ISL: Player of the Week - Siverio, Jamshedpur FC's 'Man of Steel'

Javier Siverio, the Spanish striker for Jamshedpur FC, came into his own in the Indian Super League (ISL) clash against Punjab FC on Friday, December 13.

In a fiery display of form and goal-scoring prowess, Siverio netted a brace to lead his team to a 2-1 victory at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur.

The win propelled Jamshedpur FC back into the top six of the ISL 2024-25 standings.

Siverio breaks deadlock

Although Jamshedpur FC controlled the game from the beginning, enjoying a 52.3 per cent of possession, their efforts to score were unsuccessful initially.

After Rei Tachikawa missed the target for Jamshedpur FC, Siverio stepped up and broke the deadlock in injury time of the first half with a brilliant goal.

The breakthrough came from a long throw-in by Shubham Sarangi, directed towards Stephen Eze inside the Punjab box.

Eze used his aerial prowess to head the ball to Javi Hernandez, who delivered a headed pass to Siverio at the centre of the box.

The Spanish youngster adjusted his position before unleashing a precise shot into the bottom left corner, as the Men of Steel went into the half-time break with a one-goal lead.

Punjab FC retaliated immediately after the break, with Ezequiel Vidal scoring in the 46th minute. But they could never recuperate into the fast-paced game played by Jamshedpur FC.

Siverio completes a brace

With the game evenly poised for a draw, Jamshedpur FC rattled Punjab FC's defence with waves of attacks and reaped the rewards in the 84th minute.

The Jamshedpur defence calmly absorbed pressure before unlocking the opposition with captivating quick passes. This sequence saw Nikhil Barla sprint into the final third and deliver an accurate cross, which Siverio nodded home.

Having also scored against Mohammedan Sporting on December 2, Siverio's tally for the season now stands at four goals.

The goal against Punjab FC was his fourth in the league.

Interestingly, when Siverio finds the net, Jamshedpur FC’s chances of success skyrocket.

The Spaniard, who extended his contract with the club in July 2024, has proven to be the Red Mariners' lucky charm - the team remain unbeaten in 17 ISL matches whenever Siverio scores.

With Khalid Jamil's Jamshedpur FC set to face East Bengal in Kolkata on December 21, the in-form Siverio's confidence will soak. And he will now aim to dazzle once again and prove his mettle.

As Siverio continues to find the net regularly, Jamshedpur FC will look to climb higher in the ISL points table. They currently occupy sixth place with 18 points from 10 matches.