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Hyderabad FC hosted NorthEast United FC in their second home game of the Indian Super League season. After two consecutive defeats, the competition debutants tasted victory for the first time in their home debut against Kerala Blasters. The team from the city of pearls were looking for their second victory of the season against NorthEast United FC.
The Highlanders aimed to go into the international break with their unbeaten record intact and Hyderabad started the game with only three foreign players in the starting eleven, as they were hampered by injuries to many of their key players. The Highlanders did not have any such concerns before the game as their star defender Kai Heerings was declared fit to play by the medical team.
NorthEast United registered a 1-0 victory courtesy of a goal from Maximiliano Barreiro in the 86th minute. By virtue of their victory, they moved to the top of the table with eight points from four games.
Hyderabad started the game on a bright note and took everyone by surprise including their opponents. The men in black created a lot of chances in the first half and could have been leading by two or three goals, but the NorthEast backline managed to keep the scores tied 0-0 at half time.
Like their last match against FC Goa, NorthEast United came out as a completely different side in the second half. The game opened up a lot after the interval and both sides had more than a few chances to break the deadlock.
On that note, let us take a look at five hits and flops from today's game.
#5 Flop- Mislav Komorski
Mislav Komorski had a disastrous outing and the Croatian centre half was rightly substituted at half time. The defender made numerous inaccurate passes which led to a turnover of possession and the away side created numerous chances by capitalizing on his mistakes.
Mislav's lacklustre display harmed the whole team as they lost their usual rhythm to play out from the back and had to resort to playing long balls in the first half.
The whole team found its rhythm and touch in the second half after Mislav was substituted. The Highlanders will hope that Mislav gets his act together and comes back more focused after the international break.
The sight of young Indian players like Abhishek Halder and Mohammed Yasir getting past Mislav with relative ease isn't something the NorthEast United faithful would want to see again or remember.
#4 Hit- Mohammed Yasir
The young lad from Manipur has been with the FC Pune City set up for quite some time now, and it was no surprise that the new franchise Hyderabad FC decided to keep him in the squad. His versatility is something which every coach would love to have. Starting alongside Nikhil Poojari on the wings, he was a menace down the left for his side and was one of the standout players of the game.
Yasir created some of the best chances of the game, but Hyderabad failed to capitalise on the opportunities created by the young lad. It wasn't just his attacking intent that was on show today but also his defensive abilities as he always tracked back and made a handful of recovery tackles.
The way he dribbled past the whole NorthEast United defence twice during the game would surely be a massive positive for him and his team.
#3 Flop- Marcelo Pereira
The former golden boot winner of the Indian Super League was probably the only hope for Hyderabad to win the game today. He started the game brilliantly weaving past the NorthEast United defence as if they didn't even exist, but Subhasis Roy Choudhury saved his shot. If the fans and pundits thought that his heroics early in the first half was the trailer for what was to come today from Marcelinho, then they couldn't have been more wrong.
In the first 15 minutes of the game, Marcelinho was superb, and it looked like the Brazilian was hungry for goals. But, as the match progressed, he found himself more and more isolated as he failed to make a mark in the game. It was challenging even to find Marcelinho in the second half as he hardly got a touch of the ball and faded progressively as the game progressed.
#2 Hit- Subhasish Roy Choudhury
A few months back the future looked bleak for Subhasish Roy Choudhury who had played just three games for Jamshedpur FC last season and didn't sign a new contract with the Red Miners of Jamshedpur.
When NorthEast United came calling Subhasish agreed readily to play for the Highlanders as it guaranteed him one thing, the thing that he was in desperate need of - regular game time as a first-choice goalkeeper. A lot of people had doubts as to whether the keeper from Kolkata still had his 'A' game in his locker.
Four games into the season and it can be said that Subhasish has established himself as the number one keeper for NorthEast United this season and the shot-stopper has made vital saves for his side in each of their four games this season.
Today he made a world-class save from close range to deny Marcelinho in the early stages of the game.
NorthEast United need to thank Subhasish for helping them secure three points today. In the second half after Mislav was substituted, he managed to lead the likes of Wayne Vaz, Rakesh Pradhan, Reagan Singh with conviction along with Kai Heerings. His shot-stopping abilities have been praised by all this season.
Overall, his presence under the bar has been a massive boost for Robert Jarni's team.
#1 Flop- Asamoah Gyan
Asamoah Gyan needs no introduction in the world of football. He is the most significant player in the Indian Super League this season and is easily one of the biggest stars to ever come to India. Gyan already has two goals to his name this season in the but he failed to make an impression today despite his side 1-0 victory away from home.
To make matters worse, the Ghanaian international was hardly involved in the game and was withdrawn prematurely with a suspected injury. Gyan completed only three passes today during his time on the pitch with a pass success rate of a meagre 38%. He just had 14 touches of the ball and failed to impose himself on the game.
Had Gyan lasted for the entirety of the game, it could have been a different story but the fact remains that the former Sunderland man produced a poor performance for his side despite showing promise in his first two games in the ISL.
