The Super Clash can be unforgiving.

Mistakes become what fans remember and match winners are elevated to god-like status.

Once a while, a player emerges who takes on the pressure of this career-defining fixture, and owns it.  It can be one game. It can be a couple.

But every generation has that one player who shows up and dominates the fixture.

On Sunday, Benjamin Asare joined those ranks.

What set the tone for his performance was the control he asserted over his backline.

Asare's command

Asare was in complete command of the Hearts backline and the general defensive coordination.

Kelvin Osei-Asibey and Ali Mohammed became his wing man, who extended his authority to keep their teammates in check.

His constant communication ensured every part of the piece stay where they were supposed to be, never straying out of position but doing what they were supposed to do.

The best example of this was when Ali Mohammed moved to close down Kwame Opoku in the second half. Asare screamed Osei-Asibey to step forward and close the gap. He did and within seconds, Yaw Baafi Amankwaah had also adjusted his position accordingly to keep the spacial structure intact.

His contribution to their structure, partly explains why, despite playing with 10 men for 69 minutes - 15 minutes plus 5 additional in the first half and 45 second half minutes plus 4 minutes of stoppage time, Hearts remained compact and never looked in danger of conceding.

Asare's aerial dominance

Apart from being captain, what gave Benjamin Asare legitimacy was the fact that his backline were assured that he would do his job.

On Sunday night, he claimed every cross within proximity to his six yard box.

Many have questioned his ascension to the Black Stars, pointing to exaggerated, and mostly non-existent flaws.

But here, on enemy territory, and in the biggest game of the season, Asare served a reminder of his true quality.

When Kotoko realized that Asare was claiming all the crosses, they tried mixing things up with long range efforts.

Again, Asare saved them all.

There was a brief moment in the 73rd minute when the Kotoko pressure peaked.

Not because of how often they breached the Hearts defense or how many chances they created. Just by their sheer intensity and consistency.

Yet, that was the very moment every knew Asare would not be beaten. He claimed every cross and saved every shot. 

The closest they came was Patrick Asiedu's rifle from the left side. Like everything did Kotoko did on the night, Asare saved it, stretching low and to his elastic limit to produce a fine, finger tip save.

Before that, when Albert Amoah produced a surprise, snap shot after Osei-Asibey's poor clearance, Asare was on hand to save with minimal fuss.

There were a few more shots and each was met with a firm grab by Asare, thanks to his excellent positioning.

Distribution

After Hearts went a man down, Kotoko intensified their pressing.

On goal kicks especially, they went man for man, ostensibly to force Benjamin Asare to go long.

Yet, be it through one of his defenders, a free man in the middle or long ball into soace for Karikari or Wayo to tun onto, Asare always managed to find a teammate.

There were a few moments where a teammate miscontrolled the ball or did not react in time and allowed the men in red to steal possession but Asare always did his job.

In the end, he secured his 9th clean sheet of the season in the biggest fixture.

Among the millions watching, were Black Stars coach Otto Addo and his coaching staff. He would be proud of the choice he made in March last year, when he made Asare Ghana's number one.