Teams are unable to finish off games in ISL 2016 and a packed schedule is to blame

Season 3 of the Indian Super League began on the right note with a bigger profile and fitter and younger players being drafted in as marquee players by the franchises. While there were a few big names from the last edition who gave it a miss for various reasons, there were some quality players inducted to counter for the same and raise the profile of the league.

A glitzy opening ceremony was followed by a cracker with the home team NorthEast United playing some attractive football and setting things alight for the third season of the ISL. Though Kerala Blasters looked lacklustre, NorthEast United’s performance was still something to take note of for opposition teams.

Just as the longest season in three years (81 days) kicked off with some dynamic football and given the quality of players at display, it was assumed that this would be the trend for the games to follow and the season at hand. But as it panned out, the teams have failed to kill off games, have been sluggish at times and as a result, we have seen a host of draws in the league as well as comeback wins.

An unusually large number of stalemates

While Delhi Dynamos tops the charts with the most number of draws (four in six games), league leaders Atletico de Kolkata have drawn three of their seven games, while next on the table, Mumbai City have seen stalemates in two of their seven games. The other two teams in the top four; NorthEast United and Chennaiyin FC have one and three draws respectively but both have been guilty of missing their chances and ending up losing their game or just walking away with a point.

NorthEast United has scored in almost all their games and had their defence stand strong but as they say, a one goal cushion is not a comfortable one. That has been the case with the Highlanders who have had lapses in concentration and the lack of intention to kill the games that has seen them slip to fourth now.

Right at the start of the league, defending champions Chennaiyin FC showed glimpses of that point when they allowed Atletico de Kolkata a way back into the game which then ended in a stalemate. Atletico de Kolkata who have usually been contrary to the same and have made use of the teams’ inability to kill games to their advantage, too were found on the wrong foot against FC Goa where they could not capitalise on their one goal lead and allowed FC Goa a way back.

The other team in the top half, Mumbai City also let go of their chances and allowed Delhi Dynamos a way back into the game twice, drawing 3-3 away to the team from the capital. Mumbai have also been guilty of letting Atletico de Kolkata snatch a point, while they failed to take their chances and saw sixth-placed Kerala Blasters and eighth-placed FC Goa take all three points away from them.

Just recently, there were more evidence of the same where FC Pune City allowed Delhi Dynamos to pull one back to restore parity, while NorthEast United FC allowed Kolkata to score two second half goals to go away with three important points. Also, both Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters failed to focus enough on their forward game and riding on their defence and played out a goalless draw.

Missing gilt-edged chances

Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa, the two teams playing some attacking football, contrary to the playing styles of most teams, are the teams guiltiest of not being able to kill games. Though Delhi Dynamos have staged a comeback or two, they have missed gilt-edged chances which had seen them win just a solitary game, before the one in Goa on Sunday where things turned post the hour mark, while they have drawn four And the game they lost is probably the one they should have won, failing to convert a penalty and going down to 10-man Kolkata. FC Goa on the other hand, have created numerous chances but somehow either fail to score or leave too many open spaces for teams to get back.

Chennaiyin FC too are another team who have had some flair in their games but have missed somebody like a Steven Mendoza leading the lines and have failed to score enough while their defensive line has been inconsistent despite improvement in the last couple of games. A solitary loss, but the Marco Materazzi side has drawn three games and not had the best of starts.

Even though the ISL has tried hard to space the matches well in an attempt to provide enough rest to the teams, the schedule is still too packed, given the sport of football takes a lot from you. Given the need to play regular matches with high intensity, it is only imminent that the teams lose steam and hence, fail to make the right moves in the final third. Also the fact that the movement is restricted and the pace lacking, goal scoring chances remain limited. For the games that see players trying to attack and create more chances then see them fail to track back and leave openings in their defence to let the other teams with a sniff resulting in a failure to kill games and register wins.

Lack of proper poachers?

Fifty one goals in 27 matches with an average of 1.89 goals per game; the statistic suggests a lack of goals and the fact that teams have failed to convert their chances. The other hint is of the lack of goal poachers in the league.

Now as they say, if you cannot score goals, defend them. This seems to be the plan for most of the managers given they cannot ask for more in each and every game from their team and the key players, who go on to start most of the games for the side. This results in managers setting up in a way where they do not want to lose a match and hence, not concede and then try to score from there on instead of flair in the style of play. This, then, takes away the killer instinct for the team and the mindset says do not lose the game instead of a positive frame calling to go for the kill and win the game.

Another argument is that of the rotation policy to counter the same and inject freshness to the team. Teams like Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin FC are probably the ones that have used it the most and it does not seem to be working for them. While there is a case of fresh legs, energy and desire, the chemistry and understanding is somewhere lost in the process . A loss in chemistry directly inflicts on the play and results on the failure of building play as the understanding seems somewhere lacking.

All in all; a defensive mindset, tight schedule and the lack of goal poachers in the sides has resulted in them failing to finish games and be content with not conceding and drawing the game for a point.