ISL 2018-19: Mumbai City FC 2-0 Delhi Dynamos, 5 talking points
After a humiliating defeat to FC Goa in their previous tie, Mumbai City FC heaved a sigh of relief with a 2-0 win over Delhi Dynamos in their Indian Super League match at the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday (October 28).
The win saw them move to the fifth spot on the points table temporarily with seven points from five games, while the Dynamos stay put at eighth with three points from their five fixtures so far. And it was no surprise to see the Mumbai head coach Jorge Costa in a happy mood as he addressed the post-match press conference. “It is not easy (to bounce back after a huge defeat) and the boys are not giving up. When you lose 3-0, 4-0 it’s not easy to have your mind in the right place. But we did not give up. We showed today that we have a lot of character,” he said lauding his side for the win.
Mumbai might have shown a lot of character and hunger in their win over the Dynamos, but the match was not without its drawbacks, and if it were a side who’s a little more clinical in front of goal than what the Dynamos forwards were on the evening, the story would have been very different. Here’s a look at five talking points from the game.
#5 Misfiring forwards
Yes, the match saw two goals, and the 3,500-off spectators inside the Mumbai Football Arena were more than thankful for that. But the manner in which the game panned out, it looked like one would age a few years before either side could find the back of the net.
It all started with the 21-year-old Dynamos winger Lallianzuala Chhangte lofting in a delightful ball into the Mumbai penalty area hoping for his forwards to get anything on the ball. But it was not to be the case as Mumbai’s Lucian Goian was the first to the ball. However, even his headed clearance couldn’t thwart the danger as the ball looped and set up nicely for Romeo Fernandes on the far side. But even then, the Goa-born couldn’t make the most of the opportunity as his first-time volley flew right over the crossbar.
To put things into perspective, there were a total of 23 shots taken today by both the sides, of which 10 were on target, but the number of goals scored — just two.