Mumbai City taste ISL history after a final of errors with ATK Mohun Bagan

In many ways, this was an Indian Super League (ISL) final that promised a lot. Two clearly superior teams right through the season had earned the right to fight for that piece of silverware.

And it was a clash between two sides who profess their own, vastly different, styles of football. It was Sergio Lobera vs Antonio Habas. Both are probably the two most successful coaches ever to have graced the ISL. While Habas had the upperhand in terms of silverware, having won the title twice, Lobera had managed to guide two of his teams to the League Winners Shield (though he never had won the ISL outright till Saturday). 

And it was Lobera and Mumbai who would triumph on the night, registering their third win over ATK Mohun Bagan this season, which ensured a pretty complete season – the first time a club had won the League Winners Shield and the ISL trophy. 

Fans tuned in to watch the game, expecting a titanic encounter featuring some of the best players in the league. A terrific Mumbai City attack against a rock-solid ATKMB backline, 

However, despite what was an ultimately engrossing encounter, it turned out to be a fixture defined by errors – forced and unforced. 

Mumbai City, perhaps guilty of starting the game slowly, were the first to commit a fatal sin. ATK Mohun Bagan’s hardworking front two of Roy Krishna and David Williams were pressing high along with their wing-backs and central midfielders. 

Mumbai, in their dogged attempt to pass the ball out from the back had a couple of close shaves early on but did not learn from the signs. Amey Ranawade and Hugo Boumous were caught out in possession and David Williams buried the prasad (offering) with gratitude.

But thankfully for Lobera and co, the rest of the defining drama in this final of errors were to take place in the opponent’s penalty box (of course, there was another in their own box which was ruled out).

The famed defence of ATK Mohun Bagan eventually let them down when it mattered the most. In fact, it let them down on three occasions and all against Mumbai City FC, the League Shield and ISL winners.

The equaliser came at a time when the Mariners were absolutely bossing the game and Mumbai were struggling to get their fullbacks and attackers involved in the game. A hopeful long-ball from Jahouh was headed into his own net by Tiri, who had no idea where his goalkeeper was. Arindam Bhattacharya was also at fault for not communicating with Tiri about his whereabouts. 

It is not often that a Habas team gifts their opponent an equaliser in a final. But that is what happened. And they were not done yet. 

Interestingly, there was also another error in the Mumbai box when Hernan Santana kneed a clearance into his own net but thankfully for him, that goal was ruled out because Roy Krishna was adjudged to have blocked Amrinder Singh’s vision from an offside position. Phew!

For the winner, Mumbai passed the ball around among themselves and just when it felt and left the fans exasperated as to why the players are playing the ball in their own half, Mourtada Fall sent in a long ball. Bartholomew Ogbeche made a dash forward and put his physicality to good use to brush aside both Tiri and Sandesh Jhingan. Arindam Bhattacharya, who won the Golden Glove, came off his line to chest the ball but couldn’t get it right.

While Jhingan went to goal-line, Tiri and Bhattacharya on second attempt to failed to win the ball off Ogbeche, who once again showed that he is equally adept at keeping the ball on the ground and used all his experience to remain calm. The onrushing Pritam Kotal too couldn’t do much as Ogbeche just side-stepped for Bipin Singh to slam home and score the winner.
 
 It was ironic that each member of the Bagan defence had a chance to win the ball or at least deny Ogbeche but none could succeed. 

Antonio Habas could possibly point at the disallowed goal scored by Mohammed Rakip which was not awarded with Roy Krishna being in an offside position however, Mumbai too were denied a spot-kick when Bipin went down under Kotal’s challenge in the first half.

Ultimately, in a comedy of errors, ATK Mohun Bagan’s defence stole the show (for the wrong reasons) and Mumbai City went home jubilant.