Under pouring rain and slippery on-field conditions, Chennaiyin FC dispatched Mumbai City FC 3-0 in a Hero-Indian Super League match at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
With its third successive impressive win at home, the host increased its tally to 19 points from 13 matches, requiring just a draw in its last match against FC Pune City in Pune on December 5 to qualify for the semifinals.
Whatever little mathematical hopes that the visitor had of qualifying, vanished in thin air after the defeat. Mumbai City remains on 13 points from 13 matches.
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The heavy rain that lashed the city must have stopped everything, but the game of football started — only 15 minutes late — much to the surprise of everyone, though concerns about injury to players refuse to die down.
Puddles of water on both sides made the ball stop awkwardly many a time. The hosts’ three goals in the first half came about thanks in part to the pools of water that had stagnated inside the box.
Chennaiyin FC made its intention clear from the beginning as it has done in the previous two matches.
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Striker John Stiven Mendoza, as is his wont, made a few incisive runs. He started with a wayward left foot early on and after a couple of failed attempts struck.
Zakeer Mundampara, who had replaced Harmanjot Khabra in the starting eleven, made a wonderful through pass that found Mendoza, who then left-footed the ball past an on-rushing custodian Subrata Paul.
In phases, Mumbai City FC made attempts through winger Sony Norde from the left, but nothing great came out of it.
Strikers Frederic Piquionne and Sunil Chhetri weren’t half as quick as their Chennaiyin’s counterparts.
Hardly 10 minutes had passed after the first goal, when Chennaiyin found the net again. Jeje tapped one past the custodian, after the ball had stopped in its path due to a huge puddle of water near the goalmouth.
Midway, one of Chennaiyin’s important midfielders, Raphael Augusto, had a muscle pull and was stretchered out to be replaced by Manuele Blasi.
Rain may have relented a bit, but not the host. Captain Bernard Mendy joined in the action when he chipped the ball past the ‘keeper Paul, making full use of a fine pass by Thoi Singh, who played a key role in the midfield with several defence-splitting passes.
Mumbai City’s Sunil Chhetri almost scored as his shot rolled past the ‘keeper Edel only to hit the left side of the post in the 69thminute. As was expected, Chennaiyin coach Marco Materazzi started with Bruno Pelissari instead of Elano Blumer.
The result: Chennaiyin FC 3 (John Stiven Mendoza 9, Jeje 17 & Bernard Mendy 45) bt Mumbai City FC 0.