Krishna helps ATK steal a point
KOLKATA: ATK and Mumbai City FC traded goals deep in secondhalf stoppage time to play out a pulsating and physical 2-2 draw in ISL6 on Saturday.
A significant part of the night was about Edu Garcia showing how much more than a supersub he is. And why Real Zaragoza took him under their wings when he was 12.
Micheal Soosairaj put ATK ahead; Mumbai City FC equalised through Pratik Chowdhary and went ahead through Kevyn Angoue in the 92nd minute. Roy Krishna’s opportunism on the half-turn made it 2-2 in the 95th minute.
Leaders ATK move to 11 points from six games and Mumbai City FC to six from as many games.
Garcia played two seasons for the Spanish club of his hometown before joining Bengaluru FC in 2017. In December 2017, Garcia became the first player to be sold abroad from the ISL when Zhejang Greentown, a China League One club, paid Bengaluru FC $150,000 for the creative midfielder. Garcia was bought by ATK last December.
This term, he has been used as a replacement. Even then Garcia has scored three goals.
Garcia’s dexterity in the midfield made the difference between the teams. Playing behind Williams and Krishna, he was the soul of ATK’S build-ups. It fit that he would play an integral part in the move that fetched Soosairaj’s 39th minute goal.
Following a give-go with Williams, Garcia snaked up and essayed a pass on the inside of Mumbai City FC right back Souvik Chakrabarti. Left wingback Soosairaj timed his run to meet the ball and opening his shoulders, placed it past Amrinder Singh in the away team’s goal.
Mumbai City FC were faster off the blocks but till centre-back Carl Mchugh hurt his ankle, the home side was in control. Mchugh went off in the 60th and the equaliser came in the 62nd; central defender Pratik Chowdhury heading home Mohamed Larbi’s corner-kick.
After Mchugh left, Mumbai City FC looked stronger and could have scored through Angoue. At the other end, Soosairaj scuffed a first-timer with Singh out of position. When Angoue tapped home Bipin Singh’s assist, it looked like ATK would lose their second game of the season. But Krishna had other ideas.
In the I-league, Aizawl FC held Mohun Bagan to a goalless draw at home while Gokulam Kerala beat Neroca FC 2-1 in Kozhikode.