Sony Norde vindicates his presence in Mumbai City FC by scooping up the DHL Winning Pass award

Sony Norde (R) has the most assists for Mumbai City (Image courtesy of ISL)

Back in October, on a warm, electrifying night of football, one man stood out from the rest, announcing himself to the Indian Super League and also the world at large. Mumbai City FC were hosting the Delhi Dynamos at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, and 17,000 fans were shouting themselves hoarse cheering for the Mumbaikars. In the midst of all that, Haitian forward Sony Norde was setting the flank ablaze with his quick, darting runs, giving the defence a terribly tough time at the back.

Sunil Chhetri grabbed a brace on the night. But the two goals might be two of the easiest goals the Indian captain has scored in his career. The first goal saw Norde cut in and take a shot on goal and, although Anas Edathodika blocked the shot, the ball fell to Chhetri in the box who had no problem finding the bottom corner.

The second goal saw Norde fake a shot on goal, switch directions to draw the goalkeeper out and then set up Chhetri with an easy finish after a cross into the box found his teammate unmarked. They may be on rival teams in the I-League, but the two players formed a superb understanding in Mumbai City shirts to give the home side a 2-0 win.

Having impressed in the I-League in Mohun Bagan’s title-winning campaign with 9 goals and 13 assists, the ISL franchise knew exactly who they were getting when they signed Norde before the second season got underway. And has he delivered!

After Mumbai City’s 1-1 draw with the Kerala Blasters today, where Norde’s inswinging corner-kick led to Mumbai’s goal in the first-half, the 26-year-old picked up the DHL Winning Pass award – an award presented to each team’s highest assist-maker in the ISL this season.

In football, it is always the Ronaldos, Messis and Neymars who hog all the attention with their jaw-dropping skills and artistry. But that's not always fair; the ecstasy and exhilaration we experience while watching spectacular goals make us blind to the moments of inspiration just before the goal themselves.

We often disregard the players working tirelessly behind the scenes to provide the strikers with the fodder for their exploits. We forget the able assist-makers, who provide inch-perfect passes to the attackers who then grab all the goals, attention and headlines.

That's precisely what the DHL Winning Pass award looks to address. By rewarding the players with the highest assists, it ensures that the amazing pass-makers, whose contribution is no less than that of the goal-scorers, are given their due credit.

Mumbai City’s Sony Norde with the DHL Winning Pass award (Image courtesy of ISL)

Technically, Norde may have racked up three assists, but it has been his key passes, crosses and shots on goal that have seen opposition defenders and goalkeepers panic, thereby conceding goals from rebounds or blocks. Indeed, the Haitian’s presence in the squad alongside Chhetri gave Mumbai City three consecutive wins – against the Dynamos, FC Goa and NorthEast United, the last a 5-1 thrashing of the Highlanders.

The 26-year-old had also scored a goal against NorthEast United after fooling the goalkeeper and putting the ball into an empty net. But it has been Norde the Provider rather than Norde the Goalscorer that has helped Mumbai City rack up the wins early in the season.

His impact was sorely missed when he missed games after the Haitian national team called him up, and the results were evident in Mumbai City’s campaign as they struggled to get points under their belt. No result was more telling than the match against FC Goa; with the Haitian abesnt from the squad, there was no credible threat down the left flank and Mumbai City FC fell 7-0 to Zico’s Gaurs.

The Mumbai team, now lying seventh, has had problems off the pitch with assistant coach Oscar Bruzon leaving midway through the season and player-manager Nicolas Anelka struggling to find the right combination to get the best out of the team. But Norde’s place in the squad has never been questioned. He and Chhetri were easily the first names on the teamsheet, and the Indian captain himself has benefited from Norde’s presence, becoming the highest Indian goalscorer in the ISL despite missing a few games.

Norde has definitely shown that Mumbai City are a lot better off with him on the pitch than without. After the ISL, Norde will go back to Mohun Bagan as they look to defend their I-League title in 2016. He will also be busy with the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds against other CONCACAF opponents.