Mumbai City FC do not want to be a counter-attacking team. They want to control proceedings, they want to keep possession and they want to build patiently. But the problem is, whenever they've tried that, they've been frustrated into a bad result.
And in the two games that they've played on the break — pressing high, holding tight at the back and playing with a high intensity, unafraid of bookings and freekicks — they've won. After Delhi Dynamos, Mumbai City have now beaten FC Goa 2-0, and are equal on points with the Indian Super League's defending champions Atletico de Kolkata after spending much of the season in 7th and 8th position.
A team should always play to its strengths and Mumbai City seem comfortable counter-attacking with pace, creativity and power up front. Add to that their pressing abilities and the fact that most of their attacks and goals have come from two or three players surging forward with devastating effect.
Mumbai City's assistant coach Oscar Bruzon admitted that they're really good on the counter, but denied that this was the hallmark of the team.
"We're good at counter-attacking, but that is not the brand of football we want to always play," he said.
But there's no point in changing their ways. With Sunil Chhetri now the fulcrum of the side and Sony Norde creating havoc down the left, Mumbai should stick to doing what they do best. This also involves seeing out a period of dominance from their opposition which is bound to come in every match. That's the way football works. If your defence is solid and able to withstand a period of pressure, and your attack lethal on the counter, it's not a bad combination.
Bruzon also said that they tried to play the way they want to — the ideal 'controlled and measured' way, but FC Goa started brighter and exposed this in the first 20 minutes.
"We tried to control possession but Goa started well in first 20 minutes. We then asked Norde to take his old position (left-wing) after facing some trouble on the wings. Actually, we started in 4-4-2..." and then they shifted to a 4-2-3-1, a plan B which should in fact be Mumbai's plan A.
Consider all the highlights that Mumbai City have produced in the last 180 minutes of football they have played. Chhetri's first goal against Delhi came off a break, his second after Gabriel Fernandes' early cross from the right made its way to Norde to lay it off for the Indian captain.
Against Goa, Gabriel crossed early again, withholding the temptation to build when he could have chosen a safer pass. Frederic Piquionne was fouled and Chhetri converted the penalty. The second came from a quick, short, planned freekick. The chances they created — Chhetri's chipped attempt, Norde's fizzing shot and Piquionne's one-on-one attempt, all came from quick breaks. Mumbai created three goalscoring chances by pressing high in the final third. FC Goa were simply not ready for this sort of onslaught and only came back in the game when Mumbai City had a two-goal cushion.
With Cristian Bustos, tough tackling and dominating in midfield, and Juan Aguilera, graceful merchant of long-range passing, comes a solid combination in midfield which is willing to track back and fill the pockets of space which open up when Mumbai's four attackers go forward.
In Pavel Čmovš and Darren O'Dea, they have two no-nonsense centre-backs. And in Lalchhuanmawia Fanai and Ashutosh Mehta, they have two fullbacks who can cross, dribble and shoot. It's a team made to attack — swiftly and cunningly. To push this group of players to patiently build will, and in fact already has, backfired.
With Nicolas Anelka getting a few minutes and even creating two chances, Mumbai City could be entering a period of good form. They face NorthEast United next, a team which plays in the same way — that will be the acid test. And Mumbai should not prepare any differently than they have in the last two matches.
