Jamshedpur FC 1-1 Chennaiyin FC: 3 Reasons why the visitors only managed a draw | ISL 2019-20

#2 The referee masks Jamshedpur FC’s attacking ineptness

Farukh Choudhary

For the contest against Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur were missing the services of Piti and their talismanic striker, Sergio Castel. With the latter injured, the hosts decided to field Sumeet Passi in a slightly unfamiliar role as the target man. And unsurprisingly, Jamshedpur failed to get going throughout the game.

For large stretches, their offensive play looked devoid of ideas, meaning that they lacked the requisite incision to scythe through the visitors’ defence. Though Farukh sparkled intermittently, the lack of support around him was discernible as the hosts failed to create anything of note.

CK Vineeth, despite seeming promising, again failed to turn in a consistent display whereas Passi also looked a fish out of water in his new role. And, to add to their woes, Noe Acosta went off with a suspected shoulder injury as the brunt of the creative responsibility fell on Indian shoulders.

More worryingly though, in Castel’s absence, Jamshedpur failed to display an alternative game-plan. They kept pinging long passes hoping for someone to make them stick while their choice of crosses from a promising position also left an awful lot to be desired.

Consequently, the majority of half-chances they created were from set-pieces and long throw-ins.

And, while they eventually managed to restore parity courtesy a scruffy equaliser, which also included Farukh’s rendition of the ‘Hand of God’, the match on Monday posed a lot more questions than answers.