Kolkata: Less than one minute before Javi Hernandez’s winner on Thursday, Jamshedpur FC had attempted a similar move, but the pass from Ritwik Das was too long for left-back Muhammed Uvais. Hernandez had started the move from near his own penalty area.
The Spaniard was slightly further up when Uvais found Das with a long ball in the 91st minute. With energy you wouldn’t associate with someone who would be 36 in June and who had run nearly 9 km — the second-most distance covered across teams — Hernandez raced into the penalty area to meet Das’s pass and scored with a first-time left-footer.
Cue, head coach Khalid Jamil breaking into a celebration run, the full house at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur erupting in joy and Mohun Bagan Super Giant being stunned into submission.
“I think it is the best time to score,” Hernandez told the official broadcasters after the 2-1 win. It was his 49th goal contribution in six seasons of the Indian Super League (ISL).
The goal summed up how Jamil’s Jamshedpur FC plays. With six, sometimes seven players in a defensive line, Jamshedpur FC stays compact in defence, forcing opponents to either snatch at shots or try from range while looking to hit on the break. Ergo, the long ball from deep.
Jamil can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a player quickly, Thangboi Singto, the former Hyderabad FC coach, told HT in 2021. “And then create an environment for all the players to express their best qualities.” Also, in the same year, Hmingthana Zadeng, sporting director at Aizawl FC when they won the 2016-17 I-League with Jamil as coach, said that he treated players like his children.
These statements help explain Jamshedpur FC’s rise from 11th place last season to being just a draw away from the Cup final. Jamil kissed Rei Tachikawa on the cheek before the midfielder came on, and he has gotten the team to become the most effective version of itself.
In such a defensive setup, Hernandez’s control in tight spaces is key to being efficient in the front third. He has created 32 chances this term, the third most for Jamshedpur FC.
Hernandez can draw players toward him and try to find a teammate. In the 52nd minute he turned, shielding the ball from Deepak Tangri and keeping it out of reach of Subhasish Bose while trying to find Mohammed Sanan. In the 86th minute, he pressed Tom Aldred after Mohun Bagan tried to play out from the back and won a throw-in deep in rival territory. Add to that his ability to score, often with runs from deep that are always hard to track.
Hernandez’s heat map in the first leg of the semi-final showed three touches in each penalty box and touches in every part of the pitch except deep on the right.
Speaking to HT in February, Jamil explained why he chose Hernandez on a free transfer after Bengaluru FC released him. “For whichever team he has played for, Javi has always given it his all. He still has the hunger and the discipline,” said Jamil.
Hernandez, the coach said, was a team player and, because of his experience – this being his fourth ISL club – and having played in Romania and lower divisions in Spain after starting at Real Madrid’s youth academy, also a leader. “I knew him and knew that if he was available, he could be suitable.”
With nine goals, two of them in the last two matches, and three assists, this is the third time Hernandez has had more than 10 goal contributions in an ISL season. Mohun Bagan head coach Jose Molina has said he is sure that it “will be a different result in Salt Lake.” But having played in three ISL finals, winning with ATK in 2019-20, Hernandez is likely to be unfazed on Monday. It is important for Jamshedpur FC that he is.
