Powerless at home, Dynamos split points
Start delayed by 35 minutes
NEW DELHI: Kolkata’s notorious for it — a 12-minute stoppage during ISL 1, one in 2004 during an India-Japan match and at the post-match conference when Lionel Messi played in 2011 being the highlights — though power outages at football stadia have happened in other parts of the world too.
On Tuesday, Delhi joined the club because a transformer broke down. Ironically, it happened to a team that has Dynamos in its name. For nearly 90 minutes from 4:45pm, the lights were out at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here leading to a 35-minute delay to the start of Delhi Dynamos’ home game and North East United FC which ended 1-1. HEFTY FINE? The league, a source said, is awaiting detailed reports but the possibility of Delhi Dynamos facing a heavy fine can’t be ruled out.
It is the home team’s responsibility to ensure generators, said a person associated with ISL 2. No official from DEN — co-owners of Delhi Dynamos — or the stadium management was available to comment but unconfirmed reports had it that the generators too had conked out with the transformer. An official with another franchise said going forward it would now run more stringent checks on the power backup facilities at its stadium.
Letting fans inside in the dark was a security concern and, as a result, long queues formed outside; a rare occurrence for a stadium that not only struggles to fill but also has various entry points. Smartphones are getting smarter these days, but the most basic feature —that of
the torch — came to good use. FIRST BLOOD Richard Gadze gave the home side the lead courtesy a perfectly weighted through-ball from Florent Malouda. Roberto Carlos, player-manager of Delhi had hinted he would play some part but that he would start was a surprise. His coming off in the 70th minute led to some leaving.
Delhi midfielder Hans Mulder brought down Diomansy Kamara inside the box, but MLS referee David John Ganter wrongly awarded a free-kick. Lights or no lights, it was a decision met with boos from the crowd.
North-East marquee player Simao Sabrosa came on in the 72nd and equalised with a beautiful free-kick, his first touch. Had the lights gone out then, it would have been to the roar of the fans chanting “Guwahati, Guwahati.” Wait, wasn’t the match in Delhi?