135th Durand Cup: Rodriguinho nets five in SC Delhi’s seven-goal win over Defenders FC

Ranchi, Aug 7 (IANS) Brazilian forward Rodriguinho announced his arrival in Indian football in spectacular fashion, scoring five goals as SC Delhi demolished Defenders FC 7-0 for their second straight win in Group C of the 135th Durand Cup at the Birsa Munda Stadium on Friday.

The Brazilian struck a sensational five-goal haul on his first start for the club, while Mohammed Aimen and substitute Juan Sebastian Pena also found the back of the net as SC Delhi produced a dominating display from start to finish.

The victory took SC Delhi to the top of the Group C standings with six points from two matches, taking them closer to a place in the quarterfinals. Defenders FC, meanwhile, completed their group stage campaign without a point, suffering a third consecutive defeat of the tournament.

SC Delhi Head Coach Tomasz Tchórz made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Brazilian forward Rodriguinho and Colombian forward Duvan Mina in place of Joseph Sunny and the suspended Ashutosh Mehta, while on the other hand C.P. Wanigasooriya made just one change in the starting eleven with forward S. Aravinraj replacing A.A. Joseph in attack.

SC Delhi made a blistering start to the contest, racing into a three-goal lead inside the opening 13 minutes as new signing Rodriguinho announced himself in Indian football with a sensational quickfire hat-trick.

The Brazilian opened the scoring with a moment of individual quality, bringing down a pass expertly on his chest before spinning away from his marker and dispatching a composed left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Barely a minute later, he doubled both his tally and SC Delhi’s advantage. Mohammed Aimen threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into the striker’s path, and Rodriguinho made no mistake, guiding a first-time left-footed effort into the bottom corner.

Rodriguinho completed his dream debut moments later following another slick attacking move. Mohammed Azhar clipped a precise long ball over the defence to Yanglem Sanatomba Singh, who squared a low, accurate cross across the six-yard box. The Brazilian arrived unmarked and had the simplest of finishes, calmly slotting the ball into the net to complete a remarkable 13-minute hat-trick.

SC Delhi extended their advantage in the 34th minute, shortly after the first hydration break, with another incisive attacking move. Lalrinliana Hnamte picked out Mohammed Aimen with a perfectly weighted long ball after the winger timed his run to perfection. Aimen brought the ball under control with a fine first touch before calmly lifting his finish over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 4-0.

SC Delhi completely dominated the first half, controlling 61 per cent of the possession and dictating the tempo throughout. The hosts registered nine attempts on goal, five of which were on target, converting four with ruthless efficiency.

Defenders FC struggled to break out of their own half for long periods and managed just a single effort on goal before the interval. Their best opportunity came in first-half stoppage time when captain R.A.C. Madushan’s free-kick whistled narrowly past the post. It proved to be little more than a consolation attempt, as SC Delhi headed into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.

SC Delhi head coach Tomasz Tchórz made two changes at the break, introducing Juan Sebastian Peña and Mohammed Kaif, with the Colombian forward making an immediate impact. Peña quickly found himself at the heart of SC Delhi’s attacking moves, testing Defenders FC goalkeeper T.S. Priyashan twice from the edge of the penalty area. On both occasions, the Colombian unleashed powerful efforts that were well dealt with by the Sri Lankan custodian, who produced two smart saves to deny the substitute.

Defenders FC looked far more organised after the restart, showing greater defensive discipline to frustrate SC Delhi’s attacking rhythm. The Sri Lankan side denied the hosts any clear-cut opportunities, forcing them to rely on long-range efforts and set-piece situations for openings.

At the other end, Defenders FC attempted to exploit the spaces on the counter-attack by releasing their forwards with quick passes in transition. However, the SC Delhi backline remained alert throughout, reading the danger well and intercepting the passes before the attacks could develop into meaningful chances.

Defenders FC registered their first shot on target only in the 85th minute when L.C.P.K. Rathnayaka tried his luck from long range, forcing Nora Fernandes into a comfortable save. Moments later, SC Delhi came close to adding a fifth at the other end through 16-year-old substitute Thokchom Diamond Singh. The youngster showcased impressive skill to dribble past his marker before unleashing a left-footed effort, but Defenders FC goalkeeper T.S. Priyashan reacted sharply with a fine diving save.

SC Delhi added further gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages as Rodriguinho capped a wonderful evening with two more superbly taken goals. The Brazilian netted his fourth of the evening in the 89th minute, curling a brilliant left-footed effort into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

The hosts struck again in the second minute of stoppage time when substitute Juan Sebastian Peña got on the scoresheet with a left-footer after dribbling past two defenders inside the box to make it 6-0.

There was still time for one final flourish as Rodriguinho completed an extraordinary five-goal haul in the fifth minute of added time. The Brazilian once again displayed his clinical finishing with a composed left-footed strike to seal a memorable 7-0 victory, rounding off a dominant performance from SC Delhi.

Saturday’s matches:

Shillong Lajong FC vs Mumbay FC (Group E), 4:00 PM, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong

NorthEast United FC vs Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC (Group F), 7:00 PM, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati

–IANS

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