ISL Matchweek 14 Recap: Mumbai continue unbeaten run, while Odisha take advantage of faltering Goa

Their
4-0
dominance
of
a
team
that
was
unbeaten
in
eight
games
and
playing
with
a
heavy
press
gameplan,
was
a
signal
that
their
unrelenting
strategy
could
well
be
putting
them
in
line
as
an
unbeatable
force.

Elsewhere,
Odisha
FC
pushed
ahead
of
FC
Goa
in
a
see-sawing
battle
for
the
last
two
playoff
spots
over
the
last
few
weeks.
With
FC
Goa
going
down
at
home
against
defending
champions
Hyderabad
FC.

Odisha
came
from
behind
to
win
3-1
against
East
Bengal
to
give
them
the
advantage
over
Goa.
OFC
are
now
just
one
point
from
4th
placed
ATK
Mohun
Bagan,
who
have
a
game
in
hand.

Chennaiyin
were
held
into
a
draw
against
Jamshedpur
while
Bengaluru’s
win
over
NorthEast
didn’t
change
a
lot
for
them
in
terms
of
the
table
positions.

Mumbai
City’s
goal-fest
halfway
into
the
league
giving
Invincibles
dreams:

The
tie
between
Mumbai
City
FC
and
Kerala
Blasters
FC
was
touted
as
a
blockbuster
as
the
two
in-form
sides
went
against
each
other.
However,
by
the
time
Kerala
Blasters
had
any
time
to
process
what
was
happening
at
the
Mumbai
Football
Arena,
they
had
already
shipped
four
goals
in
22
minutes.
Both
sides
have
built
their
dominance
on
courageous
attacking
play
so
far,
but
that
philosophy
could
not
help
the
Blasters
from
a
4-0
loss
to
Mumbai
City.

It
has
also
raised
a
point
on
whether
any
team
in
the
league
is
going
to
beat
Mumbai
City
FC.
Hyderabad
FC
are
the
only
side
in
the
league
who
have
conceded
goals
in
the
single-digits
this
season
while
also
being
the
second-highest
scoring
team.
Are
we
headed
for
the
first-ever
instance
of
an
Invincibles
ISL
team?
They
are
already
the
fastest
to
40
goals
and
not
far
away
from
the
league’s
scoring
record
–
a
favourable
result
in
early
February
against
Hyderabad
FC
could
set
them
up
for
even
more
honours.

Bartholomew
Ogbeche
goes
past
Iain
Hume:

A
team
that
knows
a
thing
or
two
about
dominant
goal-scoring
seasons
is
Hyderabad
FC
who
topped
the
league
last
season
on
goals
scored.
They
might
yet
better
it
though
as
Bartholomew
Ogbeche,
a
big
reason
behind
their
dominance
last
season,
seems
to
be
inching
back
towards
his
best.
Hero
ISL’s
all-time
top
scorer
bagged
his
fourth
career
hat-trick
on
Thursday,
to
go
past
Iain
Hume
and
set
a
new
record.
His
tally
for
the
season
now
stands
at
seven
and
could
well
move
into
double
digits
if
he
continues
his
current
form.

Mauricio
hauls
Odisha
FC
out
of
their
lull,
FC
Goa
playing
catch-up
again:

Diego
Mauricio’s
adrenaline
wasn’t
letting
him
leave
when
he
was
subbed
off
while
on
a
hat-trick
against
East
Bengal
FC,
but
he
was
smiling
as
widely
as
his
head
coach
Josep
Gombau
by
the
time
the
final
whistle
was
blown.
Odisha
FC
were
in
the
midst
of
a
four-game
winless
streak,
without
scoring
in
three
of
those.

Goa,
on
the
other
hand,
suffered
a
1-3
home
defeat
at
the
hands
of
Hyderabad
and
see
them
holding
the
final
playoff
position.
Although
they
are
four
points
ahead
of
the
7th-placed
Chennaiyin
FC,
the
Gaurs
need
to
buckle
up
and
find
the
rhythm
soon.

(With
inputs
from
Agency)