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Nothing is going right for Aizawl FC at this moment. The former I-League champions slumped to another defeat at home when they went down to Chennai City FC 1-2 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl on Friday.
Chennai consolidated their lead with 13 points from five matches after this win, means they have only dropped two points on the run.
They are now seven points clear of second-placed East Bengal, though the latter has two matches on their hand.
The season is turning from bad to worse for Aizawl. Only two seasons ago they were crowned the winner of this tournament and now they are languishing at the bottom of the table to only two points from five matches.
On a day when star striker Pedro Manzi was on the bench, the goal scoring responsibility was taken over by Sandro Rodrigues.
The Spanish striker scored both his team’s goals, including one from a sumptuous free-kick. In between his goals, Ansumana Kromah scored one for the home team, although to no avail.
There were numerous questions regarding the referee after the match. The most controversial one among them came around the half an hour mark.
Vanlalduatsanga tried to tackle Ajith Kumar inside in his own box and in the process, handled the ball to put it out of danger.
Referee Tanmay Dhar was only five or six yards away but even after watching the incident clearly, he decided to carry on the game, much to the frustration of Chennai players. Ajith was even showed a yellow card for his dissent.
The repeat telecast showed that was a clear penalty and Vanlalduatsanga should’ve been shown a red card for his offence.
But nothing happened and Aizawl should’ve been very lucky to have escaped the punishment.
The second controversy occurred after the end of the first half. Visibly angry with the referee’s decisions, Chennai’s coach Akbar Nawas protested to the referee and earned a red card. As a result, he was sent in the stand and had to watch the entire second half from there.
Let us look what went wrong from Aizawl FC:
#3 Home is no more a hunting ground for Aizawl
Aizawl FC were unbeaten at home in their title-winning campaign two years ago. They have drawn one and won rest of the eight matches. They were superior in their home last year too, having lost only two matches in the process.
In fact, teams would fear before coming to play at Aizawl’s home stadium. Not only the low temperature but the vociferous supporters and high altitude were also a problem.
But the times have changed. There were only a few supporters on Friday who came to the stadium to cheer for their team. The large numbers of newly-installed bucket seats were empty. This was quite unnatural given the state’s love for football.
The home stadium has become a curse for Aizawl FC this time. They played three matches at home this season and not won any of them, losing twice in the process.
The teams are accustomed with the condition and don’t fear to come here anymore. Chennai City FC, who have lost all their previous games on this ground, proved that.
#2 Sandro, Kabir stand out as Chennai City produce a team game against Aizawl FC
There has been no looking back for Chennai City FC. They are on an impressive form this season and won their third successive away match.
After beating Gokulam Kerala FC and East Bengal, Chennai City FC have now conquered Aizawl FC for the first time in an away match.
But to be honest, they were far from their best. We have seen Chennai City FC dominating the game against Indian Arrows or East Bengal.
But on Friday, they couldn’t produce their usual passing football. This may be because of the nature of the field.
The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is built on AstroTurf and it is quite difficult to play passing football because of the uneven ground. But Chennai players tried their best to take control of the game.
Despite their coach being sent off to the stands, the players never lost their concentration. They ticked almost all the boxes, save a few uneasy moments. They kept their defence tight, tried to control the midfield and never allowed their opposition spaces in their own half.
Sandro Rodrigues once again produced a superb performance in the absence of Pedro Manzi. He scored from another mind-blowing free-kick from just outside the box, the same way he scored against East Bengal.
He scored his second from a counter attack, using a momentarily lapse of concentration from his opponents. Taking off his shirt after scoring the second goal proved how much hungry he was for that.
Credits should be given to goalkeeper Kabir Taufiq too. He denied Aizawl strikers numerous times from scoring. He may not have the regular height of a goalkeeper, but he has brilliant reflexes.
The save against Kromah’s header must be his best on the match and was deservedly awarded as the hero of the match.
#1 Missed chances and inability of their strikers cost Aizawl FC the game
Before coming to the match, Aizawl FC had only one aim, to claim all the three points and register their first win of the season.
But the task was not easy given their opponent’s strength. Most of Aizawl FC’s players are young and lack the experience to fight against a stronger team.
Aizawl FC tried to dominate the game right from the start and should’ve been ahead by at least two goals within the first ten minutes. Leonce Dodoz and Ansumanah Kromah missed the opportunities.
But Aizawl FC didn’t hold back and continued their attack which eventually created a few chances but the home side failed to use.
Lalrinfela rattled the post with his superbly taken free-kick, which caught Chennai City FC goalkeeper off his guard. Captain Alfred Jaryan was standing tall on the midfield and thwarting Chennai attacks. However, it was the strikers who failed to do their job.
Both Dodoz and Kromah are known faces in Indian football. They know how to put the ball on the back of the net.
But the Chennai City FC match was a bad day in the office for them. There was little understanding between the strikers and they failed to complement each other.
Kromah may have scored a goal but was unnoticed for a large part of the game. Dodoz tried his best but left without enough support.
For Aizawl FC to revive their campaign, their strikers need to put their best effort on the field.
