AFC Cup 2021 Ratings: Joni Kauko silver lining for ATKMB in humbling night

The Mariners suffered a shambolic defeat at the inter-zone semi-final on Wednesday night.

ATK Mohun Bagan were completely outplayed by FC Nasaf as they lost 6-0 in the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semi-finals on Wednesday. Khusain Norchaev scored a brilliant hat-trick as Antonio Lopez Habas' men hardly had any answers on a forgetful evening.

There were a lot of expectations on ATK Mohun Bagan as they prepared for the big clash against FC Nasaf. However, the outcome was polar opposite as the match clearly highlighted the difference in class between the two sides. The Mariners conceded six goals while they failed to score against Uzbeks.

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Here are how the ATK Mohun Bagan players performed against FC Nasaf on Wednesday night.

Amrinder Singh (GK) - 3.5

It was a tough night for ATK Mohun Bagan custodian Amrinder. He faced 29 shots from all sides of the pitch and he mostly had little or no answers to them. He was lucky that Bazorov missed the penalty otherwise the fate could have been worse for the Mariners.

Ashutosh Mehta - 3.0

Mehta started at right-back over Prabir Das and he had an evening to forget just like the other ATK Mohun Bagan defenders. He could not contain Nasaf left-back Sherzod Nasrullaev. The youngster is known for his daunting runs and exceptional cross and he haunted Mehta for the entirety of the game.

Pritam Kotal - 3.0

An off day at the office for Pritam Kotal as he never looked in control against the fast Nasaf forwards. Players like Bozorov and Norchaev ran riot and he hardly came up with any answers. The second half was a bit easier as Nasaf dropped the intensity but overall, it was a very poor outing by the India international.

Carl McHugh - 3.0

McHugh was pretty decent as a centre-back in the AFC Cup group stages. But he looked out of sorts against Nasaf. There was hardly any understanding between him and Pritam Kotal. The Irishman showed some character and courage in the second half, won a few ground duels but it simply was not enough.

Subhasish Bose - 3.0

Subhasish was always on his toes for the entirety of the game as he had to defend the forward runs of Saitov and Nurullaev. He struggled to keep up with the Nasaf players, therefore, minimizing his attacking threat as a full-back.

Sk Sahil - 3.0

It was too big an occasion for the young midfielder. He was losing his marker often and failed to provide a much-needed cohesion in midfield that the squad needed. ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Habas subbed him off at the start of the second half and brought on Liston Colaco to add more attacking presence.

Lenny Rodrigues - 4.5

The experienced Goan midfielder had some decent spells but was underwhelming just like the entire team. Lenny tried his best to keep Stanojevic quiet but could not contain Aburakhimov as he made some darting runs through the centre.

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Joni Kauko - 5.5

Probably the best player on the field for ATK Mohun Bagan as he showed some spark in midfield. Kauko looked good in patches and won duels in the middle and look good with the ball at his feet. It was a tough debut for the Finnish midfielder but he certainly looks like a great addition for the Mariners.

David Williams - 4.5

It was a very difficult game for the Australian forward as he seldom received any support from the midfield. Williams had to drop deep and help out his teammates in the middle but it was simply not working for the Indian Super League outfit. He made some decent runs through the left channel but it simply did not work out.

Roy Krishna - 4.0

The Fijian star forward was very underwhelming against Nasaf and spent the game mostly devoid of any ball supply from the midfield. He made some runs but was entirely restricted by Umarbek Eshmurodov. He was completely neutralized by the Nasaf defenders and got no space to run behind the defensive line.

Manvir Singh - 4.0

The Indian international made a few runs down the channels and showed some desire to push forward but he was pegged back as he had to push back to support Mehta on the right flank. Apart from venturing forward and creating chances for Krishna, Manvir had to track back and help the backline as they were bombarded with runs and crosses from Nasrullaev and Bozorov.

Substitutions

Michael Soosairaj - 4.0

Soosairaj came on for Manvir Singh, marking his return after a long spell on the sidelines due to injury. However, his return was not the way he would have liked. The 26-year-old tried making some runs but on most occasions was overwhelmed against the Nasaf defenders.

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Liston Colaco - 4.0

Came on for Sahil at the start of the second half to inject more attacking impetus into the side. But just like the entire team, he struggled to find his feet and failed to connect with his fellow forwards.

Abhishek Suryavanshi - N/A

The youngster came on for Joni Kauko with two minutes remaining in the match and did not make any worthwhile impact.

Kiyan Nassiri - N/A

The young winger came on for David Williams alongside Abhishek at the final minutes of the match and did not have any notable impact.

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