Brown strike hands BFC advantage

In the end, the difference was just one goal. But Bengaluru FC will take it.

In front of 20,754 strong at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, Deshorn Brown’s first-half strike ensured that the home side, who played the last six minutes with 10-men after Nishu Kumar was sent off, carried a one-goal advantage against ATK heading to Kolkata.

Carles Cuadrat and his men will know that it’s just half-time. But after their AFC Cup nightmare just four days ago, the team needed to respond, and they did.

The all-important goal coming a minute after the half-hour mark and once again, it was BFC capitalising on their set-piece expertise.

Orchestrated goal

While this one didn’t come straight off a dead-ball situation, it was nonetheless orchestrated. After winning two back-to-back corners, the home side kept the pressure alive by winning the second ball.

With all their big men still in the opposition box, a lofted ball found Sunil Chhetri who cushioned the ball down to Erik Paartalu.

The Aussie then fed Juanan for a shot, and while Arindam Bhattacharya should take some blame for spilling the effort, Brown was alive to the situation and was quick to turn the ball in from close range.

If the first semifinal was an open, albeit one-sided, affair, this one was predictably cagey, with few clear chances for either teams as the defences ruled.

Cuadrat has always built his team on the back of strong defences, and it was so once again.

While the game was more even in the first half, the home side had to dig deep in the second. They sat deep and disciplined, players throwing themselves in the way of the shot and tackling with purpose.

It was also a tactical masterclass from BFC’s Spanish coach. Having only attacking changes on the bench, the versatility of the players came to the fore. Suresh Singh Wangjam, who started on the right-wing, was switched to the right-back position to accommodate Kevaughn Frater and Nili Perdomo off the bench.

And the teenager came up with a matured performance which saw him dominate the flank and keep Michael Soosairaj quiet.

BFC will however miss Nishu’s services in the next game but the left-back dragged down Krishna late in the game when the Fiji striker was bearing down into the penalty area off a counter-attack.

It was a tactical foul, one that needed to be made for the team.

Earlier, David Williams did send the away fans into delirium in the 17th minute when the Australian found the back of the net after Roy Krishna capitalised on Albert Serran’s poor clearance and fed him in, but the referee pulled the game back for a handball.

At the other end, Sunil Chhetri and Frater forced Arindam to make finger tip saves.