ATK beat Chennaiyin to win third ISL title
nKOLKATA: It was against Chennaiyin FC that goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja had erred leading to a 1-3 loss for ATK. A clanger in Bengaluru followed which had ATK chasing the semi-final. Redemption came in Sunday’s final where Bhattacharja’s saves helped ATK become the first team to win three Indian Super League (ISL) titles and the ~8 crore cheque that comes with it.
“Their goalkeeper was in inspired form, “said Chennaiyin FC coach Owen Coyle after the 1-3 loss in Goa. “He made some amazing saves,” said Chennaiyin FC central defender Lucian Goian said of the man adjudged the best of the night. “I had a good game in the second leg of the semi-final too,” Bhattacharja said showing this wasn’t the first big night he had done well.
The confidence with John Johnson led ATK’S defence line belied the fact that he first played on February 22 and only because the regulars were rested. Injured before that Johnson, 31, played the next four games culminating in a performance that was as influential as the brace from Javier Hernandez (10th and 90+4) and Edu Garcia’s 48th minute strike.
Nerijus Valskis brought the final alive with a 69th minute strike that fetched him the Golden Boot. He had six assists and this was his 15th goal --- the numbers being same as ATK’S Roy Krishna, but the Chennaiyin FC striker got the award for having played fewer games. The game could have turned out differently had the Lithuanian not fired a free header out in the 83rd minute or hit the horizontal in the fourth minute after Pritam Kotal was forced into making a goalline save in the first.
Instead, it was ATK who forged ahead in the 11th minute. Quick transition has fetched a bulk of their 39 goals in ISL6 and so it was in the final. Johnson slung a ball deep and before the blue shirts could regroup, Roy Krishna had delivered from the left. David Williams sold a dummy that left Hernandez free and the Real Madrid academy player showed technique and poise to volley into the ground so that it thudded into the roof of
Vishal Kaith’s goal.
The combination of Prabir Das and Krishna then had the ball pinging in the Chennaiyin FC goalmouth and from not having scored in 10 months Hernandez would have got his second in the 23rd minute. He couldn’t because twice his shot was repelled from the line by Chennaiyin FC.
By then, Germanpreet Singh’s ankle had packed up and Chennaiyin FC had to get Edwin Vanspaul in. ATK too were forced into making a change and because it was Krishna, it got them somewhat unsettled. They ended the first half letting Chennaiyin FC have more of the ball and it needed two reflex saves from Bhattacharja --- the first off Valskis and then off Andre Schembri --- to protect the lead.
By the hour mark, Chennaiyin FC had nearly 60% of possession but it was ATK who were leading 2-0. Again it was a long ball from the back and this time it was Garcia who set it going with a header to Williams. Like with the first goal, Eli Sabia was beaten and Williams waited for Garcia to steal space on the right before playing it back. Opening his shoulders, Garcia fired into the far corner.
Hernandez’s second goal too had ATK imparting a lesson in being clinical in front of goal. Pronay Haldar broke the high line and Hernandez rounded the keeper, shielded the ball from Anirudh Thapa and tapped home.
“We won, baby, we won,” said Krishna even as ATK’S celebration echoed in the empty Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. Having become the first coach to win two ISL titles coach Antonio Lopez was then lifted in the air by the team.