Mumbai: There is a certain charm in delivering crosses on a football pitch. Sometimes hopeful, often deliberate and measured, it is a move that relishes on camaraderie – the connection between the player on the flank and the one waiting to pounce on the delivery in the box.
Bengaluru FC had attempted more crosses than any other team in this season of the Indian Super League (ISL). On Wednesday, in the first leg of their semi-final at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, two crosses helped them score a 2-0 win over FC Goa.
The opening exchanges remained cagey, but the hosts who had attempted 534 crosses this season ahead of the match, looked a bit more threatening. The first chance of the match itself required some brave defending from the FC Goa captain to keep the scores level.
Edgar Mendez played an inviting low cross towards Ryan Williams, but skipper Odei Onaindia made a crucial diving interception.
The Bengaluru duo was involved in a move later in the 42nd minute that brought the first goal. Mendez recycled the ball on the right flank after Suresh Wangjam sliced his attempted shot. The Spaniard then spotted Williams lurking around the FC Goa box and played a cross hoping the forward would get to it. Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan got to the ball first, but his diving header crashed into his own goal, giving the hosts the lead.
If that first cross was a hopeful attempt, the second was delightfully measured.
Williams played a clever 1-2 pass with eventual Player-of-the-Match Namgyal Bhutia on the right flank. In the box, Mendez took a few sharp steps back to break away from the Goa defence and find himself in plenty of space. Bhutia spotted the move and side-footed a low cross that Mendez struck first-time and doubled the lead in the 51st minute.
The visitors started to push for something to take back with them for the second leg. There was wave after wave of FC Goa attacks, but the Bengaluru FC defence stood firm. Roshan Singh Naorem at left-back, arguably the busier flank, was acrobatic and alert. Bhutia stepped in to apply pressure on the Goa forwards. And Rahul Bheke, who made an ISL record 16 interceptions in the match, sniffed out almost everything the opponents tried to string together.
“We have done the first job, now the second half (of the tie) will be a tougher game,” Bheke said after the match. “We know in Goa it will be tougher, but we have to start on the front foot. We won’t think about these two goals, it starts 0-0 in Goa.”
The Bengaluru team came into the match with some momentum, having beaten Mumbai City 5-0 in the playoff match on Saturday.
The tactics worked well for the hosts on Wednesday. But as Bheke mentioned, there will be a fresh approach for the second leg on April 6, across the state border.
