ISL 2020: Santana penalty helps Hyderabad down Odisha

Aridane Santana’s 35th minute penalty towards his former membership helped Hyderabad FC beat Odisha FC 1-Zero at Bambolim’s GMC Stadium in Goa on Monday. In their second Indian Super League (ISL) season, this was Hyderabad FC’s first clear sheet. To repair that, final time period’s cellar group bought Subrata Paul however the man with the utmost clear sheets in ISL historical past didn’t must do a lot.

Like FC Goa, each groups have signed six foreigners however Cole Alexander and Jacob Tratt’s unavailability meant Odisha may area solely 4. Ditto Hyderabad for whom Francisco Sandanza and Joel Chianese weren’t within the 18 for his or her opening sport. Hyderabad additionally began Adil Khan, who was injured in pre-season, on the bench; the India centre-back approaching within the 90th minute.

Yet it was the yellow shirts who appeared extra settled forcing three corner-kicks by the 10th minute. Santana may have scored from the primary however his free header lacked course. It was the identical within the 26th minute although this time the massive Spaniard was being pressured by Odisha centre-back and skipper Steven Taylor. The distinction between the groups was additional accentuated by Hyderabad introducing Liston Colaco, whose trickery Odisha struggled to comprise, within the 62nd minute. Colaco dragged a shot narrowly large and after that, Hyderadad’s Halicharan Narzary got here near being the primary Indian to attain in ISL7.

Taylor, who has performed 215 video games in 13 years at Newcastle United, tried to marshal the backline in a group stuffed with younger Indian gamers. But he couldn’t stop his hand hitting the ball as he slid to dam Narzary’s shot. Stopped by harm after 14 video games final time period, Santana’s 10th ISL objective in his second season got here with a blast down the center. The penalty was conceded after Manuel Onwu misplaced the ball to Narzary serving to him and Santana,33, launch the assault.

Playing two younger Indians Thoaiba Singh and Saurabh Meher as central midfielders — probably as a result of Cole just isn’t prepared but — meant Odisha couldn’t play by Brazilian playmaker Marcelinho. But in his fourth ISL membership, Marcelinho didn’t look completely happy when he was substituted within the 53rd minute. “We were nervous at the start and didn’t have enough of the ball,” mentioned Odisha coach Stuart Baxter.