Indian Super League week six: Delhi, Kerala throw away chances, topsy-turvy week for Jamshedpur

As the Indian Super League enters its crucial middle phase, the table separates itself into three clean divisions. The runaway top two, the four in the middle and the four in danger of being cut adrift from the ISL playoff race.

So it was fortuitous that Goa versus Bengaluru took each other on in a top-of-the-table clash. The result last season was 4-3 in favour of the Gaurs in a frenetic match at the Fatorda. This time around, it was 1-2 for the visitors Bengaluru.

Not only was this a sweet, sweet victory for Carles Cuadrat’s men, this was arguably their toughest test of the season. As for the other clubs, NorthEast kept pace with the leading pack while Jamshedpur won and lost one in a topsy-turvy week for the Jharkhand club.

Delhi, Kerala miss opportunities

Both the Dynamos and the Blasters, in the lower reaches of the table had fantastic opportunities to make a mark for themselves after the resumption of the league post the international break.

The Dynamos were up against Bengaluru on the occasion of Sunil Chhetri’s 150th match for the latter. Surprisingly, league leaders BFC struggled against bottom club Delhi for large parts of the match.

When it came to putting away chances, Delhi fluffed their lines. Lallinzuala Chhangte, Nandakumar Sekar and Andre Carmona had shots on goal from close range. They, however, failed to make it count as Udanta’s late strike condemned Delhi to another defeat.

The Blasters, who led NorthEast away from home, were up 1-0 in the 92nd minute. Sandesh Jhingan’s reckless challenge handed the home side in Guwahati a penalty and Juan Mascia in the 96th minute ensured that the visitors would go back to Kochi empty-handed.

Delhi have now dropped 11 points in the last 15 minutes of games while the corresponding number of points for the Blasters is 10.

Topsy-turvy week for Jamshedpur

It was an up and down week for Cesar Ferrando’s team, who lost 1-2 to Pune City but defeated Chennaiyin 3-1.

Personnel-wise, they lost two major players as Sergio Cidoncha was out injured through an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. Next, Gourav Mukhi was suspended for six months as the Jharkhand team looked light on attackers.

Pune, welcoming the suspended Diego Carlos back scored through a long ranger and netted the winner late. Both goals had an element of a Jamshedpur mistake about them and Ferrando would have been rightly furious in losing to an out-of-sorts Pune team.

Jamshedpur overcame Chennaiyin at home but not before suffering the customary wobble. Only Goa have scored more goals than them but then again, only Goa of the top seven have conceded more goals than Jamshedpur’s 12. For all their effort, this was only Jamshedpur’s third win of the season. An ever-changing back four has meant that the attacking efforts have not paid full dividends.

Mumbai and ATK play out a game best avoided

The immediate reaction of those in attendance and the media after the Mumbai City-ATK game was that it was one of the worst games of football ever witnessed. It was harder to argue otherwise, while spectating on television.

Steve Coppell took the galacticos of the Indian Super League – Manuel Lanzarote, Gerson Vieira, Everton Santos, Kalu Uche – and turned them into a bore-fest. The football on offer at the Andheri Football Stadium was an absolute turn-off, one that a spectator should never have to endure.

Mumbai, coming off three straight wins, may have possessed the desire but not the quality to break down what was essentially a five-man defence with Vieira playing in central midfield for ATK. The fact that three of the four shots on target were speculative efforts from distance only further accentuates how dire this game was.

This game wasn’t even between two basement dwellers; it was fifth versus sixth. If this game did prove anything, it is that you can splash the cash but need not necessarily buy quality.