Mumbai City FC 1-1 Hyderabad FC: Player ratings for the Nawabs as they bag their first point of the season
Hyderabad FC managed to nick their first point of the season in their fourth ISL match by drawing 1-1 against Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday.
In a game that was marked by two own goals from each side, the Nawabs managed to take two points away from the Islanders. This was owing to an own goal by the latter's centre-half Tiri in the 76th minute, which was caused by a massive deflection from a Joe Knowles shot.
It was in the sixth minute of stoppage time in the second half that Hyderabad managed to equalise the Manoj Mohammed own goal that had given Mumbai City the lead.
All in all, Hyderabad were defensively solid and rarely made errors on that front. The trio of Nikhil Poojary, Chinglensana Singh, and Oswaldo Alanis gave it their all, but Hyderabad's woes in the attacking third continued.
The Nawabs would have expected themselves to be more dominant in possession given that the Islanders were down to 10 men in the sixth minute itself. A rash tackle by goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa on a rampant Joe Knowles outside the box resulted in the referee sending the former off without a moment's hesitation.
The Yellow and Blacks failed to take advantage of the numerical superiority they had over the Islanders. But given the way their season had begun, they will be pleased with the point that they now have in their bag.
Player ratings for Hyderabad FC vs Mumbai City FC
In this listicle, we bring you the player ratings of Hyderabad FC in their clash against Mumbai City:
Gurmeet Singh (7/10)
Shot-stopper Gurmeet Singh seemed composed under pressure and rarely gave any freebies away. His distribution seemed to be without much fuss, as was his ability to handle the ball when the heat was on.
Vignesh Dakshinamurthy (7.5/10)
Although Vignesh Dakshinamurthy picked up a yellow for a rather needless challenge in the first half, he seemed to be calm. Vignesh also managed to contain Lallianzuala Chhangte rather comfortably.
Oswaldo Alanis (8/10)
New signing Oswaldo Alanis, who brings a wealth of experience with him to the club, showcased for the first time why he is so highly rated. His ability to map out crosses and mark his men tightly made him stand out.
Chinglensana Singh (8/10)
Chinglensana Singh, who has stood like a rock for Hyderabad FC since time immemorial, put in another solid defensive shift. He complimented Alanis and made the right centre-back's position his own.
Nikhil Poojary (8.5/10)
Nikhil Poojary, who is on his way towards becoming one of the finest right-backs in the country, showcased why exactly he is so highly rated. His ability to play through balls remains unsurpassed.
Sahil Tavora (7.5/10)
Sahil Tavora seemed to be doing most of the dirty work for Hyderabad in the centre of the park and also created transitions whenever the need arose.
Joao Victor (8/10)
Joao Victor was the pivot around whom the entire Hyderabad defense and midfield revolved. Without him, there would have been no interception of passes or recycling the ball into more creative positions.
Petteri Pennanen (8.5/10)
Petteri Pennanen was by far the best Hyderabad player on display today. His work rate is the stuff of legends and how often he moves out of position to accommodate the other midfielders is a testament to his technical skills.
Joe Knowles (7.5/10)
A lot was expected of Joe Knowles, who is, quite ironically, yet to score his first goal for Hyderabad. Although he took on Rahul Bheke, the finished product was lacking on many occasions.
He was also responsible for taking the shot, which ended up in the goal owing to a Tiri deflection. In a way, Knowles was responsible for bagging a point for the Yellow and Blacks today.
Aaren D'Silva (6.5/10)
Aaren D'Silva's disappointing run in front of goal continued unabated. Although he was set up on quite a few occasions, he failed to make them count. Perhaps his biggest miss was in the 45th minute when his attempted header sailed way past the goalposts. A player of his class was expected to at least hit the target.
Mohammad Yasir (7/10)
Mohammad Yasir seemed to find some of his mojo back in this game. He managed to find a few through balls and bring the others into play at times as well. Yasir's movements off the ball were appreciated by his team.
SUBSTITUTES:
Manoj Mohammed (7.5/10)
Manoj Mohammed, who came on at half-time as a like-for-like replacement for Vignesh, who had picked up a yellow, rarely seemed out of place. His composure on the ball was noteworthy. The own goal he conceded was rather unfortunate as he could not quite sort his feet out in time.
Jonathan Moya (7.5/10)
Star striker Jonathan Moya, who was signed by Hyderabad this season, came on only in the second half owing to his lack of match fitness. His ability to win balls came in handy, although he did not quite shine in front of goal.
Felipe Amorim (5/10)
A lot is always expected of Felipe Amorim when he comes on, and this time he did win quite a few balls. However, he was made to feel a lot physically inferior by Mehtab Singh on quite a few occasions. Felipe's form is a cause of concern for Hyderabad.
Mark Zothanpuia (NA)
Rarely did Mark Zothanpuia get a taste of the ball, although he did not seem to be out of place when put under pressure, with or without it.