Durand Cup 2022: All-Indian ATK Mohun Bagan triumphs over the Indian Navy FT
After beating Emami East Bengal FC in the Kolkata derby, ATK Mohun Bagan took on the Indian Navy FT at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in Durand Cup 2022. Surprisingly, Juan Ferrando fielded an all-Indian side in their final group game with their hopes of earning a place in the knockout rounds still alive. His call was vinidcated as the Mariners ran out 2-0 winners.
The match started with the Mariners dominating possession, while Abhilash Nair's side sat back, waiting patiently to hit on the counter. Ferrando's side slowly progressed the ball and moved it from one side to another in the hopes of unlocking the opposition defense.
Lenny Rodrigues and Lalrinliana Hnamte controlled affairs in the middle of the pitch with Deepak Tangri deployed as a right centre-back.
ATK Mohun Bagan's possession-based game made it difficult for the Indian Navy FT to intercept the ball. Consequently, there was very little that Nair's side could do. In the 18th minute, the Mariners managed to find space beyond their opposition's defensive line and Lenny combined with the attackers before finishing the move with a goal.
The Green and Maroon brigade doubled their lead before the 30th minute. A vertical pass was made in Kiyan Nassiri's direction after a teammate spotted his run.
Nassiri brought the ball down and finished the move with a strike to the goalkeeper's left. ATK Mohun Bagan's all-Indian side shad moved into a comfortable two-goal lead before half-time.
The game returned to a familiar pattern after the break, with Ferrando's side keeping hold of the ball and switching lanes. Manvir Singh almost added a third but the forward lost control near the goal as he tried to cut inside.
ATK Mohun Bagan control tempo against Indian Navy FT
The Mariners' head coach Juan Ferrando was under a lot of criticism after his side fell to I-League side Rajasthan United FC in their opening game of the tournament. The talks continued even after the side managed to edge past Emami East Bengal FC.
The noise surrounding ATK Mohun Bagan's lack of goals was due to the absence of a proper central forward. However, the picture was different in their game against Nair's side. Not only did the Green and Maroon brigade dominate possession, they also managed to bag two early goals.
In the second half, the Mariners looked slightly defensive but sat back in comfortable fashion. Arsh Anwar Shaikh was introduced in place of Vishal Kaith to give the young custodian some playing time.
Shaikh made a promising close-range save midway through the second half and kept his side's clean sheet intact.
A win along with a clean sheet gives the Kolkata giants a better chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
Their fate now rests upon the Indian Navy FT's next match against Rajasthan United FC. Meanwhile, fielding an all-Indian side was a nice way to test the Indian contingent before the Mariners take on Kuala Lumpur City FC in the AFC Cup inter-zonal semi-final.