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Hyderabad FC rounded off an indifferent showing by losing their second game on the trot in the ISL, going down to Jamshedpur FC 1-0 at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Thursday.
The Nawabs looked ordinary in the attacking department, with the possible exception of Joe Knowles, who did his best to get his side forward but was thwarted by the able Jamshedpur FC defence.
The Men of Steel broke the deadlock in the 77th minute when new Japanese signing Rei Tachikawa scored from a free kick right at the edge of the box. It marked the second occasion in a row when Hyderabad FC conceded the winning goal from such a position, with East Bengal's Cleiton Silva doing the same on Saturday.
Hyderabad FC made a lot of questionable decisions today, allowing their struggling stars Mohammad Yasir and Felipe Amorim to play on for far too long and not letting them be substituted.
The Nawabs also missed the physical presence of an out-and-out striker, with new signing Jonathan Moya nursing an injury. Young Aaren D'Silva, who played in that position on Thursday, looked like a shadow of his usual self.
The Yellow and Blacks' formation seemed confusing too, with them beginning with 4-4-2 and then shifting to 4-4-3 and later on ending up 4-3-2-1. Joe Knowles and Felipe Amorim were first asked to play as the left and right midfielders, respectively, as Mohammad Yasir and Aaren D'Silva played as the two forwards.
None of the formations worked for Hyderabad FC as the scoreline suggests. There were virtually no crosses into the box as they tried to play everything through the middle. Unfortunately for them, they just did not have the sort of creativity to unlock the tight defence of the Red Miners.
Hyderabad go into the international break with no points to their name in the ISL as they prepare to take on southern rivals Chennaiyin FC at the Maidaan in Gachibowli on 23 October.
Player ratings for Hyderabad FC
Gurmeet Singh - 7/10
Gurmeet Singh remained calm and composed as ever, and his handling was top-notch as well.
What works extremely well in Gurmeet's favour is that he is able to communicate with his defenders and let them in on his plans to either sweep or play long balls.
Vignesh Dakshinamurthy - 7.5/10
Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, who was brought on as a substitute in the previous game against East Bengal, offered a breath of fresh air to Hyderabad by starting in the side.
His pace, accuracy and guile, are exactly what the Nawabs were looking for after Akash Mishra's departure.
Chinglensana Singh - 8/10
India international Chinglensana Singh, coming back from national duty in the Asian Games, impressed all and sundry with his positioning.
His man-marking and maturity showed up as and when needed and he also pressed forward to give his side some attacking impetus.
Nim Dorjee Tamang - 9/10
Nim Dorjee Tamang put in a stellar showing on Thursday and stood tall like a rock in the heart of the Nawabs' defence. He picked up a yellow card in the second half due to no fault of his own but remained steadfast marking his men till the very end.
He stood up for Hyderabad when they really needed him. Unfortunately, it was from the free kick resulting from the said yellow card incident that Jamshedpur scored.
Nikhil Poojary - 7/10
Nikhil Poojary's desire to fight for second and third balls was noteworthy today. The India international continues to show why he is so highly rated by everyone.
Poojary's attacking runs down the flanks were the key when Hyderabad were attacking, albeit unsuccessfully.
Petteri Pennanen - 8/10
Petteri Pennanen picked up from where he left off against East Bengal on Saturday. The shift he put in and the times he recycled the ball for the Nawabs were incredible today.
The Finnish international played like a seasoned pro and guided Hyderabad in central midfield.
Joao Victor - 7/10
Skipper Joao Victor remains the magician that he always was. His touch on the ball was so silky today that Jamshedpur were left in awe of his presence.
Victor marshalled Hyderabad FC well and shielded the defence from wanton attacks.
Joe Knowles - 8.5/10
By far the best Hyderabad FC attacker on display, Joe Knowles was forceful with the ball at his feet and constantly challenged the Jamshedpur defence. He was responsible for all the Hyderabad attempts on goal in the first half.
Knowles' physical presence works wonders for him; the Nawabs should think of playing him as a center forward. Some of the chances he missed will irk him nonetheless.
Felipe Amorim - 3/10
Felipe Amorim did not seem to be at his best today, as his passing testified. His first touches were extremely ordinary even as he was marked closely by the Jamshedpur centre-backs.
Amorim could barely get a shot on goal or a pass towards a more creative player. He struggled immensely and could not quite match up physically.
Mohammad Yasir - 4/10
Mohammad Yasir seemed to be rather wasteful with possession and extremely ordinary with his passing today. He started on the left wing but then moved on towards the right, which gave him some more time to weave his magic on Jamshedpur FC.
Apart from putting in a shift defensively, Yasir will not be proud of his performance today. He was kept on the pitch for far too long and should have been substituted early on in the second half.
Aaren D'Silva - 3/10
Aaren D'Silva hardly got a whiff of the ball in either half of the game. His strong physical presence was the reason he was played as the sole striker but he rarely managed to outsmart his markers in the Jamshedpur box today.
D'Silva was marked closely but could barely string two passes together.
SUBSTITUTES:
Abdul Rabeeh - 7/10
Abdul Rabeeh added a touch of pace to the Hyderabad FC's frontline but he had far too few minutes to work with. Had he been given an opportunity early on in the second half to relieve the struggling Yasir, the Nawabs' fortunes might have been different.
Oswaldo Alanis - NA
Oswaldo Alanis was brought on to replace Chinglensana Singh in the dying stages of the game, and one might as well ask why. There can be no plausible reason to bring a central defender on when you are one goal down.
Makan Chothe - NA
Makan Chothe was brought on to play on the left wing but got far too less touches to make any impact. Had he been brought on earlier, things might have been different. As things stand, he did not have a debut to remember.
Hitesh Sharma - NA
One can only wonder what sort of a message it sends last game's goalscorer Hitesh Sharma to be sitting on the bench for the majority of the match and coming on in stoppage time. The management has some tough questions to answer for the 25-year-old who by no means deserved this harsh treatment.
