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ISL: Erik Paartalu scores brace in Bengaluru FC's 4-1 win over Delhi Dynamos

Erik Paartalu scores a brace as Bengaluru FC defeat Delhi Dynamos 4-1 for their second win in the Indian Super League

By Aravind
Erik Paartalu of Bengaluru FC celebrates with teammates after scoring against Delhi Dynamos at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday (Image courtesy: ISL Media)
Erik Paartalu of Bengaluru FC celebrates with teammates after scoring against Delhi Dynamos at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

Bengaluru, November 26: Carles Cuadrat, Bengaluru FC's assistant coach, couldn't stop himself from claiming credit for two of his team's four goals against Delhi Dynamos on Sunday (November 26). It's not that Cuadrat scored the goal - Erik Paartalu scored both of them - but he orchestrated the moves from the touchlines in their 4-1 win.

Moments before the first goal, he had instructed Edu Garcia, the free-kick taker, to play it far from 40 yards out. He further suggested Harmanjot Khabra to run towards the right post from outside the box instead of getting lost at the crowded box. Both did as they were told.

'Coach signals set-piece routines'

Khabra nodded a header to the centre of the box from the right post and the towering Paartalu overpowered his markers to glance it in for what was BFC's 200th goal in all competitions. While Paartalu ran to the West Block A stand of the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to celebrate his maiden goal for the club, Khabra was with Cuadrat with the latter screaming "I told you that would work!"

When the big man scored! ⚽ @erik.paartalu #BENDEL #LetsFootball #Football #Indianfootball #India #ISL #Bengaluru

A post shared by Indian Super League (@indiansuperleague) on

Paartalu followed up his 24th minute strike with another one at the stroke of half-time. Minutes before that goal, Cuadrat showed displeasure at Garcia for not playing a corner the way he was instructed to. However, when they were awarded a corner from the left side, Garcia looked to the touchline for the code. He raised his hand up and played it to the centre. Paartalu, at the near post, rose and glanced his header to the other side of the net, past Dynamos defender Pritam Kotal stationed there.

"I am really happy for sure," head coach Albert Roca said after the game. "To open the scoring, we had some chances even before those set-pieces. But set-pieces is one of our weapons. Carles Cuadrat is doing a good job there. We deserved to score four. We were good from the beginning. We were superior today."

Roca, however, wasn't entirely happy during the match itself. He was asked before the match whether his team's goal conversion rate in open play was a cause for worry. After all, they had 16 attempted shots in the previous game against Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League, and managed to convert only two.

But is there really a need to worry when all's going well? Lenny Rodrigues and Miku (Nicolas Fedor Flores) scored two more from open play in the second half to complete the rout for BFC.

First, Sunil Chhetri lobbed one to the far side from the left to give Udanta Singh a chase in the 57th minute. The young winger controlled the ball beautifully and charged goalward, but had his shot blocked by Dynamos goalkeeper Albino Gomes. Lenny Rodrigues, running behind Udanta, pounced on the rebound and sneaked it in.

At the other end, Dynamos were awarded a penalty in the 85th minute when John Johnson handled the ball while trying to stop a cross by substitute Seityasen Singh. Dynamos skipper Kalu Uche momentarily stopped his run before sending Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the wrong way with a low strike to the left corner.

Miku, the one guilty of missing a few chances against Mumbai, found his first for BFC two minutes later. And boy did that take a lot of attempts! Chhetri, from the left side of the half-line, floated one beyond the Dynamos back four. Miku, making a run on the right, controlled the ball but had a defender to beat. He faked his first shot, skipped to the right to ward off his marker and then fired a right-footed low shot to the far post for the fourth BFC goal of the night.

Miku had one of his headers, in the second minute of the game, bounce off the crossbar. In the second half too, he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper but had his attempt to the right corner gloved away by Gomes.

Dynamos coach Miguel Angel Portugal was ready with his excuse after the game. "We had only four days' break," he rued. "We trained in artificial turf but we played on natural turf. If in the next match, we have seven days' break and they have four, the outcome will be different."

What makes BFC's win more complete is that their defence was tight throughout the match. Dynamos only managed three shots on goal compared to 12 of BFC. Had they managed an equaliser in the 37th minute, the game would have had a different result. But thanks to defender John Johnson, who made an interception to Kalu Uche from getting to the cross of Guyon Luis Fernandez, BFC managed to pull through.

BFC face FC Goa four days later in an away game. Dynamos host NorthEast United FC on December 2.

Story first published: Monday, November 27, 2017, 0:53 [IST]
Other articles published on Nov 27, 2017
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