Hyderabad FC vs Odisha FC: Who won yesterday's match?

Hyderabad FC had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Odisha FC in the 64th match of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) Season at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao, Goa. Hyderabad FC dominated the first half and even took the lead through Halicharan Narzary but Odisha FC held the upper hand for the remainder of the game.

The in-form Hyderabad FC got an early chance through Liston Colaco’s trickery. Colaco made a good pass to Mohammad Yasir but the latter’s effort wasn’t good enough. A long ball to Aridane Santana followed by a header to Colaco seemed to be the tactic although Jacob Tratt was alert to it in the 9th minute.

Right-back Asish Rai also seemed to be on his A-game as he bombed down the flank to put a low cross into the box. With Odisha FC goal-keeper Arshdeep Singh fumbling it, Halicharan Narzary got to the end of the ball but Tratt came to the team’s rescue once again.

Odisha FC resistance wasn’t going to last long as Halicharan Narzary took the lead in the 13th minute.

It was yet again a header from Aridane Santane that released Colaco down the right wing. However, the Goan winger still had a lot to do as he charged to the by-line before cutting the ball to Narzary. Narzary duly stroked it past Arshdeep Singh after being set up on the plate for a well-deserved lead.

The duo of Colaco and Rai continued to be lively but Odisha FC’s defense handled them better as the half progressed.

Halicharan Narzary too came very close to bagging a brace if not for the post. The Assamese winger received a nice pass from Aridane but his shot came back after striking the post. With just a few minutes to go in the first half, Arshdeep Singh kept Odisha FC in the game with a couple of brilliant saves off Colaco and Narzary.

In the second-half, Odisha FC looked like a different unit and they quickly equalized in the 51st minute. Diego Mauricio chested down a throw-in for Cole Alexander and the South African found the bottom-left corner with a clinical strike.

Hyderabad FC lost a key player in Narzary to an injury. They were also denied a penalty just before the hour-mark. Liston Colaco dribbled past Sajid Dhot and tried to lift a ball to the center of the box but it struck Gaurav Bora’s hand. Surprisingly, no Hyderabad FC player appealed for the penalty even though Bora’s hand was away from his body.

Thereafter, it was all Odisha FC as they created a flurry of chances. Unfortunately, Jerry Mawihmingthanga couldn’t find the shooting boots even as some superb opportunities fell for him. Even Manuel Onwu couldn’t bury a free header after the ball fell for him following Akash Mishra’s headed clearance, struck the cross-bar and came out.

A rare chance fell for Aridane Santana late in the second-half but he couldn’t keep his header on target from Roland Alberg’s corner kick.

Just a minute later, Akash Mishra came up with a goal-line clearance from Jerry’s shot. Jerry had another shot following Diego Mauricio’s hard-work to keep the move alive but he couldn’t connect the shot.

In the end, both the teams had to settle for a fair draw.

ISL 2020-21, HFC vs OFC: Who was the Hero of the Match?

Cole Alexander was all over the pitch to inspire Odisha FC for a comeback (Courtesy: ISL)

Cole Alexander was named as the ‘Hero of the Match’ for a typical hard-working performance throughout the 90 minutes. Alexander has been tagged along with Jorge Ortiz Mendoza as two of the best players in the league in terms of work-rate and this was on display again.

Just like Odisha FC, Cole Alexander bounced back to life in the second half with his second-ever ISL goal to equalize. The finish was remarkable as he was off-balance after receiving the ball from Diego Mauricio. The South African also came up with four interceptions and one tackle on the night.