Mumbai Minimise Bengaluru threat

MUMBAI: At the Cooperage on Wednesday, Mumbai FC found two goals in the first 11 minutes and ran out winners as an unusually tepid Bengaluru suffered their first defeat this season after three wins. Min Chol was at the half line to intercept a pass from Sunil Chhetri to Song Yong. Min Chol slid in and connected well, catching the goalkeeper off his line.It was definitely not a shot on goal, but neither Mumbai nor Min Chol would complain.
It was Mumbai's second goal. The first came in the fifth minute when Izumi Arata scored from an attack initiated by Jayesh Rane. He chased a ball which Bengaluru defender Osana should have cut off.
Rane's cross from the right was first connected well by Sushil. It was blocked. Then the ball fell to Eric Brown and his shot too was blocked. Finally it fell to Arata, who placed it to the goalkeeper's right. In fact, so unusually poor were Bengaluru, that they should have been four down in the first half itself. Sushil and Ryuki Kozawa had one-to-one situations, but shot wide.
But Wednesday was different. The match was well fought with Bengaluru trying gamely to claw back in the second half.But it was not their day with Udanta Singh missing two easy openings. Bengaluru coach Ashley Westwood even substituted Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, but that did not bring about the goals. Bengaluru certainly played better in the second half, but the damage in the first half turned out to be irreversible.
Min Chol not only scored that freak goal, but he was top notch in defence. He was the reason why Bengaluru were denied victory on Wednesday. In fact, the defence played very well, so much so much that they hardly allowed Bengaluru any breaks from the centre. But Mumbai probably won the match in the midfield when they fought for every ball and harried Bengaluru. The visitors were forced into many errors.
Mumbai have eight points from four games while Bengaluru have nine.