A solitary goal by winger Diego Carlos settled the tie between Mumbai City and NorthEast United at the Mumbai Football Arena in the Indian Super League. That win ensures the Islanders have made it to the top four of the ISL table with three games to play.
Here is a look at the main talking points of this tantalizing Indian Super League clash.
Coy Carlos capitalizes
Brazilian winger Diego Carlos was a handful for the NorthEast United defence in this age, and his trickery and movement caused all sorts of problems. He has had a slow start to the ISL season, registering just one assist thus far in the competition. The winger though turned a new leaf in the game against NorthEast, as he created a bulk of chances and constantly found himself in goal scoring positions.
A minute before the half-time interval, the 31-year-old picked up the ball inside the penalty box and tricked his way past a couple of defenders before unleashing a low shot through a crowd of players that nestled into the bottom right corner to give Mumbai City all three points. Apart from the goal too, Carlos remained a constant nuisance for the opposition, earning fouls on multiple occasions and always keeping the defender occupied.
Dogged defending
NorthEast United came into the game off the back of three consecutive defeats, and Mumbai City further compounded their misery as they claimed the game 1-0. What was commendable about this win however was the dogged defending of the Mumbai City players. The NorthEast United players had more than 50% possession of the ball, but they could only manage a solitary shot on target.
The credit for that needs to go to Mumbai City’s defenders. The likes of Subashish Bose, Mohammed Rafique and Mato Grgic was disciplined in their defensive line-ups and tackled efficiently whenever the back line was threatened to ensure that Mumbai City got their third win on their home turf.
The opposition however identified one possible achilles heel for this Mumbai defence, as the NorthEast United forwards had chances to score of two set plays, but the headers didn’t test Amrinder Singh. Heading into their next clash, Jorge Costa would look to improve of his defensive players’ aerial prowess.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter/ @IndSuperLeague
