Maziya need to find their feet before it is too late

If only a football match is over as soon as one team scores Maziya would have been the winner. But that is not how it goes in football and it is all about what happen in those 90 minutes. If you score you need to defend it adroitly and if you concede you must score twice to be on the winning side.  Maziya had nothing going for them and they should blame themselves for the mistakes they should have avoided yesterday against a team of New Radiant’s calibre. 

New Radiant always had advantage over Maziya in terms of the couple of individually brilliant players they had. They were in the mood to do maximum damage and atone for their lethargic performance in the last two games. Whether Ashfaq or Tom, whenever they get the ball they run at Maziya defenders as if they are late for something, leaving them in urgent need of more oxygen.

In contrast Maziya left their management wondering if a more ruthless and refined finisher would have done the job for them. Too many glorious chances went begging, their strikers failing to make the vital connection.  

May be this is the moment Maziya have to seriously consider to test those three foreigners who have joined them on trial. If any of them can turn those numerous opportunities to goal they can surely jump few places up the table easily.

Time for New Radiant to dispel supporters’ disappointment

 

New Radiant is not presently playing the kind of football that were expected of them. In the last two matches against Maziya and Victory respectively, they managed a single goal. More than a clear-cut goal it was fluke, though Ali Umar will take all the credit for the way it dipped over Maziya keeper and into the net. Ashfaq has not particularly enjoyed in the last two outings, in fact he is poor and wasteful, his counterpart Tom not having done any kind of justice either.

With Oppo in the midst they have national team strike force but he is playing hide-and-seek, going in and out of the team - if not for a double-yellow suspension or then for an injury. Perhaps Father Time is taking a toll on the weary joints and limbs.

For lack of genuine attacking midfielder now that Oppo is also missing, in most of the games, strikers are starved of services. Tactical discipline is also more relaxed as too much of individual play has cost them goal-scoring opportunities.

Today they meet Maziya in the second round and some weary supporters are already in accusing mood, for the players for lack whole-hearted display and passion, for Mohan’s ineffective tactics. If Maziya sneaks through, big-spending club from Henvairu will have one or two to say about coach’s effectiveness in the dugout!!

Maziya slip up

Pressure is piling up for Maziya to secure a place in the top four. With their last three match against heavyweights like VB Sports, Victory and New Radiant in the final round of league, they are in for nervy time. With a maximum of 6 points in their next two games almost assured of – against AYL & Thoddu – how the resurgent Velencia does have huge bearing for Maziya’s status in the top four. All is not lost however, as Imma’s Maziya could have few surprise up its kitty. Watch it!