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When Kerala Blasters FC took to the pitch at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Thursday, very few would've expected them to come out of the crucial tie against Mumbai City FC with a dominant 3-1 win. But they did and in some style. Although the Islanders were initially on the front foot, Ivan Vukomanovic's men soon grabbed the game by its neck.
Football is a funny game sometimes. You can put your heart and soul into preparing for the game, chalking out all possible tactics, and fielding all the finest of talents. Yet, you fall short. Why?
For all the gentrification of football, the game, at its core, is about the raw and crude hunger to taste victory and rub it in the face of your opposition. It's always been about it.
Kerala Blasters FC's relentless pressure from the get-go
Before we shift our focus to the first goal of the game in the 19th minute of the game, it's pivotal to how Mumbai City FC tactically approached the game.
With their midfield-general Ahmed Jahouh still recovering from a knock, the Islanders opted to play Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia) as a lone Number 6 in the middle of the park. Alongside Apuia, Des Buckingham deployed Cassio Gabriel in an oscillating role of Number 6 and Number 8.
The Islanders were able to progress the ball well in quick counters with two smooth ball-carriers in Brad Inman and Gabriel. However, if teams were able to catch them in transition, there was a heavy possibility of isolating Apuia and outplaying the Mumbai midfield. Ivan Vukomanovic focused precisely on that - conquering the MCFC midfield.
Under Buckingham, the Islanders have often tried to play out from the back. Having Jahouh's passing ability from deep had allowed them in earlier games to peng in diagonal long balls to their wingers. Albeit excessively talented, Apuia doesn't possess the same passing range as Jahouh.
After an initial burst from Mumbai, the KBFC gaffer urged his players to press from the front. The same can be seen in the picture above. In this instance, MCFC were trying to build out from the back. The Yellow Tuskers players are pressuring over possible passing options that Mandar Rao Desai (on the ball) has.
The second image reinforces the same idea of KBFC's high press. It's also important to note how the players have positioned themselves. While the furthest player forward is cutting down the simplest sideways passing channel, he's also keeping a check on the two centre-backs incase the man on the ball decides to opt for a back pass.
Here's one final instance of Kerala Blasters FC's intense man-on-man pressing. The idea and the execution is exactly as we discussed earlier. The impact? Destruction of Mumbai City FC's smooth transition play.
Sahal Abdul Samad's silky skills and the follies of the Mumbai City FC defense
Now that Kerala Blasters FC's high-pressing system has somewhat unraveled, at least on the surface, let's move to Sahal Abdul Samad. Man of the moment.
The above screengrab was taken just moments before Samad set off on his glorious run. Let's follow up on the events leading up to the situation. Rahul Bheke came in with a headed clearance from the right flank. Cassio Gabriel tried to bring the looping ball down some distance outside the MCFC box.
However, the pressure from Kerala came into play instantly. Sahal closed down Gabriel, dispossessed the Brazilian, and won the ball, instantly making the Mumbai defense vulnerable.
Now, coming to the situation cited above, Mentab Singh was marking Alvaro Vazquez and Mourtada Fall was caught out of position. However, Mandar Rao Desai is the only defender with the option to close down Sahal.
However, Singh didn't avail the option and left Sahal acres of space (follow the arrow in the picture) to operate from. The KBFC midfielder glided past two defenders beautifully and set up a shot into the bottom left corner. While it would be an absolute injustice to deny Sahal's brilliance on the ball, KBFC's aggressive pressing structure played a pivotal role in the goal.
Cushioning the high press with an air-tight offside trap
High pressing is not a magical potion that suddenly makes teams indestructible. Going relentlessly up and down the pitch burns out players like everything else and also makes the defense vulnerable to swift counter-attacks.
How did Ivan Vukomanovic nullify those threats? With even more high-risk football. He played a high line and trusted his players to be disciplined and catch the Mumbai forwards offside.
Long diagonal balls to the wingers have been a crucial attacking outlet for Des Buckingham. Vukomanovic risked outwitting the English gaffer in his own game.
Mumbai City FC's furthest man forward, Igor Angulo, was caught offside on five separate occasions while Lallianzuala Chhangte was ahead of the defensive line twice.
Defense is truly about discipline and patience.
Kerala Blasters FC - Powered by the sheer will to win
As mentioned earlier, intense pressing or maintaining intricate defensive lines tends to burn out players rapidly. But Kerala Blasters FC never looked out of gas against Mumbai. Why? They had a burning hunger to take back what was truly theirs all along.
Before a COVID-19 outbreak in their camp, KBFC were cruising in the league. But the bio-bubble breach caused disruption in their season as they meandered away. Vukomanovic had one point sighed that he just wanted to get over with the league matches.
For a team to turn around from the lowest point and stamp their authority is a statement. A statement from Kerala Blasters FC and Ivan Vukomanovic's will-power and hunger to win.
