When the National Football League began in 1996-97, Mohun Bagan couldn’t qualify and East Bengal finished third. “You cannot improve a team in two months in all functions,” Chennaiyin FC coach Bozidar Bandovic said on Thursday. “I think we took our chances in key moments and I think we are starting to show more glimpses of our playing style on a more consistent basis,” said Buckingham. According to the ISL website, ATKMB had one shot on target (Mumbai City had 10), played nearly 200 passes less than their opponents (274-459) and had 41% possession. Buckingham, 36, mentioned doing “a lot of work tactically” before the game which the players took “a shine to”. True, the second goal shouldn’t have stood as it hit his hand but with three shots on target and 21 of 23 passes being successful, Singh showed why he is on India head coach Igor Stimac’s radar.Īlso read: Glut of goals in ISL’s opening round but is that good?īy using the speed of Mandar Rao Dessai, Singh and Bipin Singh, “new coach” Des Buckingham exploited the space usually left by ATKMB’s wide attacking players Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh. With two goals inside 25 minutes, it was, as Singh said in the post-match interview to the official broadcaster, “a great start.” On Wednesday, Singh, his hair highlighted, haring down the right, had ATKMB on the mat from the off. The former player from Indian Arrows - the development side of the All India Football Federation- had zero goals and assists in that time. Vikram Pratap Singh is 19 and was making his first start in light blue after 98 minutes over 11 games as a substitute last term. It was probably the only thing the often crusty Spaniard got right about the night. Prior to the game, ATKMB coach Antonio Lopez Habas had said he wasn’t letting the history of three defeats last term weigh them down because Mumbai City FC have “new coach” and “new players”.

But exactly how much of sucker-punch it was for the maroon-and-green shirts could be gauged by the team skipping the post-match media conference. The teams have met four times since ATK and Mohun Bagan, champions of the ISL and the I-League in 2019-20, merged and Mumbai City FC have won all of them.

Isl football chennai vs kolkata