Consistency is one of the foremost criteria to determine how good a football team is. Going by how teams have performed, this has been a bizarre season of the Indian Super League (ISL).
If we leave aside last year’s runners-up Kerala Blasters, who have been losing repeatedly and remain rock bottom, all other teams have had a mixed season so far and we have thus witnessed frequent movement in the leaderboard. If betting was legal in India, then setting odds for ISL Season 2 would have been the toughest thing considering there are no favourites.
Mumbai City FC, who defeated NorthEast United 5-1 less than a month ago and were looking promising, were demolished 7-0 by FC Goa in the biggest win of the ISL and are now at seventh place with just one more point than Kerala. Chennaiyin FC were at the last place but two wins in their last two matches have brought them up to number four.
FC Pune City, after having a brilliant start to their campaign, have been juggling their way between the top four and the bottom four of the table. Last year’s champions Atletico de Kolkata have had a bumpy ride so far but the Antonio Habas-led side has made a spirited comeback and are now top of the table after their comprehensive 4-0 win against FC Goa on Sunday.
Now with just few games remaining before the knockouts start, every match is going to be crucial and a defeat can cost the teams a semi-final spot. Meanwhile, let's gaze through how the last seven days in the league panned out.
Atletico de Kolkata on top: FC Goa were coming from a 7-0 thrashing of Mumbai but were shocked by Kolkata after a double from Samheeg Doutie gave the defending champions a 4-0 win to climb atop the table. Kolkata kept intact their record of never losing against FC Goa and with their star player Helder Postiga back in the squad, they have almost put a foot into the semis. ATK have won six out of 12 games they have played and have 20 points with two games remaining before the playoffs.
The win against Goa was the first time this season that Kolkata have kept a clean-sheet and Habas was happy that the team didn’t concede a goal. Their next game is against Pune and a win there will book them a place in the last four.
Biggest win in ISL history: Thongkoisep Haokip and Dudu Omagbemi scored a hat-trick each as Goa demolished Mumbai 7-0 in the biggest win of the Indian Super League history. It was also for the first time that two players had scored a treble in one match in the ISL. This win helped Goa retain their spot which they lost later after they were humbled by Kolkata in their next match. The earlier biggest winning margin in the league was 5-0 when Pune thrashed Mumbai last season in the Maharashtra derby. Goa have won five of their 11 matches this season, have 18 points and are one of the strongest contenders to make it to the knockout phase of the tournament.
Mumbai City FC in trouble: Mumbai have had a forgettable season so far. They were looking like a strong side halfway into tournament after Sunil Chhetri’s hat-trick gave them a 5-1 win against NorthEast United FC but a series of losses and dressing room troubles have derailed their campaign in the tournament. NorthEast got their revenge as they defeated Mumbai 2-0 on Friday and are at fifth place in the table with five wins in 11 matches. Mumbai, on the other hand, have won just three out of 11 matches and are second-last in the table, just one point ahead of Kerala. After the loss against NorthEast, Anelka, who had already made some controversial statements against his team, said that he wasn't given a free hand to recruit players of his choice by the club and that is one of the reason that the team is suffering this season. He even questioned the skills of Chhetri, who is the arguably the best footballer in India and the national team's captain as well.
Chennaiyin FC enter top four: Chennai were struggling at the last place in the league table but two wins in their last two game have given them a big jump. Jeje Lalpekhlua scored twice as Chennai thumped Delhi Dynamos FC 4-0 on Tuesday to move to the fourth place. Chennai’s performance has not been like last season. In the inaugural season they almost looked invincible in the group stages but this year they struggled during the start with their star midfielder Elano Blumer not getting much help from others. But with Stiven Mendoza and Jeje back in form, the Machans have made a brilliant comeback; however, their last two matches are going to be crucial for them. Chennai have won five out of 12 matches this season and have 16 points.
NorthEast United’s comeback: After finishing last in the opening season, NorthEast were once again failing to make an impact and were at seventh after the end of first four weeks but they have shown resilience; and by winning some crucial matches, the Cesar Farias-led side is still in contention for a semis spot. They have a tough match ahead as they take on Zico’s FC Goa, who are looking to bounce back after getting thrashed by Kolkata. NorthEast lost their first three matches this year but have made some changes in the playing strategy and have gone with an attacking approach in their last three matches.
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