Kolkata: Atlético de Kolkata handed Delhi Dynamos FC their first loss of Hero Indian Super League 20016 after a 1-0 win at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. Delhi’s Marcelinho missed a penalty 15 minutes from time after Henrique Sereno conceded a spot-kick and was sent off for a foul on Richard Gadze. Kolkata went straight up the other end after the Lions’ miss and won a penalty through Sameehg Doutie. Iain Hume made no mistake as he netted the winner from the spot and became the highest scorer in the history of the league.
Atletico de Kolkata has a truly enviable home record in the history of Hero Indian Super League. Therefore, when it hosted the Delhi Dynamos – the only other side not to have lost a single match yet in the 2016 edition of the Hero ISL – at its home turf on a sultry Saturday evening here in the city of joy the stakes were quite high.
Even though the inaugural champions had to field a team without their explosive Portuguese center-forward and marquee player, Helder Postiga, the Delhi Dynamos Head Coach, Gianluca Zambrotta was very much aware of the home side’s strength in their own backyard.
“Atletico de Kolkata has a very good squad. Although their forwards aren’t performing as expected of them, we are not taking them very lightly. We have a very difficult match ahead tomorrow but we will have our chances – that is for sure,” Zambrotta told the press at the pre-match press conference here on Friday. Maybe, that’s the reason that the former Italian World Cupper decided to opt for a reasonably high defensive line on the much awaited match-day.
The first half of the match was a bit of anti-climax as the only two unbeaten sides of the 2016 Hero ISL struggled to get a grip on the match. Although, both – Atletico de Kolkata and Delhi Dynamos continued to struggle for possession throughout the length of the first half, the one glitter of hope for ATK Head Coach, Jose Molina would be Iain Hume’s flicker of brilliance every now and then.
Even though Delhi Dynamos was playing an impressive brand of pressing football, Atletico de Kolkata’s Canadian forward managed to squeeze in a couple of spectacular through balls in the initial phase of the match.
Sameehg Doutie was once again the crème de la crème of the Atletico de Kolkata footballers. The 27-year-old South African made sure that the Delhi Dynamos footballers were on the feet courtesy his brilliant run-ins along the right flank and impressively set up crosses.
Atletico de Kolkata’s defensive efforts were thoroughly tested on Saturday as Gianluca Zambrotta’s boys launched a string of attacks midway into the first half. Prabir Das’ impressive goal-line save in the 23rd minute of the match followed by an awe-inspiring effort to ward off a host of Delhi Dynamos shots made sure the first half of the match ended goalless.
The second half of the match was – initially – no different than the first with Atletico de Kolkata trying to exploit the right-hand flank of the pitch with Sameehg Doutie in the thick of actions. Delhi Dynamos, also, had their fair share of attacking chances in the second half with the best of the lot coming in the 75th minute of the match.
Delhi Dynamos’ Brazilian center-forward, Marcelo Leite Pereira shot a penalty kick way over the post bar after ATK’s Henrique Fonseca Sereno was shown the second yellow card of the match. An ecstatic Rabindra Sarobar Stadium soon witnessed an immediate turn of fortunes in favour of the home side within a couple of minutes of the referee’s first decision.
Iain Hume calmly tucked a ball into the nets after his fellow teammate, Sameehg Doutie was tripped over by Lalchhawnkima inside the penalty box.
The team from the National Capital Region failed to capitalize on its numerical advantage for the last fifteen minutes of the match as Jose Molina’s men remained the only side yet to be beaten in the 2016 edition of the Hero Indian Super League.