Chennaiyin beat Atletico de Kolkata 3-0, put one foot in ISL final

PUNE: Flamboyance may not exactly describe Chennaiyin FC's style of play, but on Saturday they showed precisely that with a 3-0 hammering of defending champions Atletico de Kolkata in the first leg of the second semifinal at the Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex here.
Marco Materazzi's men had the ATK team in knots and also broke the jinx of not being able to beat ATK in the league stage.In the bargain, they became the first team in the Indian Super League to notch up a five-match winning streak.
Pune turned out to be a perfect hunting ground for them and there would be no qualms about having to play their home match away from home without home support, on account of the floods in Chennai. For ATK, the jinx continues. They have not been able to record a win on Pune turf.
Brazilian Pelissari opened the account in the 38th minute with a well-executed free kick. After the breather, Jeje added his name to the score-sheet after being assisted by Steven Mendonza in the 57th minute. Then their roles were practically reversed and Mendonza made it 3-0.
The win boosted Chennaiyin FC's chances of a final berth as a fancied ATK will face an uphill task back home to wipe out the three-goal deficit. Before kick-off, Chennaiyin FC walked out wearing white T-shirts that had 'PLAY FOR CHENNAI' inscribed on them, signifying their support for their fans back home and the flood-affected victims. And they were off to a robust start. Colombian striker Mendonza got into rhythm quickly and had his back-to-back attempts at goal parried away by keeper Amrinder Singh.
The tension of an ISL semifinal was palpable in the air. Referee Santosh Kumar was often called to intervene after rough play and arguments between players of both teams. The first yellow card of the match was shown to Chennaiyin FC's Italian medio Manuele Blasi for get ting vocal with the referee in the 37th minute. But the next moment the hosts erupted with joy for striking first blood. Brazilian Bruno Pelissari's bullet of a free kick from outside the goal-box twirled in with Amrinder reacting a fraction-of-a second late with a diving attempt.
A little before the hour mark Materazzi's men drilled in goal No. 2. Mendonza raced along the flank with the ball and a panicky Amrinder rushed out to confront the Colombian.