Without further ado, here is a look at everything that happened in the week gone by.
Another week of the Indian Super League has soared by, providing its fair share of entertainment. The week began with Hyderabad FC posting a convincing 5-0 victory over NorthEast United FC. A day later, FC Goa and Odisha FC played out a 1-1 draw, with Chennaiyin FC and SC East Bengal indulging in a 2-2 stalemate on Wednesday.
The biggest game of the week between ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City FC also culminated in a deadlock (1-1). The Islanders, though, came back to edge past Chennaiyin FC, with Bengaluru FC and the Kerala Blasters also adding three points to their respective tallies.
Without further ado, here is a look at everything that happened in the week gone by.
The Bengaluru FC and Hyderabad FC juggernaut rolls on
Before Monday, Hyderabad FC had done everything to prove that they meant business this season. They scored goals, kept clean sheets and made things as difficult for the opposition as possible. Then, their game against NorthEast United FC happened. Much of the same continued but this performance was sprinkled with the sort of confidence and to an extent, the arrogance that defines potential title winners.
They scored five goals against a hapless Highlanders side, with Bartholomew Ogbeche scoring a brace (what else did you expect). Akash Mishra popped up with another set-piece goal. The more important bit though, was that Joel Chianese finally seemed to find his feet in the Hyderabad FC set-up.
Last season, the Australian was instrumental in whatever good HFC did. This time out, his influence has dwarfed but there is no denying that Hyderabad FC look a better side when he is in the mood.
Additionally, the likes of Asish Rai, Joao Victor and Javier Siverio are growing from strength to strength. They are creating more chances too and are finishing them off. In simpler words, they are doing everything a side destined for the title does.
Bengaluru FC aren’t too far behind either. For much of this season, they looked an outfit whose qualification hopes were in tatters. Now, they are firing on all cylinders, finding ways to make the net ripple and outwitting teams that would be deemed direct title rivals.
This sequence reached a crescendo on Sunday when they got the better of Jamshedpur FC – a club that had cast itself into the top four after gritty performances. The Blues went a goal down in the first minute but were able to buckle down, impose their identity and craft a richly-deserved victory.
Sunil Chhetri found the net too – a goal that has taken his tally to two for the season. Cleiton Silva bagged another brace, whereas Bruno Ramires and Suresh Singh Wangjam kept buzzing throughout the game. The pair also created a couple of chances.
Courtesy of the victory, Bengaluru FC now find themselves third on the table – only three points adrift of Hyderabad FC. The Blues, however, have played the second-most games in the ISL, and only have five left before the league stages end. The good part, though, is that they have generated plenty of momentum as they head into the home stretch.
It may sound ludicrous but it might be a surprise if they don’t qualify, especially after the performances they have put together lately.
Normal service resumes for the Kerala Blasters
Last week, there were a few murmurs of discontent among the Kerala Blasters faithful. While they weren’t awful in their game against the Blues, the defeat, which snapped their 10-match unbeaten run, left fans fearing the worst.
For a major chunk of their first half against NorthEast United FC, those veils reached worrying proportions. The Tuskers lacked their usual tempo, were uncharacteristically wasteful in possession and when half-chances presented themselves, they squandered it.
In many ways, their performance reeked of ring-rust. Against Bengaluru FC too, they weren’t as sharp and they suffered. And then, something clicked in the second half. The attacking verve that has been the dominant theme this season, returned.
Their forward players suddenly arrived at the same wavelength and they, rather inevitably, scored. They scored another world-class goal, courtesy of Alvaro Vazquez and put the result beyond doubt.
In many ways, their performance reeked of ring-rust. Against Bengaluru FC too, they weren’t as sharp and they suffered. And then, something clicked in the second half. The attacking verve that has been the dominant theme this season, returned. Twitter @IndSuperLeague
This, though, wasn’t the ideal display Ivan Vukomanovic would’ve been hoping for after the setback against Bengaluru FC. They enjoyed 54 per cent possession and had a middling pass accuracy of 72 per cent.
They only had four shots on target. Ayush Adhikari, who was thrust into the deep end, was sent off as well and the Blasters’ boat wobbled for a bit thereafter. What would have pleased him, however, was the fight the Kerala Blasters showed. They kept at it and ultimately reaped the rewards.
From that standpoint, Vukomanovic couldn’t have asked for anything more. And, this could be the decisive titling scale between another uninspiring campaign and a splendid season.
