0-0. Moments later, MSP’s defense momentarily lost possession within their own box, after a misjudgment by their goalkeeper, Sabu. However, the ever-watchful duo of Nitesh and Amit managed to rescue the situation and keep Tarun Sporting at bay.

Around the half hour mark, Jayesh Sutar slips the ball for Kaustubh Panchal who delivers a inch perfect ball to the far post where Yatin hits a first time shot on target but MSP Goalkeeper Jacob Sabu redeems himself of his earlier mistake with a point blank save to keep the score line 0-0.

Another attack from the left sees a cross into the box fell for Tarun’s striker Yatin who hits a first time shot, however the ball hits the woodwork and score remains 0-0. Moments later, Yatin was once again in thick of action and came close to breaking the deadlock when he won the ball on the left and makes a run into the box before firing in a shot that forced a brilliant saved by MSP keeper Jacob Sabu.

The second half witnessed league leaders Tarun Sporting putting on the pressure, relentlessly seeking to take the lead. One of the standout moments came when Dhaval Waghela had a golden opportunity to change the course of the game. He connected brilliantly with Sumit’s precision cross, only to be thwarted by MSP’s unyielding defense.

MSP, equally hungry for a win, had their fair share of scoring chances. A well-delivered cross found was poorly cleared by a Tarun Sporting defender. As the ball looped up, Deep Moorjani attempted a header that seemed destined for the back of the net. However, the Tarun Sporting goalkeeper was alert to catch in front of goal.

In the dying moments of the game, Deep Moorjani initiated a spirited run down the left wing. His timely pass set up the number 26, Ronan D’lima, for a crucial shot on goal. But, in an unfortunate turn of events, the ball narrowly missed its mark.

After a grueling 90 minutes, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. MSP currently occupies the fifth position in the league, amassing 8 points from 5 games. In the aftermath of the game, Deep Moorjani, a midfielder for MSP, shared his thoughts on the game, “We really wanted to take all 3 points, but I guess a point is not that bad either. We had our chances early in the game for 20-30 minutes that we could have scored. But after that, due to the heat, our intensity dropped, and we went defensive. Still, we had our chances to get 3 points.”

Speaking further on his team’s campaign, Deep added, “From my experience, anything can happen, and that is what we have seen in the last few years, and we are gonna keep trying. We had some of the toughest games so far, and going forward, we have a comparatively easier set of games. If we win all those, then maybe at the end, we still have a chance, so we will try our best.”

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