Indian Super League, Round 4

Hyderabad FC drew with ATK Mohun Bagan after Joao Victor’s equalizer cancelled Manvir Singh’s striker at Fatorda on Wednesday. Here are a few talking points from our Round-4 clash in the Indian Super League 2020-21.

A Team Performance

Hyderabad FC was forced into starting with just two foreigners after injuries saw four of our overseas players miss the game.  The side that took the field against ATK Mohun Bagan composed of nine Indian players, most of whom young, and displayed competence and confidence on the night, where we missed key players. Playing as a unit, the team put on an all-round performance throughout the game.

At the helm of the attack was Liston Colaco who posed his usual threat of pace, coupled with his passing and goal-scoring intent. He was facilitated adeptly by Halicharan Narzary and Nikhil Poojary on the sides, who created consistent opportunities in the attacking third. The midfield was effectively regulated by Hitesh Sharma, Souvik Chakrabarti and Joao Victor which reflected in our domination of possession, passing accuracy and passes made on the night. Asish Rai, Odei Onaindia, Chinglesana Singh, Akash Mishra and Subrata Paul stood strong in the defence despite intense attacking attempts from The Mariners.

Joao Victor’s Midfield Masterclass

As one of the two foreigners in the lineup, Joao Victor had immense responsibility and he did not fail to deliver. His key contribution to the game was undoubtedly the equalizer which came ten minutes after Manvir Singh’s goal. Joao made no mistake in slotting the ball into the goal after Poojary was brought down inside the opponent’s box, earning us a penalty. The Brazilian midfielder was a constant threat for the ATK Mohun Bagan defence with strength and precise passes. He also worked in tandem with Hitesh and Souvik to break up opposition play and maintain possession.

Hitesh Sharma’s Maturity

Playing alongside Joao and Souvik, Hitesh’s mature midfield performance had a big impact on the team’s result against ATKMB. The youngster was a composed presence in the middle of the park with crucial contributions in the attack as well as defence. He supported the attack in a constructive fashion and his agility as well as the ability to engage in quick passing made him a force to reckon with. Hitesh’s instinctive reactions to the Mariners’ counter-attacks restricted their movement and kept key attacking threats at bay.

The invaluable Subrata Paul

ATKMB’s attackers kept Subrata Paul busy but the keeper held the fort by thwarting multiple dangerous attempts on goal except the one from Manvir Singh. Returning to the lineup after missing the game against Jamshedpur, Subrata displayed class and rose to the occasion with some attractive flying saves among the six that he made on the night. He negated the impact of ATKMB’s top striker, Roy Krishna and ensured that the hosts were denied in the final minutes of the second half.