NorthEast United FC 1-3 Army Green FT: Highlanders' player ratings | 2022 Durand Cup
NorthEast United FC suffered another humiliating 1-3 defeat against Army Green on Sunday at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday (August 21). The Highlanders came into the game after allowing half a dozen goals against Odisha FC in their previous fixture.
The game unfolded as a scrappy affair, however, the Armymen opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes. Lalawmkima put Army Green ahead against the ISL side after goalkeeper Nikhil Deka failed to time his rush out from the goal.
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞!
A fantastic performance by Army Green earns them their first victory of the competition. Thanks for joining us. Stay tuned for the next game at 6pm!
#AGreen 3-1 @NEUtdFC
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Somesh Kothari added a second in the 24th minute after the initial shot was saved. Army Green were carving open the Highlanders' defense at will. Ten minutes after half-time, Lalawmkima struck again, giving Army Green an unassailable lead.
In the dying moments of the game, Dipu Mirdha, NEUFC's standout performer, bagged a consolation goal to give the Highlanders faithful something to cheer about.
On that note, here are the player ratings for NorthEast United FC's second Durand Cup game.
NorthEast United FC Player Ratings
#1 Nikhil Deka (GK) [4.5]: The 19-year-old keeper had an outing to forget for the most part. Nikhil's unsure footing cost the Highlanders their first goal.
#2 Bishnu Rabha [4.5]: The young defender was caught out of position multiple times and failed to cope with the physical play of Army Green.
#3 Sampow Rongmei [5.0]: Quite like Bishnu, Sampow was also caught napping in multiple instances. However, he stepped in with a few solid tackles to keep the scoreline still in control.
#4 Bimol Singh [4.5]: He particularly looked off the mark in most instances and was overwhelmed by the middle press from the Armymen. His passing, too, was below par.
#5 Chiranjeet Gogoi [5.5]: Gogoi couldn't help NorthEast United FC in transition and ultimately suffered against the opposition's high press.
#6 Denis Bodo [5.0]: Bodo couldn't deal with Army Green FT's overload in midfield in the first half and his passing suffered amid the press.
#7 Basanta Boro [5.5]: Gautam and Somesh Kothari overwhelmed Basanta throughout the game and he gave away possession on multiple occasions.
A valiant effort from the boys!
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#8 Muktasana Sharma [5.0]: Looked mostly off color and blunt in the NEUFC attacking department.
#9 Madhujya Bora [5.0]: Bora was mostly anonymous throughout the game.
#10 Dipu Mirdha [7.5]: Mirdha ran like an absolute machine throughout the game. He was the brightest spark in the NorthEast United FC side. He stuck to the team's pressing plan and scored the consolation goal in the end.
#11 Alfred Lalruotsang [6.5]: Lalruotsang was the creative force who partnered Dipu to some extent and gave the Highlanders an attacking outlet. Alfred assisted NEUFC's last goal and looked to take the opposition players on when possible.