With back-to-back smashing wins over in-form Kerala Blasters and high-flying Delhi Dynamos, Chennaiyin FC has stormed back into contention for the semi-final spots. And fans of the Indian Super League must rejoice. No other club brings more to the ISL table than the multi-faceted Mariners: balletic one day, poetic the next and downright dirty the day after. It would be in the best interests of a waning season that Chennai remain in the competition for as long as possible.
When on song, manager Marco Materazzi's army, comprising some of the league's best talent, produces a celebration of football to blow opponents away and delight football fans. Chennai bring a unique personality to the pitch, make the league far more watchable and therefore, also appease the league's stakeholders. Add to this the club’s glamorous co-owners, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and Indian cricketer MS Dhoni, and you have the complete package for an Indian audience.
Last season, Chennai finished top of the league before injuries to key players and one bad evening – a 0-3 reversal in Kochi in the first leg of the semi-final – cost them a shot at the title. This season, they’ve been highly erratic but finally appear to be hitting form at the right time.
An erratic season
Of Chennai's five wins in 12 matches, three have been utterly emphatic: 4-0 at Goa early in the season and, most recently, back-to-back 4-1 and 4-0 wins versus Kerala and Delhi respectively. In between this extraordinary upsurge in form, the Mariners' display had been inconsistent, error-strewn and undisciplined. It resulted in six defeats – joint-most at the time of writing – and one draw. Just over a week ago, Materazzi’s side was rock-bottom of the league and had virtually been written off in the race for the top four spots.
However, the manager had maintained that ill-timed “defensive lapses” and “poor refereeing” cost his players plenty of points that they deserved to earn. He even refused to come out for the mandatory post-match press conference after a defeat against NorthEast United as a mark of protest against the officials. While all this might sound like stereotypical behaviour when it comes to football management, there was merit to his claims.
Two howlers at the back -- punished by Kolkata forward Helder Postiga -- and two poor penalty calls resulted in Chennai’s season starting on the wrong foot with two narrow defeats. An ill-tempered contest in Guwahati saw a spirited performance – playing with 10 men for more than half the match – undone by a last-minute penalty. Against both FC Goa at home and Atletico de Kolkata away, the Mariners were the dominant side before they were naively stung by second-half counter-attacks. All of these games could have indeed easily gone Chennai’s way.
Part of the problem this season has also been Elano's up-and-down form and Materazzi’s reluctance in opting for a different creative outlet. The Brazilian playmaker started the season slow, then burst into life before re-entering a lean patch. His partnership with forward John Stiven Mendoza – ISL’s finest player and also its top goalscorer with 10 goals – has yielded impressive results on certain occasions but has not delivered upto expectations.
Pelissari, the saviour
Elano’s sub-par form and low-energy displays finally forced the manager’s hand – a move that has revived the club’s flagging season. Bruno Pelissari, who was strictly called upon only when Elano needed a rest, was finally given his chance after starting just once in 10 matches. The results of his inclusion? Four-goal poundings of Kerala and Delhi and Materazzi’s startling post-match admission: “This is now my eleven as Elano is now on the bench”.
Albeit a little late in the season, Materazzi appears to have figured out a way to relieve his team of the dependency on Elano’s playmaking. Pelissari, with his bag of tricks, has cut in from the left flank and looked threatening. Mendoza has caused chaos in opposition defences by roaming all over the pitch – with Jeje and Thoi Singh often making up the numbers inside the penalty box. And midfielder Raphael Augusto, who has come into his own in the second half of the season, has dictated matches and also been given the license to advance from central midfield.
Fikru Teferra, however, has remained a huge disappointment. The Ethiopian striker lit up the inaugural season of the ISL with champions Atletico De Kolkata but has been utterly mediocre for his new club. He is yet to score a goal this season and has suffered defeats in all of the three matches he has started in. You wonder what would happen to Chennai if, like last season, Mendoza picks up an injury before the semi-finals.
Indiscipline remains a worry
The indiscipline of Harmanjot Khabra, a midfielder highly valued by the manager, has also adversely affected the Mariners. He has picked up two red cards already, one for abusing the referee – a two-game suspension reduced from four – and another for an atrocious challenge on FC Goa’s Leonardo Moura, which frankly deserved more than just the solitary game ban it led to.
Against Delhi, Khabra picked up another needless yellow card, his fourth of the season, when his team were 3-0 up which now means he would be suspended for the visit of Mumbai City FC. Materazzi’s reaction was quite telling of Khabra’s importance to the team: he removed his access card from around his neck and threw it on the ground in complete disgust. The last time Chennai played Mumbai, Khabra nullified the threat of both Sunil Chhetri and Sony Norde on the wings. In football parlance, he's the man Materazzi picks to ‘do a job’.
