Delhi Dynamos had failed to make its dominance count against Pune FC in its first home match. On Wednesday, another goalless draw was witnessed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. But, Dynamos finished with more things to worry about while NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) walked away with greater credit.
It had been argued that Dynamos could struggle if the opposition saw off the opening half-hour, as the host’s attacking threat is at its strongest during the period. However, one caught only a glimpse of Dynamos’ offensive potential in the first half.
Harm van Veldhoven’s side was second-best against a team that surprised the host with its intensity. The game was played at a frenetic pace, just the way Dynamos prefer it. However, it was NorthEast which held the advantage in a contest that also saw it get good crowd support.
Interestingly, NorthEast made light of Joan Capdevila (groin) and Koke’s (thigh) absence due to injuries.
In all, four changes were made but none of the efficiency was lost. Set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, NorthEast pressed relentlessly to ruffle the host’s feathers.
Even Dynamos’ usually composed midfield pair of Bruno Arias and Hans Mulder was forced into passing errors.
At times, the host’s best option to stall the opposition’s momentum was to commit a foul. Thankfully, the choice wasn’t exercised often.
Dynamos, though, did threaten on the counter. It was noteworthy that the host had six shots in the first half, three more than NorthEast, as its defence did not allow the visitor too many shooting opportunities. Although encamped near their box, the defenders ensured very few passes went past them.
Conscious effort
Despite struggling to come to terms with its pressing in the first 30 minutes, Dynamos came up with an adequate response thereafter. There was a conscious effort to slow the tempo of the match with a patient build-up from the back. Though this wasn’t enough to cause problems to the NorthEast defence, it quelled the opposition’s attacking threat for a while.
The visitor retained control in the second half. More than anything, this was aided by the poor positioning of right-back Adil Khan. His tendency to wander away from marking Tomas Josl could have proved expensive for Dynamos, but the NorthEast side failed to exploit the space behind the full-back.
NorthEast manager Ricki Herbert brought in Leo Bertos for Josl and moved Zodingliana to the left in order to attack Adil’s flank, but van Veldhoven responded soon enough to avoid any damage.
The decision to play Adil ahead of Naoba Singh had brought little rewards for the host and 20 minutes from the end, the latter was introduced. This made the host more balanced and Hans Mulder had two good opportunities to seal a late winner. But, the Dutchman missed narrowly, the way the players from both sides did all evening.
The host has six points from four matches, including three draws. NorthEast has eight points, but has played a game more.
