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Why Anirudh Thapa gaining momentum is a blessing for Chennaiyin FC

Published at :June 10, 2019 at 1:39 AM
Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM
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(Courtesy : ISL Media )

Shriman Visahan


The 21-year-old was the star performer in the India's King's Cup victory against Thailand.

Anirudh Thapa rising to the occasion in Thailand for the national team was exactly what Chennaiyin FC would have hoped ahead of their upcoming AFC Cup clash. The Marina Machans will be squaring off against Minerva Punjab on Wednesday, when they will look to solidify their position as the table-toppers in Group E.

Being the lone goalscorer in the third place playoff against Thailand in the King's Cup, the 21-year-old is in red-hot form. Thapa can add teeth to the Chennaiyin attack at crucial times with a deadly amalgam in a 4-2-3-1 setup. In the matches against Abahani Dhaka, Thapa played as the central midfielder behind Jeje Lalpekhlua and behind CK Vineeth in the return fixture. The Ahmedabad leg saw Thapa dominating the midfield and scoring despite the 66th minute injury to Lalpekhlua.

Having lost the striker to injury, it became the responsibility of Thapa to take charge of the team and try to play up the pitch. He provided ideal opportunities for his fellow midfielders as well, which was clearly visible in the second game.

A major factor that could possibly tilt the balance for other teams is that it's the off season for Indian football and the players who don't play for the national team have not been on the pitch for months. Thapa, on the other hand, has just returned from Thailand with a goal to his name. This morale boost and jog to the competitive muscles would definitely give him an edge over the players of Minerva who haven't seen much action recently.

The midfielder needs a calming influence beside him to play his natural game. In the national team, he had a solid defensive midfielder like Pronay Halder, Rowllin Borges or Amarjit Singh Kiyam covering from the back, which afforded him the creative space he needs. Simarly, at club level, With Dhanapal Ganesh coming in, he has now got the license to play freely in the middle of the park and can potentially wreck havoc in the Minerva midfield.

In 2016, the Marina Machans sent Thapa to the Warriors on a season-long loan, where he played in his natural #10 position for the newly-promoted team. Ironically, Minerva ended up winning the I-League in that very campaign. Followung that stint, he returned to Chennai and Thapa tasted success with the Marina Machans in the ISL.

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A few months ago when these teams locked horns, it was a lacklustre affair, which didn't see either netting a goal. The match saw Vineeth filling in the regular position of Thapa, while Lalpekhlua played as the primary striker. However, this time around, the former Kerala Blasters man is expected to take up the role of Lalpekhlua.

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Minerva are expected to deploy Sachin Badadhe's classic 4-3-3 formation. This would have Daniel Lalmuanpuia, Sreyas Gopalan and Makan Chote leading a formidable attack. However, Thapa has the ability to exploit the chink in their armour. 

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If the midfielder gets the protection to play freely in the form of a stable midfielder like Ganesh, he can push the play upfront and put the opposition attackers under pressure, who would have to then work a double shift across the field. Tiring them out by half-time is a strong possibility, as the stamina of the trident usually drains out by the final 20 minutes or so.

This time, Thapa has a lot to prove for himself with much more of a burden upon him, as the senior player in Lalpekhlua insn't there to lead the line.

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