Czech midfielder Pavel Elias struck a stunner to help Delhi Dynamos halt Atletico de Kolkata’s two-match winning run as both the teams settled for a point each after an intense 1-1 draw in their Indian Super league fixture on Sunday.
Barcelona’s youth system product, Jofre Mateu, gave the home franchise a 49th-minute lead, but Dynamos brilliantly bounced back through Elias in the 73rd minute to give the visiting side its first point.
The scoreline may suggest otherwise but the match was full of intensity and Italian World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero, who was in the XI, narrowly avoided a red card after an intense scuffle with ATK players.
There was a clash between the players when Del Piero brought down Denzil Franco with his left-foot tap in an outrageous challenge. The players surrounded the iconic Juventus star and pushed him before the goalie intervened.
The home side had its share of run-ins as well, resulting in its back-to-back red cards as it was once again reduced to 10 players when Rakesh Masih picked a second yellow in the 88th minute.
Masih’s substitution in place of ATK marquee player luis Garcia, who pulled a hamstring muscle at the break, gave Dynamos the edge and they bounced back.
Action was reserved for the second half as Jofre converted a penalty with ease, drilling the ball low to the left of the 6 feet 10 inch Kristof Van Hout to put ATK ahead. The penalty resulted when Wim Raymakers pulled Fikru’s jersey to bring the Ethiopian down in the decisive moment of the second half.
But Elias shocked the home crowd, scoring with a 23-yard long ranger after Del Piero put in the cross.
NorthEast United 1-1 Goa
NorthEast United FC capitalised on a debatable penalty decision as they held FC Goa to a 1-1 draw in a high intensity Hero Indian Super league match here on Sunday.
Playing their third match at home on the trot in the space of seven days, NorthEast United conceded a goal in the 17th minute after their goalkeeper T P Rehenesh made a blunder but they got the equaliser in the 36th minute through a penalty kick conversion at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
The home side, who had won a game and lost one before today’s match, were the better side for most part of the contest but their forwards failed to convert the chances that came their way.
Today’s result meant that Brazillian legend Zico will have to wait for his side’s first win in the tournament as they had lost their opening match 1-2 to Chennaiyin FC at home on October 15.
The full-to-the-brim home crowd were on to their feet as Joan Capdevila’s free-kick took a wicked deflection as early as the ninth minute but Czech goalkeeper Jan Seda was upto the task as he re-adjusted his position quickly to dive to his right and tip the ball off to safety.
Despite the NorthEast United doing all the attack, it was the Goan side who took the lead from a horrible goalkeeping by Rehenesh who started today in place of former Greek World Cupper Alexandros Tzorvas.
Rehenesh spilled the ball in what should have been a comfortable take from Andre Santos’ free-kick which led to a mad scramble inside the six-yard box and Gregory Arnolin finally poked it home.
NorthEast United equalised after referee D Gantar from Canada pointed to the dreaded spot after Debabrata Roy fouled Robin Gurung from behind in an aerial duel just on the edge of the box.
Roy did make a contact but it was a tight call whether the foul merited a penalty kick though the incident happened just a few yards away from the referee.
Spanish player Sergio Contreras Pardo (Koke) stepped up to the spot and slotted home to the left as the keeper dived the other way to level the match 1-1.
FC Pune under scrutiny
FC Pune City found themselves under scrutiny for fielding more foreign players than allowed during their 0-5 drubbing at the hands of Mumbai City FC.
“For FC Pune City, the third substitution at 61st minute of play resulted in fielding four (4) Indian players against the stipulated minimum of five (5),” the organisers said.
Six foreign players can be in the field of play at any particular point of time in a match.