The third season of the Indian Super League is finally upon us, and on matchday 2, we have the former champions taking on the defending champions at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Kolkata.
Both teams have undergone changes with regards to their squads, but the basic objective remains the same: to start off the campaign with a win. While Atletico de Kolkata have released most of their Indian players, Chennaiyin have done the opposite and let go of their foreign recruits. As such, with new faces and new tactics in place, one wonders how the teams will go about executing their plans.
From ATK’s perspective, the added incentive will be that they would love to avenge the defeat the men from Chennai handed to them in the playoffs in ISL 2, which led them to crash out from the tournament. All in all, it promises to be one heck of an exciting match and here are five players you should watch out for during the game:
#1 Jeje Lalpekhlua
At 25 years of age, Jeje is easily one of the most exciting Indian prospects right now, and he has been scoring goals at will for both his club and national side. He won the FPAI Indian Player of the Year award last year, and Chennaiyin FC coach Marco Materazzi will be well aware of the impact the Indian can have when on the pitch.
Infact, the Italian has already declared that the Mohun Bagan forward will be a key cog in his team, and many expect him to fill the gaping hole created by the departure of their talismanic frontman Stiven Mendoza. His stats in the Indian Super League support this view, he scored 4 goals and ended up as the highest scoring Indian in the first season, while in the second one he was awarded the Emerging Playing of the Year award after scoring 6 goals and setting 3 more en route to winning the title.
#2 John Arne Riise
The former Liverpool player has been signed by the South Indian franchise as their marquee player, and this seems to be a well-thought move. The Norwegian put in an exceptional shift at centre back for Delhi Dynamos last season, and this year the Chennaiyin fans will be expecting the same from him. The club’s co-owner Vita Dani said that he was “delighted” at the signing, and praised the former Roma defender’s “exceptional” experience as a player.
Riise’s job today will be to contain the likes of Postiga and Hume, who are unstoppable when on song and his performance will be key in determining whether the men in white can come out on top or not. It is likely that this will be Riise’s last stint as a professional footballer, so he would definitely like to go out on a high by leading Chennaiyin to the title once again.
#3 Raphael Augusto
The Brazilian was a part of the double pivot in Chennaiyin’s midfield last season alongside Harmonjot Khabra, but with Bruno Pelissari’s departure, he might have to take on a more attacking role. He was sent on loan from Brazilian Serie A giants Fluminense in 2015, who have released him this year and Materazzi made no delay in lapping him up on a free transfer.
Augusto is brilliant in regaining possession and can contribute effectively in both attack and defence, so that is an added bonus. His midfield heroics were second to none, and he was one of their standout players although he was injured halfway in the middle of last season.
Raphael loves the fans here and was all smiles when he was asked about his return to India. In fact, he claimed that out of all his playing stints outside Brazil, his stint for the team from “The City of Thalaiva” was the best one. The former Fluminense man will hope that this time around he will be able to make a more permanent impact on the squad.
#4 Arnab Mondal
The Indian was the only domestic defender re-signed by ATK for ISL 3, and they had every reason to do so. The East Bengal centre-back has been a rock at the back for the Calcutta outfit and was one of the cornerstones of the defence as his team lifted the coveted title in 2014.
The former Mohammedan man has won numerous awards for his club sides and was also named as the captain of the Indian senior national team for the World Cup qualifiers against Oman in 2015 by coach Stephen Constantine.
Arnab Mondal has also just won a record-breaking 7 back to back Calcutta League titles with East Bengal, which further highlights his pedigree as a defender. With 141 interceptions and 54 blocks, Mondal will be expected to lead his team from the back once again as they look to silence the dynamic Jeje and the Chennaiyin frontline.
#5 Helder Postiga
The 34-year-old Portuguese superstar, who has scored 27 goals in 72 appearances for his national team, is all set to reprise his role as ATK’s marquee player this year after signing on from Rio Ave. Having won the treble with FC Porto and having scored freely in the Spanish La Liga for both Real Zaragoza and Valencia, there is no question about Postiga’s class.
Last season, he started off by scoring a brace on his debut against Chennaiyin, but couldn’t feature in the rest of the tournament, as he was left nursing a serious injury picked up during the game.
This year, however, his fans from the “City of Joy” will be hoping that he can pick up from where he left off, and a good performance against an experienced defence will certainly be a great start for the man whom Luiz Felipe Scolari once called “the best prospect in Europe”.
