Bengaluru FC’s Sunil Chhetri attempts a shot on goal against Chennaiyin FC on Tuesday | Ashwin prasath
CHENNAI: As the teams slowly trooped in for their warm-up sessions ahead of Bengaluru FC’s game against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday, a couple of the visiting officials stood in the stands and surveyed all the activity that was going on down below. “It is impossible to believe that it is here we came last year,” one of them remarked. He was, of course referring to the condition of the stadium, but his words were true in another sense.
It is difficult to believe that it was only last year that Bengaluru were playing Chennai City FC in the I-League here, on a pitch that was as bad as it could be, viewed only by a few hundred fans. So seamless has been their transition to the Indian Super League that their I-League stint appears a distant memory.
With four games left — despite having their squad broken up and all the distractions that the AFC Cup offers, despite a schedule that will see them play 10 games over 30 days by the end of February, Bengaluru FC and Albert Roca are nearly there. Their 3-1 win against Chennaiyin solidified their perch at the top of the table (30 points). Jamshedpur FC are four games behind. A win in their next four games should all but ensure that they make the play-offs in their inaugural ISL season.
Somehow in the middle of all the chaos, Bengaluru has managed to have a textbook season. They set the pace early on, alongside FC Goa, until their momentum was abruptly halted by an unlikely defeat to Chennaiyin at home, quickly followed by another unexpected loss to Jamshedpur FC. And while Goa faded as the season, Bengaluru grew from strength to strength, grinding through the difficult matches, blowing away lesser opponents.
Tuesday’s game was by no means easy, but Bengaluru disposed off their opponents with minimal fuss. The opening goal, in just the second minute of the game, looked like it was a sign of things to come. Harmanjot Khabra attempted to find Chhetri from the midfield. The latter, omniscient as usual, nodded it down for the onrushing Boithang Haokip. His shot down was slowed down by a deflection but nevertheless trickled in past a helpless Karanjit Singh.
Chennaiyin, to their credit, refused to be bowed down and went looking for the equaliser. That came just after the half-hour mark when Francis Fernandes headed in a near-perfect cross from Jerry Lalrinzuala.
The game though turned on its head over a ten-minute spell, just after the hour-mark. First Miku scored, taking advantage of a weak parry by Karanjit. Then, eight minutes later, Chennaiyin skipper Henrique Sereno got a second yellow for pulling down Miku. Then Gurpreet Singh completed the arc, three minutes after the sending off, saving Jeje’s penalty and keeping the score at 2-1. The latter was a blow that appeared to knock the wind out of Chennaiyin’s sails. By the time, Chhetri added a third in extra-time, the contest was long over and the 200-odd travelling Bengaluru fans had begun singing their victory songs. They knew exactly what the result meant.
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com
