Odisha returns to winning ways against NorthEast United with a Jonathas goal
A solitary goal from Jonathas in the second half allowed Odisha to clinch valuable three points with a 1-0 win over NorthEast United in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco on Friday.
Odisha head coach Kiko Ramirez named four changes to his starting XI from the 2-1 defeat against Kerala Blasters as Hector Rodas, Thoiba Singh, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, and Isak Vanlalruatfela made way for Liridon Krasniqi, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Gaurav Bora, and Daniel Lalhlimpuia.
On the other hand, NorthEast United head coach Khalid Jamil made a couple of changes to his starting line-up as Mapuia and Patrick Flottman were replaced by Mashoor Shereef and Deshorn Brown.
NorthEast United had a bright start to the match as Mathias Coureur got an early opportunity to score a wonder goal as he earned the ball back in Odisha’s own half but his chipped attempt went past the goal. The Highlanders kept applying the pressure on the Odisha defense in the first few minutes as Suhair headed wide from a tight angle.
The Juggernauts got their first real chance of the match as they earned a free-kick on the right side of the opposition half due to a Shereef foul. Aridai Cabrera went for goal from the set-piece situation and rattled the crossbar with a spectacular attempt in the 17th minute.
Krasniqi was a livewire in the midfield as Ramirez must have felt proud of making a change to his side’s midfield double pivot as the Malaysian’s through ball for Javi Hernandez could have been the perfect assist but Mirshad came off his lines to collect the ball in the 34th minute.
Deshorn Brown struggled to find the target
NorthEast United suddenly upped the ante in the final few minutes of the first half as Brown had many snapshots at goal in the last 5 minutes before the half-time break but Odisha somehow managed to keep the scores goalless at the break.
In the 55th minute, Hernandez headed wide from an Aridai cross as Odisha missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring after an initial NorthEast United press at the start of the second half.
Coureur had a similar opportunity to head it past Kamaljit in the Odisha goal but his headed attempt was also wide off the target after he met a rushed connection to a Gurjinder Kumar cross in the 62nd minute.
Courier and substitute Imran Khan had a couple of long-range attempts in hopes of testing Kamaljit but the attempts were well wide.
Odisha eventually managed to score the sole goal of the game as Thoiba Singh set up Jonathas for the header inside the 30-yard box. Singh received the ball inside the NorthEast United half and made a run down to the left side to find the Brazilian who headed it downwards to make it 1-0 in the 81st minute.
Aridai went for goal in the final few minutes of the game from a free-kick outside the NorthEast United box but the shot was straight at the NorthEast United custodian. The Highlanders put up all of their men upfront for a hopeful equalizer in injury time but it was too little too late as Odisha clinched a valuable 1-0 win to go to second place in the league table as Jamil’s men stay ninth.
Odisha now faces a stern test from Jamshedpur in their next match on Tuesday while NorthEast United plays Hyderabad on Monday.