Pune ground champs Atletico, top the table
FINE MARGIN Kolkata undone by early Jackichand goal
PUNE: Undone by the form of their internationals and unhinged by FC Pune City’s midfield pressing, the wheels came off defending champions Atletico de Kolkata on Saturday night in Balewadi near here.
FC Pune City are now on top of the standings with 10 points from five games with Atletico de Kolkata second on seven from four.
It seemed incredible that only Jackichand Singh’s goal separated the teams. From the time Ofentse Nato, usually so sure in his defensive work, messed up with a backheader and Jackichand scored, Atletico de Kolkata played like they were impersonators of the team whose display was described as “well-drilled” by FC Pune City coach David Platt on Friday.
Nato was returning from international duty and this was the first time in ISL2 that he got his usual midfield role. He came, saw and blundered and for the first time in ISL2, the defending champions were trailing. They never recovered.
They were hassled off the ball, the smaller pitch helping the hosts keep it tight in the midfield. They struggled with Singh’s speed when FC Pune City broke. When Bikash Jairu was thrown into the mix, the visitors struggled even more.
Back from international duty, Rino Anto too floundered; his shinning
Atletico de Kolkata 0 Sunday’s match: Kerala Blasters FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC. Live on Star Sports 2, 3, HD2, & HD3. a clearance in the 41st minute encapsulating the nightmare he and his team were having.
Josemi made a schoolboy error in the 23rd minute. FC Pune City should have scored then but Tuncay Sanli blasted over. It was incredible how FC Pune City didn’t score in the 29th after Didier Zokora-Lenny Rodrigues and Sanli combined; Arnab Mondal making what would probably be his most important chest block. Eugeneson Lyngdoh then took a pot shot he couldn’t keep on target and later, Dharmarajan Ravanan missed from where it is easier to score.
That Atletico de Kolkata’s first real chance came in the 80th minute when Iain Hume’s shot was blocked tells its own story.
None of that will spoil Singh’s night. One year ago, he was dreaming of playing the I-League. Now, he has done that, won his India shirt and scored the winner in an ISL match. PUNE: It’s a game Ofentse Nato said he would remember for the rest of his life. And the reason had nothing to do with football, or the fact that Botswana won 3-1 and qualified for the next round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Soon after the final whistle came the news that 10 of Eritrea’s players had decided to defect. “I read about it online. I had no idea about this when we were playing but they must have come to the game having made up their minds,” the defensive midfielder for Atletico de Kolkata told HT here on Saturday.
Nato played the full match in Francestown, Botswana on Tuesday. The rest of the 24-member Eritrean contingent returned on Wednesday.
NOT EASY
“Life is not easy in some African countries but it still takes a lot for