NorthEast United FC warmed up for their do-or-die battle ahead with an encouraging 2-1 victory over Delhi Dynamos in their penultimate Hero Indian Super league clash at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Wednesday.
Seityasen Singh (60th minute) and N'Dri Romaric (71st minute) got the goals the hosts needed after a barren first session. Even though Marcelinho Pereira pulled a goal back for Delhi in the second minute of added time, NorthEast United were comfortably home.
The win took NorthEast United's points tally to 18 with a match in hand but they still continue to be placed fifth. Fortunately for them, they have a match in hand against Kerala Blasters (19 points) and can qualify if they can put it across their rivals for the fourth semifinal spot in Kochi on Sunday. Kerala Blasters will qualify with a draw.
Delhi Dynamos are placed second with 20 points from 13 matches and had qualified even before this loss.
Delhi Dynamos, with nothing to lose, started positively and should have been ahead in the third minute itself. Florent Malouda sent a fine through ball for Richard Gadze but the Ghanaian striker, despite having the rival defence caught out, could not keep his attempt on target with only goalkeeper T Rehenesh to beat.
NorthEast United too had their chance to surge ahead in the 18th minute but Emiliano Alfaro was found wanting. Romaric got the ball past the Delhi Dynamos defence and Alfaro had time to bury it past the keeper. Instead, Alfaro's attempt was parried away by goalkeeper Toni Doblas.
NorthEast United wasted another opportunity in the opening half. Rowllin Borges sent Seityasen clear but the striker lacked juice in his boots to get the better of rival goalkeeper.
In the second session, NorthEast United got a goal out of nothing. In the 61st minute, Didier Zokoro sent a long ball where Seityasen sneaked in from behind, avoided a lunge from his marker and toe-poked it past the onrushing goalkeeper.
The hosts made it 2-0 in the 71st minute. It was Robert Cullen who made it happen when he played a perfectly measured ball for Romaric and the midfielder made no mistake by sending it inside the goal with the outside of his left foot.
NorthEast were comfortable in defence with a two-goal advantage and only ended up conceding in the second minute of added time. Marcelinho was the star man again for Delhi as he left Zokoro guessing his next move and before anyone could figure it out, slammed it past the goalkeeper.
Pride at stake for Goa
MARGAO: FC Goa, who have failed to make it to the semi-finals, will now play for pride when they take on Chennaiyin FC in their last match of the Indian Super league football here on Thursday.
last year's runners-up Goa are at the bottom with 11 points from 13 matches and even if they win their last game against Chennaiyin FC they will finish below all the teams.
While Chennaiyin FC, the last year winners, who have also failed to make it to the semi-finals have 15 points, the same as NorthEast United and FC Pune City, but are placed seventh on account of inferior goal difference.
Goa were hammered 1-5 by Delhi Dynamos in their last match and coach Zico will want to finish with a positive result.
"Delhi is a very good team, very compact; they know how to play their game. In the first half, we held them but in the second they found their way. The other thing is that when there is a motivation factor you play in a certain way, like if the team is in the hunt for semis… We had nothing like that going for us so that also played a role," Zico told reporters at the customary pre-match media conference.
Chennaiyin are also out of the league but they will look to finish as high as possible with a victory against us, Zico added.
Chennaiyin were in the race for a place in semi-finals until they conceded a goal in the last minute at home against NorthEast in a 3-3 draw. That result pushed Chennaiyin out of the race.
The problem for Marco Materazzi's side has been that they have let in late goals on far too many occasions, leading to loss of points from dominating positions.
Besides NorthEast United, Chennaiyin suffered late setbacks against Atletico de Kolkata, Mumbai City FC and FC Pune City.
Despite being knocked out of the race for the play-offs, Materazzi said he was proud of his team's efforts and highlighted the achievements in the first three years.
"If somebody told me three years ago that come to India and you will reach the semi-finals in the first year and win in the second year and we would go out like this in the third year, I would still sign up," said Materazzi.
"So I am happy about the performance (against NorthEast United) and now we can play as good as we can in the next game against Goa."