KOLKATA: What a way for Gokulam Kerala FC (GKFC) to announce their arrival on the continental stage!
Four days after scripting history by winning the I-League title in back-to-back seasons, the new kids on the block from Kozhikode returned to the same venue on Wednesday to hand ATK Mohun Bagan a lesson in attacking football, blowing away the ISL side 4-2 and confirming their credential as a potential candidate to advance from Group D to the AFC Cup inter-zonal semifinal playoff.
On the match-eve, GKFC's Italian coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese highlighted the huge gap in team-building budgets between the two sides. But back on the field, they seized their moments far better than Roy Krishna and Co., looked hungrier and more pro-active and eventually emerged the deserving winners.
Luka Majcen, who played a crucial role in beating Mohammedan Sporting 2-1 on way to successfully defending the I-League here on Saturday, was again at the heart of Gokulam Kerala's latest victory against another city side, inarguably a bigger opponent, and making a bigger statement of intent.
Given that GKFC's all four goals - from Luka (49th and 65th minutes), P. Rishad (56) and substitute Jithin MS (89) were offshoots of swift and swashbuckling moves while ATK Bagan's responses - from Pritam Kotal in the 51st minute following Liston Colaco's corner and the latter's free-kick in the 80th minute - came from set-pieces, told the story of two teams taking different routes to imposing themselves on the contest.
It was also a tale of two halves with Ferrando's side dominating the opening 45 minutes with so much authority that 30,000-odd spectators present at the stadium could hardly have had an idea of its outcome. Krishna was denied by the post while Joni Kauko and David Williams squandered opportunities from close during that period as GKFC were forced to defend deep and in numbers.
If ATKMB were punished for their profligacy, their cause also received a significant and decisive blow when defender Tiri was stretchered off the field with an ACL injury, while trying to stop Luka in his tracks in the 35th minute. With the departure of Tiri - who is now expected to be sidelined for more than six months - ATKMB lost their plot and hold on the game too. GKFC saw their moments, seized them and made their continental debut an occasion to remember.
With Kauko, now preoccupied with his defensive duty, and Tiri's replacement Ashutosh Mehta looking like a bundle of nerves, GKFC were given the control of the contest and went about completing their demolition job in style and with a degree of swagger.
