ATK fans roar over Islanders
ATK handed the hosts their first loss in this edition of the ISL making it their first win of the season.
A brigade of 200-odd Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) fans suppressed the blue army of Mumbai City FC (MCFC) in the Sunday evening Indian Super League fixture (ISL). Playing away from home, the Kolkata side seized a 1-0 victory, with striker Robin Singh finding the back of the net in the 54th minute at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri.
Last week, Mumbai City FC announced a dedicated away stand for supporters who are travelling to watch their favourite teams play, and the ATK followers marched in to make sure their team got back to winning ways. The turnover for the fixture was 8403, but the home team fans could not keep up with the sound levels of the travellers.
“We are crazy about football whether it is ISL or the I-league. We have taken out time to watch ATK play all their matches, even if they are away from home. We are glad that the team won tonight,” were the words of one the supporters travelling from Kolkata. Another reason for such support for the visitors was the dominance of Mumbai local players in their squad. Household name Jayesh Rane, along with Ashutosh Mehta and Darren Calriera are the Mumbai lads that featured in the ATK squad on Sunday.
The Mumbai Football Arena was announced as the home stadium for MCFC last season. The Islanders finished on top of the table last season, losing just twice. ATK handed the hosts their first loss in this edition of the ISL making it their first win of the season. The two sides have shared a rivalry meeting in the semi-finals last season, with the Kolkata outfit triumphing in the away leg.
ATK coach Teddy Sheringham applauded the fans after the match. He believes that they were one reason why his team emerged as the winners. “The support was really good from our fans. We could certainly hear them even if they were less in numbers. The players thanked them at the end of the match and they were one reason why we won today,” said the former Manchester United player.
Injury woes for ATK
Goalscorer Robin Singh limped off after a mistimed tackle from MCFC defender Lucian Goian in the 70th minute. He went over his ankle, being unable to shake it off and see the match away. He was substituted after the injury. The coach reckons that troubled keeping adding on to his team. His (injury) is serious. He went over his ankle, and if you see him in the dressing room, he does not look good at the moment. Seems like one thing after another for us,” said Sheringham.
Guimaraes unhappy with the refereeing
In the dying stages of the match, Shankar Sampingiraj challenged MCFC’s Everton dos Santos inside the penalty area from behind, leading to a penalty shout, which was ignored by the referee. MCFC coach Alexandre Guimaraes feels that the players put too much pressure on the referees, who have been under fire this season for their decisions. “Yes of course it was a penalty. The guy challenged him (Everton) from behind. In different games, different decisions are hurting us. The players are putting too much pressure on the referee but it’s up to them to make a decision and not succumb to the pressure,” said the Costa Rican.