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Aaren D'Silva, who had an ordinary start to the Durand Cup 2023, managed to redeem himself with the hat-trick he picked up against Tribhuvan Army on 22 August, Tuesday.
The Yellow and Black Brigade also kept a clean sheet and managed to win their first game of the tournament after having drawn with Delhi FC and lost to Chennaiyin FC 3-1.
D'Silva's first goal was a brilliant header he hit into the ground after being sent a cross by Hyderabad FC's starlet Ramhlunchhunga in the 16th minute. His second was a beautiful through ball set up by Mohammad Yasir, who pierced a couple of Tribhuvan defenders on his path in the 24th minute of the game.
The Nawabs were well and truly on their way towards a certain victory when D'Silva sealed the deal for them in the 69th minute. He held a Tribhuvan defender with his left foot and fired the goal in with his right. Yasir provided the assist yet again.
It was a display of complete control and composure by D'Silva and his manager Thangboi Singto will be extremely pleased with this showing. New first-team coach Conor Nestor will feel extremely confident with D'Silva owing to his ability to play as a single striker and not be overawed by any situation.
This performance of D'Silva is rather special given how ordinary he had been in the first two matches that Hyderabad FC had played in the Durand Cup. He had been set up on a lot of occasions in those games, but just could not find the back of the net.
The Nawabs flew back to Hyderabad after the 3-1 loss they suffered to Chennaiyin FC on 10 August and had about six high-intensity training sessions at their facility in Aziz Nagar.
Those sessions seemed to have helped the Yellow and Black Brigade immensely, as not just D'Silva, but the entire team seemed to be more in cohesive against Tribhuvan Army.
The midfield engine comprising of Mark Zothanpuia, Sahil Tavora, and Hitesh Sharma seemed to be playing nicely. As was the defensive quartet of Manoj Mohammed, Lal Danmawia, Nim Dorjee Tamang, and skipper Chinglensana Singh. However, it was D'Silva who overshadowed everyone else on the pitch.
Also read: All is not lost for Hyderabad FC
Aaren D'Silva will play a big role for Hyderabad FC in the ISL this season
Hit with a transfer registration ban, Hyderabad FC do not have a lot of top-flight players in their squad at the moment. D'Silva can make good use of this opportunity and establish himself in the starting lineup.
He made 14 appearances in the ISL last season, mostly coming off the bench. The 25-year-old did not get a lot of minutes under his belt. But he managed to get his first goal in the tournament after scoring against East Bengal in the dying stages of the match at the Salt Lake Stadium on 20 January.
D'Silva will play a major role for the Nawabs this season by supporting the likes of Jonathan Moya and Joe Knowles in the forward line. And if the worst comes to pass - if the transfer ban is still in place come the ISL- he might have to play as the sole striker. He has the ability to do so, although not necessarily the experience.
D'Silva is a tall striker who can also act as a target man for Hyderabad in the forthcoming season. He can be a good recipient of crosses and his big frame allows him to get on top of balls ahead of the opposition defenders.
D'Silva is a good header of the ball as well, and this endears him tremendously to the supporters of the club at the Maidaan in Gachibowli.
The Goan has become famous for his hold-up play and for interlinking with the other attackers, most notably with Mohammad Yasir and Ramhlunchhunga in the ongoing Durand Cup. D'Silva can use both his feet well for passing the ball and this holds him in good stead whenever put under challenging circumstances.
The only way defenders can get past him is by outnumbering him when his feet have not quite warmed up. D'Silva's lack of pace often worries the coaches at Hyderabad FC and this is one aspect that he can work on in training ahead of the start of the ISL.
He is a fearsome striker who has a relentless hunger for goals and who cannot be kept quiet for long periods of time. Although he had a quiet start to the Durand Cup, he made up for it with a brilliant hat-trick against Tribhuvan Army.
If this performance is anything to go by, D'Silva will have a cracker of a season in the ISL, which is expected to start in late September.
