Football
Debayan Sen 7y

Bolt that door, Gianluca

"Italian football is not about catenaccio alone. It is also about offence and defence working in tandem. This is the philosophy that I want to bring to Delhi Dynamos as well -- how to defend with 11 players and also attack with 11 men."

This was Gianluca Zambrotta, former World Cup winner for Italy and the head coach of Delhi Dynamos in their third ISL season, speaking to ESPN about a fortnight ahead of their first match of 2016, when asked what makes Italian football and their systems so sound in defence. Catenaccio, literally "door-bolt", is a term for the typically stifling defensive organisation synonymous with Italian football, and has been used to devastating effect by coaches across club and country, especially in the last century.

Zambrotta has inherited a Delhi Dynamos team that impressed with its defensive solidity in 2015 under Roberto Carlos, another World Cup-winning defender just like him, and surprised a lot of teams with their ability to grind out late goals and wins on their way to the playoffs for the first time. Souvik Chakraborty at right back and Anas Edathodika as centre-back were exceptional, both playing their second seasons with Delhi then, and back now for their third year with the team.

This year has been strange. Zambrotta has put together a team that looks exquisite when moving forward, but seems to suffer far too many moments of indecision when defending their goal. The signs were visible in the opening match against Chennaiyin FC, when Delhi came away with a 3-1 win, but the first half saw a lot of communication gaps between the back four and goalkeeper Antonio Doblas. Ruben Gonzalez, a former Real Madrid first team player, looked their best player on the night, and has been one of the constant factors ever since. Doblas injured himself in the following game against Kerala Blasters, and Anas pulled a muscle that also ruled him out for a few games before returning on Thursday against Pune City.

Drawing 1-1 against Pune would be a relief, one that was visible when Milan Singh scored his first ISL goal and immediately ran towards the touchline where Zambrotta was waiting with a rare smile on his face. It was more of a pressure release, because until that rare moment when Edel Bete was unsighted by a maze of bodies from where Milan released his shot, Delhi had looked like doing everything on the night but scoring. Their midfield and attacking line were operating well from kick-off, with Florent Malouda exerting the most influence he has done in any of his starts this year. Some of his interplay with Marcelo Pereira, Richard Gadze, Rupert Nongrum and Milan was worth paying a hefty ticket fee for, but there was no way past Edel in the Pune goal.

Delhi's defending on the night was never convincing. The first crack appeared when Tato was released with a harmless looking pass at a time when Ruben had advanced a fair way out. Ghanian left-back David Addy ran alongside him and was probably hoping for Anas to cut across and create less space for the Spaniard, but instead Tato was given a free run into the box, before a clearance came in. Ruben was infuriated at the lack of communication, one that also allowed Tato to get a goal in with a cushioned header into an unmanned far post from Rahul Bheke's cross from the right.

Milan got the goal, but was perhaps lucky to be on the pitch at that stage. He had started losing his cool close to the hour-mark, not long after Marcelo had missed slotting the ball into an open goal in the 53rd minute. First the young Manipuri made an over-eager tackle on Tato, and a minute later went flying into Mohamed Sissoko, a challenge for which he was only given a yellow.

For Delhi Dynamos, this is a double whammy of sorts, because just five nights before this, they had put in a rousing attacking performance away to Atletico de Kolkata, and seemed set for an away win when they won a penalty in the second half. Marcelo blasted the ball over Debjit Majumder, who had already pulled off some incredible saves in the match. When the game restarted, young Delhi centre-back Lalchhawnkima pulled Sameehg Doutie down, and Iain Hume's penalty meant Kolkata ran out 1-0 winners and broke Delhi's unbeaten run in the process.

They are winless since their first game this season, and have played out three successive draws at home. They have only registered one clean sheet this season, in a tepid goalless draw away to Kerala Blasters.

If Delhi Dynamos are to qualify for the playoffs, there's enough firepower up front to suggest the goals will keep coming for them. If there's work to be done, it is in defence.

Perhaps bolting the door could be a good start by Zambrotta.

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