Whether the Mariners can complete the job without him will be intriguing to see. If they do, they will add much-needed flavour to the semi-final line-up. And perhaps ensure that the second season of the ISL ends on a real high.
When on song, manager Marco Materazzi's army, comprising some of the league's best talent, produces a celebration of football to blow opponents away and delight football fans. Chennai bring a unique personality to the pitch, make the league far more watchable and therefore, also appease the league's stakeholders. Add to this the club’s glamorous co-owners, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and Indian cricketer MS Dhoni, and you have the complete package for an Indian audience.
Last season, Chennai finished top of the league before injuries to key players and one bad evening – a 0-3 reversal in Kochi in the first leg of the semi-final – cost them a shot at the title. This season, they’ve been highly erratic but finally appear to be hitting form at the right time.
An erratic season
Of Chennai's five wins in 12 matches, three have been utterly emphatic: 4-0 at Goa early in the season and, most recently, back-to-back 4-1 and 4-0 wins versus Kerala and Delhi respectively. In between this extraordinary upsurge in form, the Mariners' display had been inconsistent, error-strewn and undisciplined. It resulted in six defeats – joint-most at the time of writing – and one draw. Just over a week ago, Materazzi’s side was rock-bottom of the league and had virtually been written off in the race for the top four spots.
However, the manager had maintained that ill-timed “defensive lapses” and “poor refereeing” cost his players plenty of points that they deserved to earn. He even refused to come out for the mandatory post-match press conference after a defeat against NorthEast United as a mark of protest against the officials. While all this might sound like stereotypical behaviour when it comes to football management, there was merit to his claims.
Two howlers at the back -- punished by Kolkata forward Helder Postiga -- and two poor penalty calls resulted in Chennai’s season starting on the wrong foot with two narrow defeats. An ill-tempered contest in Guwahati saw a spirited performance – playing with 10 men for more than half the match – undone by a last-minute penalty. Against both FC Goa at home and Atletico de Kolkata away, the Mariners were the dominant side before they were naively stung by second-half counter-attacks. All of these games could have indeed easily gone Chennai’s way.
Part of the problem this season has also been Elano's up-and-down form and Materazzi’s reluctance in opting for a different creative outlet. The Brazilian playmaker started the season slow, then burst into life before re-entering a lean patch. His partnership with forward John Stiven Mendoza – ISL’s finest player and also its top goalscorer with 10 goals – has yielded impressive results on certain occasions but has not delivered upto expectations.
Pelissari, the saviour
Elano’s sub-par form and low-energy displays finally forced the manager’s hand – a move that has revived the club’s flagging season. Bruno Pelissari, who was strictly called upon only when Elano needed a rest, was finally given his chance after starting just once in 10 matches. The results of his inclusion? Four-goal poundings of Kerala and Delhi and Materazzi’s startling post-match admission: “This is now my eleven as Elano is now on the bench”.
Albeit a little late in the season, Materazzi appears to have figured out a way to relieve his team of the dependency on Elano’s playmaking. Pelissari, with his bag of tricks, has cut in from the left flank and looked threatening. Mendoza has caused chaos in opposition defences by roaming all over the pitch – with Jeje and Thoi Singh often making up the numbers inside the penalty box. And midfielder Raphael Augusto, who has come into his own in the second half of the season, has dictated matches and also been given the license to advance from central midfield.
Fikru Teferra, however, has remained a huge disappointment. The Ethiopian striker lit up the inaugural season of the ISL with champions Atletico De Kolkata but has been utterly mediocre for his new club. He is yet to score a goal this season and has suffered defeats in all of the three matches he has started in. You wonder what would happen to Chennai if, like last season, Mendoza picks up an injury before the semi-finals.
Indiscipline remains a worry
The indiscipline of Harmanjot Khabra, a midfielder highly valued by the manager, has also adversely affected the Mariners. He has picked up two red cards already, one for abusing the referee – a two-game suspension reduced from four – and another for an atrocious challenge on FC Goa’s Leonardo Moura, which frankly deserved more than just the solitary game ban it led to.
Against Delhi, Khabra picked up another needless yellow card, his fourth of the season, when his team were 3-0 up which now means he would be suspended for the visit of Mumbai City FC. Materazzi’s reaction was quite telling of Khabra’s importance to the team: he removed his access card from around his neck and threw it on the ground in complete disgust. The last time Chennai played Mumbai, Khabra nullified the threat of both Sunil Chhetri and Sony Norde on the wings. In football parlance, he's the man Materazzi picks to ‘do a job’.
Whether the Mariners can complete the job without him will be intriguing to see. If they do, they will add much-needed flavour to the semi-final line-up. And perhaps ensure that the second season of the ISL ends on a real high.
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