These are tough times for sports and sportspersons, with the multitude of events and tournaments being cancelled across the world. But when the going gets tough, ATK get going. With only their own teammates and a handful of others to witness it, the Kolkata side ended Chennaiyin FC's dream run with a 3-1 victory in the final of the 2019-20 Hero Indian Super League.
In the time of the coronavirus, ATK's coronation took place in an empty Fatorda stadium. Javier Hernandez scored twice and his goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja pulled off some stunning saves to seal the deal. Edu Garcia and Chennaiyin's Nerijus Valskis also found the net as ATK becomes the first team to add a third ISL trophy to its cabinet, defeating the very team with which it earlier shared two.
The two teams that had shared four of the five titles were meeting in the final for the first time. Coming off four highly entertaining playoff games, both sides had entered the game with their heads held high. They had, after all beaten defending champs Bengaluru FC and this season's league leaders FC Goa.
Nevertheless, it was supposed to be Chennaiyin's day. The final was supposed to complete the fairytale of Owen Coyle resurrecting a down-in-the-dumps Chennai side that he took over in December. And although it seemed like there was almost nothing to separate the teams before the game, it was Chennaiyin's defensive frailties—the chink in an otherwise fearsome armour—that spelt their downfall.
ATK came into the clash flashing their direct attacking style of play and carrying the tag of the season's most balanced side. And that was exactly how they played on the final day. Despite losing talismanic captain Roy Krishna in the first half, the team made up for it with their eyes fixed on their goal, charging on it every time they got hold of the ball.
On the contrary, Coyle's men, with their zippy passing, held possession and put the ATK defence to the test. Nerijus Valskis, the deadly finisher, smacked the bar in the fourth minute and peppered his target with shots but was not able to get past the in-form Arindam Bhattacharja in the first half.
Hernandez scored the only goal of the half for ATK when he received a cross from Roy Krishna on the left. Unmarked, he slammed a half volley into the ground and it bounced past the outstretched Chennaiyin keeper Vishal Kaith. It was the midfielder's first goal of the campaign, and later in the closing minutes of the game, he would cap off a memorable night by getting his second.
With Krishna limping off, ATK's David Williams took on the mantle of tormentor in chief. On the counter, minutes into the second half, Williams supplied the ball to an onrushing Edu Garcia as Chennaiyin players failed to catch up to him. Garcia swung a shot hard and low into the bottom right corner to double the lead.
Despite the brilliance of attacking midfielder Rafael Crivellaro, Chennaiyin were unable to break the resolute ATK defence for most of the game. A frustrated Lalrinzuala Chhangte pulled one wide and often tried getting on the end of Crivellaro's incisive passes, but was outmuscled every time.
As Chennaiyin threw bodies into the ATK box, it was inevitable that they would open their account with the ATK defenders sitting deep. Valskis finally found the net with a ferocious strike in the 69th minute and ATK coach Antonio Habas and his men started to look worried.
Chennaiyin were relentless but as the finish line approached, they started to look tired, which was again where ATK caught them off guard. Hernandez put the icing on the cake after rounding the keeper on the break in stoppage time.
The statistics would tell a story of its own: Chennaiyin commanded 62 per cent of the ball possession, completed 75 per cent of their passes (as against ATK's 57 per cent) and flung in 26 crosses (ATK had just seven).
This Chennai team is nothing like the two squads that played and won in finals under Marco Materrazi (2015) and John Gregory (2018). Ditching Materazzi's "dirty" football and the pragmatic approach under Gregory, Coyle's pupils played a charged attacking football in the final like they did under him on every other day since his arrival.
Yet it wasn't to be. Antonio Habas's well-drilled men seemed like the only team that could contain the Chennaiyin this year, and they did it with efficiency on the day it actually mattered.
Though two quality sides faced off in this title clash, the game will always be remembered for the empty stands in front of which it was unfortunately played. To make up for it, there were posters and tifos hanging from the stands as reminders to the players that their fan armies were backing them from behind their screens. And, just like that, it is curtains on a narrative-packed season as the ISL trophy returns to Kolkata.
End of the season awards:
Golden glove: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Golden boot: Nerijus Valskis
Emerging player: Sumit Rathi
Hero of the League: Hugo Boumous
