ISL: Mumbai, Delhi share the spoils in a goalless draw

Mumbai City FC and Delhi Dynamos FC played out a goalless draw in their final league game of the Hero ISL 2016 at the Mumbai Football Arena.

Mumbai ended the league stage as the leader, followed by Delhi in the second postion.

Mumbai City FC and Delhi Dynamos FC played out a goalless draw in their final league game of the Hero ISL 2016 at the Mumbai Football Arena. The home team ended with 23 points and retained the pole position in the eight-team event. Delhi is in second place with 21 points.

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Goalkeepers at both ends came in the firing line. Otacillo Alves' shot came back off the post after a wonderful Diego Forlan cross. MCFC’s best chance to score came when Lucian Golan headed the ball across the goalmouth for Gerson Viera but his shot was blocked by Chingelesana Singh.

Amrinder Singh, under the MCFC bar, had to scramble across to his left and dive to block a long-ranger by Bruno Pellissari. The ball deflected off a defender’s chest and bounced towards the left post before the goalkeeper moved to block.

With both sides assured of their place in the play-offs, the attention shifted to individual performers. Lucian Golan, the toughest defender in this competition so far, had two less names to deal with. Marcelino Pereira and Richard Gadze, the top two strikers this season, were missing from the starting line-up. The home side rested Sunil Chhetri.

MCFC displayed more thrust in the initial exchdanges as Argentina midfielder Defederico drifted into space for passes and posed a threat. Brazilain Octacillo kept rival defenders on their feet with his passing. A left-footed cross from him found Forlan free on the left side of the goalmouth.

DD missed skipper Malouda’s ball-holding ability and playmaking skills till his second-half entry. Doblas wore the captain’s armband. The visiting team played a patient game, focussing on keeping formation and having men behind the ball. The blistering counter-attacks witnessed in the earlier matches were replaced by short-passing game across the width of the pitch.

DD winger Lewis set off a buzz in the stands with a neat feint and a burst of pace down the left flank. Niasse floated a long pass across the pitch to the bearded Indian winger, whose first touch and feint took him past the defender and then went too far away to create space for a snap shot, but ended up losing possession as another defender blocked his path