AFC Cup 2022: I am at my best when I go further up the pitch – Joni Kauko after win against Maziya

ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Joni Kauko reckons he is at his best when he goes further up the pitch. The Mariners came up with a dominating performance against Maziya S&RC at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Tuesday as they won by 5-2 to continue the winning momentum.

Joni Kauko scored a brace for his team and opened the account in the 26th minute. The Finnish player once again found the back of the net in the 37th minute. Roy Krishna, Subhashish Bose, and Carl McHugh also scored for ATK Mohun Bagan to complete a dominating win.

Thus, ATK Mohun Bagan advanced to the inter-zonal semifinals of the AFC Cup 2022 after they finished at the numero uno position in Group D with six points. ATK had suffered a 2-4 loss against I-league champions Gokulam Kerala FC in their opening clash but bounced back stronger.

Speaking after the game, Joni Kauko said in the press conference, “Very nice. There were a lot of people today. We played a good game, in some moments we can always be better, but in the end we were dominant in the game, and the entire journey in the group stage has been amazing, we just lost one game to Gokulam Kerala FC. So, I’m really happy and proud of the boys.”

Meanwhile, Juan Ferrando has given Kauko a more aggressive role in the midfield and he feels it is getting the best out of him.

He added, “I don’t think I have any problem with the role, I think that has been my position as I’ve been playing there for four years now. Initially, in the first ten games, I was playing in a defensive role and that was a new thing for me, and it didn’t deter me. I felt like I can always give my best and help the team. But if I can be further up the pitch, more like in the centre of the game, that’s when I feel I’m at my best.”

In fact, Kauko had made his debut for the Mariners against Nasaf in the inter-zonal semifinals of the previous edition of the AFC Cup, which they lost by a huge margin of 6-0.

Reflecting on his journey with the club, the 31-year-old said, “It was quite a shock to me in that first game against Nasaf where we lost 6-0. We had a couple of good games later on, then I felt like I really wasn’t there when I played in a more defensive role. As soon as I got further up the pitch, I felt in a much better position, with more contributions from my side. So far, the journey has been great, I’m really enjoying my time here. This is what I came for here, completely different experience and completely different teams, and I can’t wait for the next game.”