Half Time Report: Rodrigues blunder gifts penalty to NE after Mumbai domination
Starting Line-Ups:
NorthEast United FC - Rehenesh TP, Aiborlang Khongjee, Andre Bikey, Cedric Hengbart, Yumnam Raju, Bruno Herrero, Seityasen Singh, Diomansy Kamara, Siam Hanghal, Francis Dadzie, Victor Mendy
Mumbai City FC - Subrata Pal, Rowilson Rodrigues, Pavel Cmovs, Keegan Pereira, Frantz Bertin, Thangjam Saran Singh, Cristian Bustos, Juan Aguilera, Selim Benachour, Sunil Chhetri, Nicolas Anelka
A RAGING BLUNDER from Rowilson Rodrigues saw NorthEast United handed a penalty on a platter, and convert it to go 1-0 up in the first half after Mumbai City dominated for most of the period.
NorthEast United head coach Cesar Farias went for a wholesale change to the squad that lost so heavily to Kerala Blasters. He brought in the likes of Seityasen Singh, Bruno Herrero, Francis Dadzie, Diomansy Kamara, Yumnam Raju, Siam Hanghal all came into the team. Even the Senegalese forward Victor Mendy, who was yet to make an appearance for the Highlanders, was given a start, benching last game's goalscorer Nicolas Velez.
Mumbai City, too, went for a number of changes. Rowilson Rodrigues, Juan Aguilera, Frantz Bertin, Thangjam Singh all got a start. Anelka switched to a 4-4-2 formation where both himself and Sunil Chhetri were playing up front. Sony Norde, the Haitian winger just back from national duty, was placed on the bench because it was too early to play him for the entire match.
But the visitors started on a good note. The match began with Thangjam testing NorthEast keeper Rehenesh with a volley, which the latter saved. Soon Benachour sent a good through ball to Anelka but the player-coach got caught offside.
The home team countered. Especially debutant Mendy was eagerly active up front. But when he got the ball at a reasonably scoring distance he shot it way above target. A scooped ball from Herrero went to Seityasen Singh who found Francis but Pavel Cmovs dispossessed the striker.
A good chance for Mumbai City came about when a cross from Anelka reached Sunil inside the box but the Indian captain's header was slightly too high for the crossbar.
Chhetri was fed again via a pin-point pass from Juan Aguilera but Aiborlang Khongjee got in the way and made sure the ball was kept out.
And then came the blunder that saw Mumbai City go down. Rowilson Rodriguez made some light contact from behind with Diomansy Kamara inside the box. The NEUFC striker went straight down, a bit too easily, but it was enough for the referee to award a penalty to NorthEast United and a yellow card to Rowilson.
Bruno Herrero took the penalty and converted by sending Subrata to the other side. The home side took the lead to a raucous welcome of the crowd.
When the game resumed they almost struck again. A cross from Yumnam Raju and a pass from Victor Mendy to Francis Dadzie created pressure inside Mumbai box but both were eventually cleared. The half ended there; with NorthEast United leading 1-0.
NortEast United can thank their thoroughly organized defence for not conceding so far. Mumbai City made some decent moves but the home team's defenders, especially Aiborlang Khongjee, pulled off some well-timed clearances. The key for them to win will now be to hold on; as the intesity of attacks from the visitors is bound to increase in the second half.
Mumbai conceded due to sheer lack of judgement from Rowilson Rodrigues. There was no need to try that tackle on Kamara. He was on the peripheries of the box and wasn't even looking that dangerous. And even though his touch on the striker was light it was enough to let the striker make a meal of it which he duly did. And now the visitors are down by a goal at half-time, in a do-or-die match where they have been the better side for most of the game played so far. They will have to come out all guns blazing in the second half and chase the game down. Time to bench Anelka and bring out Sony Norde. It's nearly now or never.
