ISL 2015: Atletico de Kolkata top the table after a 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters
Atletico de Kolkata go to the top of the table with a 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters at home. Goals from Arata Izumi and Javi Lara handed the men in red and white with a crucial three points, as Kerala ended the match with 10 men on the pitch.
Egged on by a vociferous home crowd, defending champions Atletico made a flying start. Lara rattled the crossbar in the fourth minute with a ferocious right-footer, believed to be his weaker foot.
But the men in red and white weren't to be denied. A minute later Izumi provided them with an early lead. Borja Fernandez picked out Iain Hume with a lovely long pass, and the Canadian forward shifted the ball to his left, before firing a shot on target. Stephen Bywater managed to keep it out, but Izumi was in place to tuck in the rebound.
It was the Japan-born Indian midfielder's second goal in as many games. For a moment it appeared like the 33-year-old might sustained a bad knock while scoring the goal, but he returned after receiving treatment on the sidelines.
Blasters, though, did lose one of their players through an early injury, as center back Gurwinder Singh was replaced by Ramandeep Singh.
The visitors hardly got the ball as Atletico dominated possession. Hume was all over, and he drifted to the right wing in order to double up with Nadong Bhutia to put pressure on Blasters left back Saumik Dey.
Izumi continued to shine in the role of a playmaker, and in the 21st minute he set up Nadong Bhutia with a lovely back-heel. But the forward's finish didn't match the quality of the pass.
Such was Atletico's dominance that it took Blasters 31 minutes to get their first shot on target. Sanchez Watt finally tested Juan Calatayud, who made his debut for the home team, with a quick turn and shot.
Josu Prieto is the only Blasters player who caused any kind of problem to Atletico. The Spaniard's good close control of the ball, ability to run past players and pick out a pass, was on display.
The men in yellow had a good opportunity to equalise against the run of play towards the end of the first half. A mistake by Nallappan Mohanraj gifted Rahul Bheke with the ball in the final third, but the Kerala wing back's cross was not accurate enough to find Chris Dagnall in the box.
The first half ended 1-0 and Antonio Habas would have been delighted with the way his men had performed in the first 45 minutes.
The home side started the second half strongly as well with Hume's delicate flick-on, from a Lara free-kick, missed the goal. Atletico did double their lead eventually though, as Lara, who deserved a goal for his effort, finished off a beautifully crafted move in the 52nd minute if the game.
Hume skipped past a challenge at the edge of and passed it square to Lara. The midfielder displayed a bit of Spanish magic as he sent Bruno Perona the wrong way with a dummy. Peter Ramage attempted to close him down, but Lara's wonderfully placed shot went through his leg.
It was a deserved goal for the 29-year-old, who has produced some eye-catching performances so far for Atletico, but had been unlucky in front of goal. His penalty was saved by Edel in the opening match against Chennaiyin, while his stunning drive from 30 yards out struck the crossbar in this game.
Atletico appeared to have lowered their intensity after scoring the second goal and this allowed Blasters dominate possession. However, they didn't create too many openings.
It looked like a comfortable win for Atletico with the score-line reading 2-0 with 10 minutes remaining when Peter Taylor's men nearly turned the match on its head after having put up a poor show for most of the game.
Dagnall's goal in the 80th minute provided Blasters with an unlikely opportunity to get something out the match. The visitors threw everything they had, including the kitchen sink, but Atletico managed to hang on.
In another sudden twist, Mehtab Hossain received the marching orders in the 90th minute after his tackle on Valdo earned him his second yellow card of the match. Despite going down to 10 men, Blasters displayed a lot of spirit and it was a string of fantastic saves by Juan Calatayud that prevented them scoring the equaliser.
Atletico are the new league leaders, and Antonio Habas will be pleased with the start his team has made in the opening three games, especially against such strong opponents. They are certainly a good bet to defend their ISL crown.
Taylor will have a lot to think about after this match. His team lacked intensity and desire for most of the game, while Josu seems to be the only player who is providing creativity in the midfield. They face Delhi Dynamos next at home, and we might see a change of tactics from the manager.
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