ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata showed they have depth, but wastefulness a worry before playoffs

FC Pune City held Atletico de Kolkata to yet another frustrating draw at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium as the final group match for both clubs ended in a 0-0 stalemate. With Atletico having already qualified for the knockouts and Pune City eliminated from the race, the match was a dead rubber and both managers tinkered with their starting line-ups. [caption id=“attachment_3137658” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Action between Atletico de Kolkata and FC Pune City. ISL[/caption] While Jose Molina handed out starts to Dani Mallo, Kinshuk Debnath, Ofentse Nato and Bidyananda Singh for the first time this season, Arindam Bhattacharya made his first appearance of the season for FC Pune City in goal. Atletico’s remarkable squad depth was evident on a night when they outplayed the visitors in almost every aspect of the game but did not have a goal for their efforts. Here are four takeaways from Atletico’s fifth draw at home this season: 1. Abinash Ruidas: A star in the making The Indian Super League (ISL) has unearthed a number of young Indian talents over the last two seasons, most notably TP Rehenesh and Sandesh Jhingan. Abinash Ruidas is the latest addition to that list. The East Bengal winger has been an absolute revelation on the left flank. Atletico de Kolkata had signed a trio of promising youngsters in Ruidas, Lalrindika Ralte and Bidyananda ahead of the third season. While all eyes were on the prodigal Ralte, it is his East Bengal teammate from the suburbs of Kolkata who has become fundamental to Molina’s plans. Ruidas’ pace and dribbling skills has always been his forte, but the youngster has added to his repertoire as the season progressed. Against FC Pune City, Ruidas constantly flummoxed Rahul Bheke (one of the brighter elements in Pune’s disappointing season) with his directness as well as his tendency to drift into the inside channel at crucial junctures of play. It was Ruidas’ movement in the 22nd minute which drew Bheke away from his position and allowed Keegan Pereira to go on an overlapping run and send in a sublime cross for the misfiring Juan Belencoso. His pinpoint crosses into the 18-yard-box have regularly created goalscoring chances for Molina’s side. Known for his immense work rate, Ruidas’ ability to read match situations and hold off the defenders when in possession has improved with every match he has played. In Sameehg Doutie’s continuous absence, this 22-year-old will be key for Atletico’s chances in the semi-finals. 2. Goals continue to elude Atletico Atletico have registered 68 shots on target over the course of the season, the second most in the league, but have found the back of the net on only 16 occasions. Belencoso played upfront against FC Pune City as Helder Postiga and Iain Hume were rested with the knockouts in mind, but put in one of the worst performances possible for a centre forward of his calibre. Belencoso failed to hit the target from within the six-yard box on as many as four instances in a variety of match situations. Whether it was a free header in the first half or a simple tap in after Bhattacharya had saved Stephen Pearson’s shot late into the second half, Belencoso fluffed every chance which came his way. Molina has put more importance on creating chances than scoring goals when it comes to judging performances, but the Spaniard had to admit that Atletico’s display in the opposition box was “absolutely not good”. Talking about his team’s inability to score goals and how it would affect their semi-final prospects, Molina added, “I think we had chances in those matches which we did not win and I think we played well in them, and right now the most important thing is that we are going to play the semi-finals and it is a new beginning and now we are going to try to score more goals and play better. We are going to keep working in the same way and trying to improve to make it to the final.” 3. FC Pune City needs a complete revamp For the 12,000-strong Kolkata crowd, the animated and incessantly vocal figure of Antonio Habas on the touchline was a familiar sight. The city loves their team’s former manager who still gets mobbed by fans every time he is seen on the streets of Kolkata. However, it was anything but a sweet homecoming for the 59-year-old whose side was outclassed by Atletico on the pitch and only managed to secure one point due to Belencoso’s lack of precision in front of the goal and Bhattacharya’s quality goalkeeping. The Stallions had hardly threatened Mallo’s goal until Adama Traore came on in the second half. FC Pune City would need sweeping changes in their squad, especially in the frontline which has been sub-par all through the season. “I have one more year on my contract with Pune City and I am happy, and I will try to build a good team for the next season and we are working on this,” a circumspect Habas reflected on Pune City’s dissatisfying season. 4. Is ‘home advantage’ Atletico’s albatross? The scheduling and the opponent Atletico will face in the semi-finals will not be decided until the last match between Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United, but it would be safe to presume that Molina will hardly be bothered should Atletico need to play the crucial ‘second leg’ away from home. Five of Atletico’s eight draws have come at the Rabindra Sarobar stadium and the former champions need to come up with a new plan, for the knockouts will be a completely different ballgame. The underwhelming displays from Atletico’s forwards did not matter over the course of 14 matches, mostly due to poor showings from other clubs, but unless the likes of Hume and Postiga can find their golden touch in front of the goal, ‘home advantage’ could very well backfire for Molina’s team.