#ISL2016
#Indian #Soccer #League
#MumbaiCityFC misfiring attack came to life against #KeralaBlasters
On Saturday, facing the best defence in the league, a team that had just registered two wins on the spin while scoring five goals, and coming into the game on the back of a week's rest, Mumbai's misfiring attack — that had just drawn a blank in Goa three days ago — had the odds stacked against them.
Within five minutes of the whistle, the famed Kerala rearguard was breached. It wasn't just a goal that gave Mumbai's attack the confidence which was lacking, but it also set the tone for the rest of the evening. Lining up in a 4-3-3 formation rather than their usual 4-2-3-1, Mumbai's extra man in the middle of the park was telling, right from the outset.
As the #Blasters tried to play their way out, Krisztian #Vadocz won the ball in midfield and immediately found Sunil #Chhetri, who had dropped deep to collect the ball. The Indian captain then found Matias #Defederico on the right side and played it to him first time.
By then, Diego #Forlan had made a run from the left into the space vacated by Chhetri, and Defederico while shielding the ball from the Blasters players, waited for Forlan to reach the danger area and then floated a brilliant through ball with the outside of his foot. Forlan was away. The Uruguayan used his experience and shrugged off Cedric Hengbart's challenge before firing past Graham Stack.
The attacking trio of Forlan-Chhetri-Defederico was combining and inter-changing, and with Cafu bombing forward occasionally, the hosts were creating menace in the Kerala defence. On 13 minutes, the visitors conceded a cheap free-kick just outside the box in the wake of growing pressure from the home side.
It gave Forlan the chance to give fans in India a glimpse of his real quality. He stepped and dispatched the free kick in the top corner in typical Forlan style and Mumbai were simply over the hill and gone too for away for Kerala, even with just 15 minutes played.
What followed was something Mumbai had been doing pretty well already this season. The 2-0 lead gave them the opportunity to control the game and they did just that. While it meant surrendering a bit of possession to the away side, but it hardly bothered the home side who almost never lost their defensive shape.
The back four were solid and very well protected by Sehnaj and Vadocz, while Forlan and Defederico, playing as inverted wingers, immediately dropped back to make it a five-man midfield every time the hosts appeared to lose control of the ball. It wasn't left to chance and it happened every single time.
With every player performing their duties perfectly, it was only in the 90th minute that the visitors got their first shot on target from open play - a hopeful long range effort from full-back #Josu. It also took them 61 minutes to register their first shot on target, which was a tame effort from CK #Vineeth from a set piece.
Despite having 19 points on the board, Mumbai aren't assured of a place in the semi-finals yet, but with such good defensive discipline been shown by the entire team and with a strong attack that's come alive just at the right moment, they are few flaws in the team at the moment.
#DelhiDynamos might have a few things to say, but Mumbai City FC are now the league's team to beat.
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http://www.whowillwinthecup.com
#Indian #Soccer #League
#MumbaiCityFC misfiring attack came to life against #KeralaBlasters
On Saturday, facing the best defence in the league, a team that had just registered two wins on the spin while scoring five goals, and coming into the game on the back of a week's rest, Mumbai's misfiring attack — that had just drawn a blank in Goa three days ago — had the odds stacked against them.
As the #Blasters tried to play their way out, Krisztian #Vadocz won the ball in midfield and immediately found Sunil #Chhetri, who had dropped deep to collect the ball. The Indian captain then found Matias #Defederico on the right side and played it to him first time.
By then, Diego #Forlan had made a run from the left into the space vacated by Chhetri, and Defederico while shielding the ball from the Blasters players, waited for Forlan to reach the danger area and then floated a brilliant through ball with the outside of his foot. Forlan was away. The Uruguayan used his experience and shrugged off Cedric Hengbart's challenge before firing past Graham Stack.
The attacking trio of Forlan-Chhetri-Defederico was combining and inter-changing, and with Cafu bombing forward occasionally, the hosts were creating menace in the Kerala defence. On 13 minutes, the visitors conceded a cheap free-kick just outside the box in the wake of growing pressure from the home side.
It gave Forlan the chance to give fans in India a glimpse of his real quality. He stepped and dispatched the free kick in the top corner in typical Forlan style and Mumbai were simply over the hill and gone too for away for Kerala, even with just 15 minutes played.
What followed was something Mumbai had been doing pretty well already this season. The 2-0 lead gave them the opportunity to control the game and they did just that. While it meant surrendering a bit of possession to the away side, but it hardly bothered the home side who almost never lost their defensive shape.
The back four were solid and very well protected by Sehnaj and Vadocz, while Forlan and Defederico, playing as inverted wingers, immediately dropped back to make it a five-man midfield every time the hosts appeared to lose control of the ball. It wasn't left to chance and it happened every single time.
With every player performing their duties perfectly, it was only in the 90th minute that the visitors got their first shot on target from open play - a hopeful long range effort from full-back #Josu. It also took them 61 minutes to register their first shot on target, which was a tame effort from CK #Vineeth from a set piece.
Despite having 19 points on the board, Mumbai aren't assured of a place in the semi-finals yet, but with such good defensive discipline been shown by the entire team and with a strong attack that's come alive just at the right moment, they are few flaws in the team at the moment.
#DelhiDynamos might have a few things to say, but Mumbai City FC are now the league's team to beat.
Powered by:
http://www.whowillwinthecup.com
