ISL 2017, Match 6: Chennaiyin FC vs NorthEast United FC, 5 talking points

Chennaiyin FC registered their first win of ISL 2017 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over NorthEast United FC. Midfielder Raphael Augusto was the star for Chennai. He capped off the night with a deflected goal and a well taken second.

Chennai were extremely fluid and won the midfield battle which ultimately won them the game. Here are the major talking points from tonight's game.

#1 Chennaiyin Defenders and goalkeepers not on the same page

It happened in the match between Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC, and it happened again tonight. There was a clear lack of communication and understanding between the goalkeeper and his defenders. Amrinder and his center-back's miscommunication led to Sunil Chhetri's goal when Mumbai and Bengaluru locked horns.

Tonight, Chennai's shot-stopper, Karanjit came out of his box due to a clear lack of understanding between him and his defenders. What should have been a routine clearance turned into a howler and almost gave NorthEast United an early lead. Fortunately for Chennaiyin, Seiminlen Doungel's lofted shot went inches above the crossbar. Goalkeepers ought to be commanding in their box and not leave 50/50 balls to chance.

#2 Raphael Augusto more influential than Jeje for Chennaiyin

Raphael Augusto was pulling the strings for Chennaiyin FC. (Image: ISL)

Aside from the two goals he scored tonight, Raphael Augusto is the man who makes things happen. He is the man who controls Chennaiyin's midfield. He is the man who is ready to put in the yards, and at the end of it all, he is the man who puts on a show for the spectators with his deft touches and stepovers.

While he usually takes up a deep position in the middle of the park, the Brazilian midfielder stealthily occupies dangerous positions inside the opposition area whenever his teammates are on the prowl. Without him, it's hard to imagine an effective Chennai side. He makes the team tick and is the focal point when transitioning from defence to attack.

#3 NorthEast fail to make most of their wing play

Despite stretching their opponents, NEUFC could not provide their strikers with the final pass. (Image: ISL)

On multiple occasions tonight, NorthEast United found themselves in dangerous positions on the wings. They did well to play the ball out to their fullbacks. However, when they did get there, the likes of Nirmal Chhetri and Robert Lalthlamuana were reluctant to release the ball into the box.

When they did, NorthEast did not have enough players in the box. On most occasions, the full backs had to aim a pass towards a single target man, who was closely marked by at least 3 Chennaiyin players. The visitors were guilty of pondering on the ball too much, It gave the home side, enough time to flood numbers at the back.

#4 Chennaiyin shrug off bogey team

Chennaiyin FC co-owner Abhishek Bachchan exalts after his side's 3-0 victory. (Image: ISL)

Prior to tonight's clash, Chennai had beaten NorthEast United just once in six attempts. The southern outfit has always struggled against the Highlanders both at home and away. NEUFC have proved to be somewhat of a bogey team for them.

However, Chennaiyin put the demons to rest with a thoroughly dominating performance. They came at their opponents with intent and were rewarded for their clarity. NorthEast came out second best in all three areas of the pitch. Their forwards found it difficult to involve themselves in the game. Their midfielders were outrun, and their defenders failed to close down open spaces.

#5 Pedestrian approach cost NorthEast dearly

NorthEast's lackluster approach cost them dearly. (Image: ISL)

Against Jamshedpur, NEUFC were unlucky to come out with a point. Their opponents were reluctant to take risks and it meant they could rest easy. But up against a seasoned Chennai outfit, NorthEast failed to up their game.

Once again, the Highlanders were extremely pedestrian in their approach. Their players were guilty of playing wayward passes when there was absolutely no pressure on them. Simply put, most of the NEUFC players were casual on the ball.

Too casual and they paid heavily for it. Apart from midfielder Marcio Junior, nobody was really up for it. A lack of intensity coupled with the absence of the hunger to win resulted in their downfall tonight. At times, NorthEast were playing the game at walking pace, despite the fact that they were trailing by 2 goals.