ISL 2017, Match 37: ATK vs FC Goa, Player Ratings
ATK hosted FC Goa at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in a match that kicked off at 10:45 pm IST, almost three hours past the scheduled kick-off time. The FC Goa team faced unavoidable difficulties in reaching Kolkata on time and then their kits got late to the stadium.
Before the start of the game, ATK was perched at the seventh spot in the ISL standings with eight points from their six matches. FC Goa were two spots above them in the fifth with a tally of 12 points from their six games.
The game kicked off with a bang as Robbie Keane scored early from a Ryan Taylor free-kick to head the home side ahead. Corominas equalized for the visitors in the twenty-fourth minute amidst a bit of controversy. The second was a gritty affair as both sides had their fair share of chances but the keepers Kattimani and Majumder put in a solid shift to keep it all square on the night.
ATK
Debjit Majumder (8) - The ATK custodian was at his very best as he fended off the famed FC Goa attack with his quick reflexes and shot stopping ability. Majumder made a lot of crucial saves and was the major reason for keeping Goa quiet.
Prabir Das (5) - Prabir Das was extremely lucky to stay on the pitch after a tumultuous first half. Das was on a yellow card and tackled Fernandes in the box but the ref ruled it a free-kick and did not send him off. The right-back was substituted at the half-time break by Teddy Sheringham.
Anwar Ali (4) - Center-back Anwar Ali was unfortunate tonight as he suffered an injury early on in the match and was replaced by Ashutosh Mehta in the 16th minute of the match.
Tom Thorpe (6.5) - The Manchester United youth product was his usual calm self at the helm of the ATK defence as he dealt with the threat of Coro and Lanzarote.The Englishman was a threat during setpieces as well.
Keegan Perreira (6.5) - The left-back for the home side was relatively quiet as he was handed the task of marking the major playmaker for the Goan side, Manuel Lanzarote. Perreira was stable in defence and nullified the threat from Lanzarote.
Conor Thomas (6.5) - Thomas played the role of a pivot between the attack and defence and was involved in breaking up the Goan attacks. He combined well with the midfielders to kick-start ATK attacks from the back.
Ryan Taylor (7.5) - The former Newcastle United man provided the assist with a free-kick for the early ATK goal that was headed in by Robbie Keane. He played as the right-back in the second half after Prabir Das' substitution.
Hitesh Sharma (6.5) - The young midfielder plied his trade through the centre as he kept looking for Keane's runs with his through balls and awareness.
Zequinha (7) - The Portuguese midfielder was constantly active on the left wing and was a source of many attacks for the home side. He also fell back whenever it was needed defensively and provided good service to ATK tonight.
Jayesh Rane (7) - The former Mumbai FC and Aizawl man was highly industrial on the night as he kept falling back and finding Prabir Das on the run as well as providing crucial passes to the attackers ahead.
Robbie Keane (8.5) - The marquee Irishman was the major star on the pitch for ATK as he gave the home side an early lead. He was constantly a threat to the Goa defence with his runs through the middle and was involved in almost all ATK attacks.
Substitutes:
Ashutosh Mehta (6.5) - Mehta came on for the injured Anwar Ali in the 16th minute was slotted into a centre-back role, different from his usual right-back position. Despite having to deal with the Goa attacking threat, Mehta did well alongside Tom Thorpe.
Rupert Nongrum (5.5) - The Northeast man replaced Prabir Das at halftime and was slotted into the midfield. He did not quite get going after coming on mid-way into the match.
Njazi Kuqi (4.5) - The Finnish striker was put on by Teddy Sheringham for the final ten minutes but did not have any shots on the goal.