I-League 2023-24: Real Kashmir beat TRAU FC, unbeaten in the league

Real Kashmir hustled their way to a 1-0 victory over TRAU FC in their second home game of the I-League 2023-24 season at the TRC Turf Stadium on November 4, 2023. The home side now have two wins from two in the league this season.

Real Kashmir have made it a habit of putting in tough, physically draining gritty performances at home early in the season and this was no different. In the early days of the season, the Snow Leopards gameplay often resembles that of a heavyweight boxer happy to win on points, rarely looking for a knockout blow, but also ensuring they aren’t at the receiving end of one.

The first half was a perfect example of this. With lesser possession, RKFC actually ended up with more shots on goal, 10 in all, even if a mere 3 were actually on target. It didn’t matter though, because one of them ended up in the goal anyway.

Contrary to expectations — and the trend that has been true — Real Kashmir’s goal was a thing of beauty, individual skill and teamplay combining in the perfect way possible. It started with a fairly innocuous run by Jeremy Laldinpuia on the left right on the edge of halftime. The winger had done this a few times through the half, and as he drove towards the byline, TRAU tracked back in numbers.

Jeremy cut in though this time, dropping a pair of defenders in his wake, before playing a delightful one-two with Gnohere Krizo. Krizo laid the return perfectly for him to curl a first-time effort into the bottom right. The TRC stands were justifiably thrilled to bits.

TRAU came out with more intent in the second period, but their possession and attacking intent was only aided by RKFC’s staunch refusal to concentrate solely on protecting their own lead. The home side were happy to park the bus in front of goal for a majority of the half and play on the counter.

Despite a late siege by TRAU on the RKFC goal, one that saw Thawan Marcus Goncalves and William Ribeiro Dos Reis miss two chances — the former from a looped header inside the box and the latter guilty of slashing high from 10 yards when hitting the target may have been easier.