Football
I-League: Draw fest as Rajasthan United, Aizawl, Sreenidi, and Real Kashmir share points
It was a draw fest in the I-League as Rajasthan United, Aizawl, Sreenidi Deccan, and Real Kashmir all took a point home after their respective encounters ended in stalemates.
Aizawl FC secured a crucial away point against Rajasthan United, keeping their survival hopes alive with a 1-1 draw.
Despite strong pressure from Rajasthan, Aizawl's defense held firm, while a late chance from Lalbiakdika saw them miss a potential winner.
Sreenidi Deccan FC also played out a 1-1 draw with Real Kashmir FC.
After falling behind, Deccan equalized through Eli Sabia before both teams struggled to break the deadlock in the second half.
Aizawl FC snatch an away point from Rajasthan United
Aizawl FC took a hugely valuable point against Rajasthan United.
With their two other relegation rivals scheduled to play each other later in the week, the point keeps Aizawl’s heads over water for now. While the team from the northeast now have 10 points from 13 matches, Rajasthan United moved to fourth place with 20 points from 13 outings.
Rajasthan United are unbeaten in the last nine matches and have logged 17 points.
In a sedate first half, Aizawl were boxed in by a rampant Rajasthan United midfield keen to impress their dominance on the game.
The hosts had astutely identified Aizawl’s weakness in dealing with set pieces in the past, and flooded numbers into the box at every opportunity. To Md Rafique Ali Sardar’s credit, he handled the deliveries, as well as organised his defenders well to avoid calamities.
The first real chance came for Aizawl, from a set piece. From thirty yards out to the left of the goal, Lalbiakdika curled in a shot toward the near corner, forcing Bhabindra Malla Thakuri into a sharp diving save.
Rajasthan were profligate with their possession and only registered one weak shot on target in the first half. Aizawl had a second chance right at the end of the half, Laltlanzova driving in from the right to shoot from outside the box. Thakuri gathered with ease.
Rajasthan’s first real chance came in the second half, when Lucas Cabral, having picked up Ronaldo Johnson’s pass, shot with his left foot from outside the box. Ali Sardar’s diving save was enough to deny Rajasthan the opener.
As time ticked by, the game petered out into a back-and-forth clash between two sides determined to protect a clean sheet, Aizawl in particular putting bodies on the line in defence. The best chance fell to Johnson in injury time, when he pounced on a rebound off a corner, his acrobatic scissor kick volley on target, only to be hacked off the line by Lalhrezuala. It was heroic stuff from both ends, and the defender had saved his goalkeeper – increasingly nervous as the game wore on — from being positioned badly.
As has been their wont, Rajasthan’s attacks intensified the deeper they went into injury time. And yet, it was Aizawl who were presented the best chance to get the winner, when Lalbiakdika dribbled into the box, drew the Thakuri and two defenders before squaring the ball to Augustine Lalrochana near the penalty spot. The winger had all the time and an empty goal with defenders sprawling around. He blazed high.
Sreenidi Deccan FC play out 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir FC
Sreenidi Deccan FC played out a 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir FC in Round 13 of the I-League 2024-25.
Colombian forward Eli Sabia scored the only goal for the Deccan Warriors in the 42nd minute.
Sreenidi Deccan's assistant coach, Ishant Singh, made two changes to the starting lineup, bringing in Eli Sabia and Rolieny Bonevacia to replace Gurmukh Singh and William Oliveira.
The match was evenly contested from the start, with both teams searching for openings in each other's defense. In the 25th minute, Paulo Cezar of Real Kashmir managed to break past Sabia and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Aryan Lamba to give the visitors a crucial lead.
Trailing 1-0, Sreenidi Deccan FC began to control possession and create chances. Angel Orelien turned provider, delivering a precise cross to David Castaneda inside the box, who headed the ball past Real Kashmir's keeper to equalize in the 42nd minute. Despite continued pressure from the home side in the closing minutes of the first half, the score remained 1-1 at the break.
The second half saw both teams continue to challenge each other's defense, but solid performances from both goalkeepers kept the score level, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Sreenidi Deccan FC will next face Shillong Lajong FC at the SSA Stadium, Shillong, on February 14.
