Arindam Basu
Self destruction is usually defined as “the voluntary
destruction of something by itself.” In human terms we are talking about
counter-productive and ultimately self-destructive behaviour patterns which can cause irreparable damage,
either deliberately or inadvertently. It’s a fatal umbrella for a variety of
self-damaging tendencies from doing things that always seem to backfire, to
habitual self-harm, to suicidal recklessness. The match between Atletico de
Kolkata and Chennaiyin FC was a veritable display of all three in various
phases.
And let me add with a little caution, if ATK don’t change,
they will pay a price too dear sooner than later.
ATK began like a clever moocher soaking in all the
verve of the home team before bursting out in counterattacks. It was from one
of the counter when Luis Garcia, please all take a bow, sent an adventurous ball
into the penalty box that Md Rafi latched on to before being brought down by
Chennaiyin FC goalie Shilton Paul. Garcia walks up and scores from the spot. 1-0
for ATK. Chennaiyin FC down to 10 men. Game set and match all would say.
Garcia’s penetration, Borja’s prodigal run, Jofre’s
intelligence in the final third was slowly making life difficult for Chennai.
Garcia tested Bracigliano with a sharpshooter. Then Borja sent a teasing aerial
ball from the Beckham zone that had the lanky goalie backtrack gingerly only in
time to keep the trajectory out. Baljit made a mess of a volley from close.
It was time to sit back. Slow down. Enjoy. And feed on
time like a hungry leech. But then referee walks into the scene and acts as the
proverbial biblical serpent inducing into Jofre the viral Narcissist syndrome.
He collects the first yellow of the match for an unnecessary walk over on
Elano. The germs of destruction had set in.
After the change over, Jofre carried on where he left.
Only this time he was brought down by Gourmangi Singh and ATK should have got a
penalty and Gourmangi Singh a yellow. Instead the ref thought Borja did enough
play acting for one evening. A second yellow for simulation and suddenly
Chennai got a lifeline. ATK paid the price for their habitual self-harm.
Thereafter the game had slowed down, picked pace and
went along the sidewalk as tired legs and frayed nerves took over. Balwant and
Jeje were injected into the match to yield result, Sanju and Masih brought in
to maintain status quo. Balwant nearly scored thought unwittingly and Mendy put
plug on a bullet that Sanju triggered.
And after a series of such anti-climax as the match had
slipped into injury time, Kingshuk does the unthinkable. A suicidal moment of
recklessness saw Chennai’s Valencia brought down and Elano Blumer doesn’t need
a second invite to score from the spot. ATK threw away the three points they
had in their coffer and much like a vagrant moocher returned with just one point,
five yellow cards and one red.
Still undefeated. Still on top. But only just. With
time running out of the hourglass!
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