Monday Blues for FC Pune City

Monday Blues for FC Pune City

PUNE: Bengaluru FC striker Miku chose the perfect moment to put the game to the bed against FC Pune City at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Monday.

It was the 64th minute of the match, and seeing how poorly their team was performing, ‘The Orange Army,’ the supporters group of FC Pune City were singing the name of their former coach Ranko Popovic. Miku brushed off his defender and scored the third goal for his team. It was the story of a match in a nutshell.

Inspired by the skipper Sunil Chhetri’s first-half brace (41st and 43rd minute), Bengaluru FC handed the hosts FC Pune City 3-0 drubbing in their Indian Super League season 5 match to go top of the table on a goal difference. On the other hand, the Stallions, still winless after three matches, remained in the 9th place and were booed off the field at the full-time whistle.

CHHETRI PROVES CLASS
Earlier this month when India played China in an international friendly, national team head coach Stephen Constantine’s decision to hand over skippers’ armband to defender Sandesh Jhingan instead of Sunil Chhetri had raised few eyebrows. The head coach watched from the stands as donning the captains’ armband for the visitors, Chhetri proved why is considered one of the best Indian players ever.

But it wasn’t a smooth sail. The game had gotten off to the slow start. Both Pune and Bengaluru lacked the intensity and clinical edge in the final third to pierce the opposition defence barring a top-notch saved from Bengaluru keeper Gurpreet Singh to deny Nikhil Poojary. 

Chhetri too wasn’t an exception. He has spurned two opportunities to put his side ahead. On both the occasions Udanta Singh had found his captain in the 18-yard box. Firstly he failed to connect to the ball and secondly ballooned the ball over the goal.

But he soon turned the course of the game single handed. He drifted in from the left wing into the wide open space in the heart of the defence, where Dimas Delgado found him with a perfect ball and Chhetri was through on goal. He slotted the ball past onrushing Vishal Keith to break the deadlock.

Two minutes later he had doubled the visitors’ advantage. Miku made a darting run through the middle of the park, slicing past Pune’s midfield and found his striker partner inside the box. The India international danced through falling defence of the home side and found the back of the net, his sixth goal against FC Pune City.

The two quick goals made him the highest Indian goal scorer in the ISL history with 24 goals so far, putting him ahead of Chennaiyin FC striker Jeje Lalpekhlua (22) and is now only behind Iain Hume (28), who waits in the wings for FC Pune City.

As the half-time whistle blew, FC Pune City players had their hands on the hips, resigned to their fates. But, they certainly improved in the second half, coming close to the scoring, testing Bengaluru FC custodian, hitting the woodwork once.

But, it was Sunil Chhetri who had once again stolen the show, like he has done so many times before.

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