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Adrian Mutu scored with a spectacular volley in the dying minutes of injury time to help FC Pune City snatch a point from FC Goa to finish the match 2-2. It was a match worthy of a ‘Super Sunday’ as the teams cancelled each other out in an intense encounter.Rafael Coelho and Jonatan Lucca got on the scoresheet for the visiting FC Goa side while Eugeneson Lyngdoh was the other scorer for FC Pune City.FC Goa moved to the top of the ISL standings over Delhi Dynamos tied on points but ahead on goal difference.Here are the talking points of the match
#1 Zokora provides a sense of balance in this Pune team
Didier Zakora produced a piece of magic to give Pune the lead. He drove through the heart of Goas defense from his own half and squared it off for Eugeneson Lyngdoh who only had to place the ball into the net from three yards out. His teammates must really relish playing alongside the experienced Ivorian.
Its rare when a holding midfielder runs 45 yards with such speed. The thirty-four-year-old exhibited why he is vital to his teams chances of winning silverware this season. Every team requires a reference point in order to transition from defense to attack.
Didier Zokora has taken this role upon him and has performed at a high level of efficiency throughout the tournament. His passing accuracy stands at an impressive 86%.
#2 Nicky Shorey- The crafty full back who is Platt\'s go to man in defense
In a period where every fan craves for attacking and beautiful football, the Brit shows us why old school defending is a lost art. Nicky Shorey lacks pace, style and everything you might look for in a fullback nowadays. But he does the most important job of a fullback with precision- defending.
While he isnt afraid to probe forward whenever given the opportunity, Nicholas has amazing positional skills and teams rarely target the left-hand side of Punes defense which is mainly down to the left back. Shoreys crossing abilities are among the best in the league and his floaters from the left wing more often than not cause a problem for the opposing centre backs in the box.
He already has 3 assists to his name.
#3 Rafael Coelho is the dynamic striker Zico can trust
The Brazilian looks sharp and his sudden change in speed caught the Pune defenders off guard multiple times tonight. The 27-year-old who plied his trade in China last year is a welcome addition to Zico’s squad after Victor Simoes de Oliveira could no longer continue in the tournament. Rafael has those typical skills that you look for in a striker. He can play off the defenders shoulder as well as adopt positions in midfield.
His dribbling skills ensure that he can drop deep and play as creator too whenever the final third is packed. More importantly the former Guangzhou striker is ambidextrous and is adept with both his feet. A trait very few players posses in this seasons ISL. He got lucky tonight with his goal but he deserved it for his performance over the 90 minutes.
#4 Teams playing more on the attack as a semi final spot beckons
One look at the ISL points table and you will realize how clustered the teams are. After todays match, only five points separate position 1 and 7. As we enter the business end of the competition, teams realize that a couple of wins will get them over the line for a semi-final spot.
Pundit, Ashley Westwood talked about how he thinks 17 (points) is the magic number teams will look to target if they are to ensure themselves of a final four spot. More importantly coaches can rest their important players once they bag that elusive place in the semi-finals.
Today we witnessed a thoroughly exciting match between two well-drilled teams who played some end to end football. Both Zico and Platt knew they had to go for a win to give them some breathing space.
#5 Adrian Mutu proves why he still has it in him
Pune Coach, David Platt gave Mutu just his second start of the season. The Romanian who replaced Tuncay in the starting eleven tonight proved to be a genius inclusion by the management. While he got himself in dangerous positions, he couldn’t really make an impact as a forward in the first half. Lúcio and Gregory did well to snuff out any chances that he tried to create.
The former Chelsea man played more of a supplier role and did create some opportunities for his teammates who couldn’t find an end product up until the final minute of the match. Pune played a 4-3-3 tonight which gave Mutu the freedom to sit in the box and he made the most of that liberty. As full time approached, his sublime left-footed volley helped Pune find the equalizer in the 94th minute.
