ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata 1-1 FC Goa - 5 talking points
Atletico de Kolkata hosted FC Goa in the ISL 2016 tonight and it seemed like it might be an easy one for the home team. Goa was yet to put points on the board and Kolkata stood the chance of going on top of the table but the game ended on quite a different note. Sameehg Doutie’s spectacular volley in the opening minutes of the match gave ATK the lead but they lost out on all three points after Goa’s Jofre converted a penalty for his team.
Kolkata captain Borja Fernandez was his team’s worst enemy when he handled the ball inside his own box and gave Goa the chance to draw level with their opponents. Despite ATK’s numerous chances, Goa goalkeeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury was resolute in front of his goal. Eight yellow cards and two red cards made tonight’s fixture an interesting one to watch.
Here are five talking points from the game:
1. Abhinas Ruidas – Discovery of the match
21-year-old local boy Abhinas Ruidas was the discovery of the night. Making his debut for Atletico de Kolkata, the youngster impressed right through the night till he was sacrificed to bring on Bikramjit Singh after Pearson’s sending off. Ruidas exuded confidence and created havoc for Goa defenders along the left flank. He gave a spirited performance in front of home supporters and Molina should consider playing him more often.
His performance was relatively mistake-free and the string of step-overs in the first half would have even made Cristiano Ronaldo proud. Definitely one to look out for in the future, Ruidas was awarded the ‘Emerging Player’ award for the game.