In a do-or-die game, Delhi Dynamos FC defeated NorthEast United FC 2-1 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati, keeping alive their chances of securing a top four finish in the Indian Super League (ISL) and qualifying for the semifinals.
A tournament comeback would have been highly improbable for Delhi -- who had seven points from nine matches before the game -- had they lost or even drawn. The result lifted Delhi level on 10 points with the Highlanders, their hosts for the evening.
Delhi and the Highlanders occupy the last two positions in the tournament standings. But both franchises are only two points behind fourth-placed FC Goa. The two Maharashtra teams -- FC Pune and Mumbai City FC -- are in fifth and sixth positions respectively. But they are level on points with Goa, with a lower goal difference, in what is turning out to be a five-way thriller to claim the fourth spot.
The 26,749 home fans rooting for the Highlanders were disappointed that their team could not claim a win at home to move into fourth place ahead of Goa. Visiting Delhi manager Harm Van Veldhoven surprisingly left Italian World Cup winner and former Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero on the bench.
In Del Piero's absence, Delhi's Brazilian midfielder Gustavo Dos Santos stepped up to score his team's first goal in the sixth minute and set up teammate Hans Mulder for the second in the 14th. Kondwani Mtonga picked up an 80th minute consolation goal for the home side.
Delhi silenced the home crowd when Francis Fernandes played the ball to Dos Santos who dribbled past two players before finishing with his left foot.
In the 14th minute, Dos Santos controlled a loose ball and lobbed it across for Mulder, who turned his marker for dead and shot past Highlanders' custodian TP Rehenesh.
NorthEast were given a boost when Delhi were reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes of the first half. Souvik Chakraborty was shown a second yellow after pulling the shirt of Issac Chansa.
The home team took full advantage of their numerical superiority in the second half. But they could not convert their chances. They finally got their breakthrough with ten minutes remaining. Koke's corner was headed in by Mtonga. But Delhi saw out the rest of the game.
Delhi coach Harm Van Veldhoven said the reason to leave out Del Piero for the game was tactical. "Today was not the game for Alessandro. If we had played him we would have had to play very high up the pitch. Today, we played more on the counter-attack and that's not really the game for him," said Veldhoven.
Delhi host Mumbai City on Nov. 28 while NorthEast United play league leaders Chennaiyin FC a day earlier.