It was a game of two halves as Atletico de Kolkata battled out a draw against Kerala Blasters FC. While the first half saw a goal from each side, the second half was marred by a string of fouls and misplaced passes. However, the draw was enough for ATK to secure a place in the top 4. But, Kerala need to register a win in their last game to have a shot at playoffs.
Let us reflect on the top 5 talking points of the match which was played at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium, Kolkata.
#5 Atletico need to ramp up their defence in dead ball situations
The visitors drew first blood, courtesy a goalkeeping howler from Debjit Majumder. An apparently innocuous cross from Mehtab Hossain was fumbled by Debjit. The resultant flick found CK Vineeth who headed the ball into an empty net.
That set the tone for the rest of the night for the ATK backline. Throughout the entire match, they seemed vulnerable in dealing with long balls. The lack of steel was especially evident from dead ball situations. Corners from either side put the 5’9” Atletico goalkeeper under immense pressure. Although, Debjit managed to stop a few long-range efforts, the confidence exuded by Arnab Mandal & Co. was at an all time low.
#4 Rock solid Kerala defence
The Yellow Brigade lined up a compact back four, comprising of Josu, Cédric Hengbart, Aaron Hughes and Sandesh Jhingan. This lineup had boasted of a clean sheet so far until tonight Atletico breached the wall.
Against the back four of such stature, Kolkata adopted a futile strategy of playing long balls. With a 5’7” Iain Hume up front, the ploy fell flat on its face. Jose Molina realised the same and brought in the tall Juan Belencoso. The Spaniard had the physique but lacked the quality to cause any damage. Apart from that one goal, Kerala Blasters’ defence had a comfortable outing.
#3 Another inept performance from ATK as they committed numerous errors
The 2014 champions should thank their stars as they were fortunate enough to come back with a point. Barring the solitary goal, Atk’s performance was replete with misplaced passes and horrid first touches. The attacking third hardly saw any decent build up. The ball players, namely, Javi Lara, Iain Hume and Helder Postiga did not have much possession in the second half.
Consequently, it was a profligate Atletico midfield who gave away the ball with each of their second passes. Frustration was writ large on the faces of the fans but a point was enough to ensure the playoffs for their side.
#2 Lone striker CK Vineeth enough to trouble the back 4
Unlike the home side, Kerala needed a big win to fortify their chances for the playoffs. CK Vineeth, who had scored the opener for the away side, was a menacing presence for the Atk defence. His strengh was difficult to contain for the likes of Tiri and Arnab Mandal.
The Bengaluru FC man gave a hard time to the Atletico back four. The nimble organisation looked close to crumbling under pressure. But the lack of penetration and a decent goal scoring opportunity kept the match level at 1-1.
#1 Atletico de Kolkata desperately need a permanent solution to the wing issues
Javi Lara started on the right and was combining quite well with Helder Postiga and Borja Fernandes. But the Spaniard’s tracking back is a genuine cause for concern. In the left wing, Abinash Ruidas is inadequate to feature in the starting eleven. He is talented and has the prowess but lacks the skills to make it big in such occasions. The young player has a petite frame which makes it easy for the opposite wingbacks to overpower his runs.
Thus, the abject condition of the wing players is hurting the champions badly. Sameehg Doutie should be slotted in the left and Lara can be left to operate from the right. He has got accustomed to the new role after the coach decided to retain him on the flanks. Someone with a little bit of experience and flair for the outside channels could be utilised in this regard. Bidyananda Singh had shown glimpses of the same but disappeared thereafter.
The tournament is at a critical stage with only the finals to play for. At such a juncture, Kolkata need to step up their game if they wish to lift the trophy for a record second time. A 1-1 draw seemed appropriate as both the teams remained on 19 points from 13 matches.