NorthEast United FC shoot themselves in the foot yet again
16 matches, two wins, four draws, 10 losses and 10 points. That tells a story in itself for NorthEast United FC. To be fair to them, though, they haven’t been as bad as the numbers suggest. They have been outclassed in certain fixtures but that hasn’t been for a lack of effort.
What has plagued them, though, is a string of individual mistakes – mistakes that have permeated every area of the pitch and seems to stem from whoever lands up in goal.
Against the Kerala Blasters, the Highlanders held their own for a majority of the first half. They didn’t create a truckload of openings but reduced the Tuskers to minimal scoring chances. Their defence also acclimatised well and they weren’t as fazed against the Blasters’ pressing as many expected them to be.
As the minutes ticked by, they lost their grip on the game and conceded. The Highlanders were then offered a glimmer of hope when the Blasters had a man sent off.
Just at that moment, though, they produced another characteristic elementary error – this time, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury thought it was prudent to amble to the edge of the box, despite Vazquez having the space and the time to chip him. And, to the keeper’s dismay, the Spaniard did exactly that.
So, in a matter of minutes, NorthEast United FC had gone from perhaps salvaging the game to playing themselves out of it. This, however, has become a pattern. And, when that is put into perspective, their current points tally makes a lot of sense.
Familiar script unfolds for Chennaiyin FC
At the start of the season, Chennaiyin FC cast themselves as a side that didn’t concede many goals and scored the requisite goals on the counter-attack. As the campaign has progressed, though, they have alternated between keeping things tight and being too open. Oh, by the way, the goals have completely dried up too (not that they were ever pouring anyway).
The encounter against Mumbai City FC perhaps epitomised this trend to the tee. The Marina Machans held fort for large swathes, packed their defensive and midfield third with numbers and defended stoutly. But when the game was there to be won, they retreated into their shell rather than being brave and optimising the situation.
In the end, the Islanders held their nerve adequately and secured three points. Chennaiyin FC also finished the game with zero shots on target and missed a glorious chance to equalise in stoppage time. This result, apart from deflating the Marina Machans’ hopes of qualification, has also thrown light on the glaring deficiencies that exist.
On occasions, their defensive solidity has papered over those cracks. But games of football are won by the team that scores more goals (sorry for stating the obvious). Chennaiyin FC, in contrast, have scored seven times in their last seven matches. And it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that that just isn’t enough.
Vikram Pratap Singh revives Mumbai City FC’s stuttering season
No bones have been made about Mumbai City FC’s indifferent run of form since the turn of the year. The Islanders, who seemed a team possessed at the start of the season, haven’t stitched together substantial performances and have looked a pale shadow of the side that seemed primed to retain its ISL title.
In the past week, though, there have been a few indications that the Islanders, despite all the doom and gloom that has surrounded the club, might just be getting back to where they want.
Against ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC weren’t spotless. In fact, they were lucky to escape with a point, especially after the Mariners turned the screw in the opening quarter of the game. To Mumbai City FC’s credit, they saw out the fixture, which considering their defensive accommodativeness, was a refreshing sight.
On Sunday, they increased the intensity of their display and put Chennaiyin FC under all sorts of pressure. The defending champions dominated the first half, kept banging at the door for the entirety of the second period and ultimately, found a way past Debjit Majumder.
The goal was by no means an archetypal Mumbai City FC goal. It wasn’t laden with passes, it didn’t have a spectacular through-ball nor did it culminate in a picture-book top corner finish.
Instead, they scrapped, won the ball back in midfield and quickly mounted a counter-attack. Brad Inman then found Vikram Pratap Singh on the far post, and the latter obliged with a calm finish into the bottom corner.
But as Mumbai City FC have found out this season, the aesthetic value of goals isn’t quite high, especially when jostling at the top of the table. So, this goal, which might not make the Islanders’ highlight reel, will definitely find a mention as one of the more important moments this season.
Not only has it injected belief into a squad that was questioning if they were good enough to retain the title, it has also reiterated that the team that keeps throwing everything at the opposition, eventually triumphs.
Owing to their patchy form, the Islanders still have plenty to do to secure qualification. As things stand, they are placed fifth and could be leapfrogged by ATK Mohun Bagan, who have games in hand over Mumbai City FC.
But if they can indeed turn their season around, they will probably look back at this night at the Fatorda and thank their stars that Vikram, irrespective of how he and his team looked, managed to get the job done. And of course, remember how he potentially revived a stuttering season.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.