Odisha FC have exceeded expectations after they drew against an attacking ATK side who have amassed 10 goals in five matches in the Indian Super League. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Odisha were clearly the better side on the night mostly because of their coach Josep Gombau’s ‘Never give up’ attitude.
Odisha have one of the youngest squads in the ISL. Previously Delhi Dynamos, the Bhubaneshwar-based side played their first home game of the season on November 24 at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. They lost their first two games against Jamshedpur and NorthEast United FC by a single goal before putting four past Mumbai City FC on their turf and playing out two goalless draws against Kerala Blasters and ATK. And while the results aren’t really the true reflection of their might, it is their resilience that has caught the attention of the fans.
Relying on young guns
Gombau has inculcated a contemporary attacking game from the wings into his young team. Key to his plan are two young guns, 22-year-old winger Jerry Mawihmingthanga, and 19-year-old full-back Shubham Sarangi. While Jerry already has three assists and a goal to his name in five matches, Sarangi has been tipped for a bright future. The teen fullback has already played more minutes than he did last season and has averaged 40 passes a game, third-highest in his team. He has the most tackles for his team as well, ranking above veteran midfielder Xisco Hernandez. These two players have managed to keep the right wing-play of Odisha alive as they enter a busy run of fixtures.
Alongside Jerry, his counterpart on the left Nandhakumar Sekar is among the most important players in Gombau’s project. With Aridane Santana the key marksman for Odisha, having scored three goals already, the team relies heavily on the pace of their wingers to provide and create chances for the striker. Nandhakumar, on his part, might not have the statistics to show for it, but the winger has been a live wire, helping the defence as well as the attack. The 23-year-old Tamilian has eight tackles and six clearances in his team’s half, which are impressive stats for an attacker.
Tactical masterclass against ATK
Dropping Xisco for Martin Guedes against ATK and playing Santana in a more withdrawn role showed a touch of tactical class by Gombau. He knew the importance of the first home fixture and decided to soak ATK’s pressure before hitting them on the counter. This tactic might have made the game dull, but it helped the team earn an important point as they dominated their opponent in every aspect.
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The counterattacking build-up surprised the star-studded ATK unit as Odisha ended the match with more possession, more shots, passes and crosses than their opponent. The Kolkata-based side ended up playing four attackers by the end of the game in search of the elusive goal.
Such tactics help build the confidence of any team, especially such a young one. Gombau brought life into Delhi Dynamos in the dying stages of the last ISL season, winning four of their last seven matches, including a win over eventual champions Bengaluru FC. Gombau is already working towards repaying the faith put into him by the team’s management. He has maintained his faith in his squad and has refused to criticise any of their performances. The players have started soaking in his game plan, and soon, one of ISL’s youngest teams will be vying for the place in the top four playoff spots towards the business end of the tournament.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @OdishaFC
