Mumbai City FC return to the Mumbai Football Arena, visibly different but refreshingly similar

February 21, 2020, Mumbai Football Arena. Mumbai City FC have gotten themselves to the brink of semi-final qualification, despite working on a shoestring budget and tackling numerous injury issues. For large parts of the season, they were not expected to finish in the top four. But with Jorge Costa instilling tenacity into his side, they have gotten this far.

The only team that can stop them now is Chennaiyin FC. The Marina Machans have been superb since Owen Coyle was appointed their manager mid-season. They have trampled almost every opposition kept in front of them, and have showcased the sort of panache usually associated with champions.

Much like Mumbai City FC, though, there is a question mark over whether they can replicate that sort of performance in a game that really matters. This contest, in many ways, is about two sides that have their fair share of shortcomings but are also within touching distance of where they want to be. No one would fault them if they stumble at this juncture. Having come this far, however, neither really wants to trip over.

And then, the game begins. It is cagey, to say the least. As the minutes tick by, it becomes clear that this encounter is going to be decided either by a moment of magic or by a moment of madness. The latter, especially in such circumstances, becomes the more plausible outcome, considering how much is at stake, and how mental and physical fatigue becomes a factor.

To the misfortune of Mumbai City FC, that moment of madness comes from Sourav Das. He is sent off for denying Lallianzuala Chhangte a clear goal-scoring opportunity and things turn pear-shaped for the Islanders. They don’t concede immediately but the numerical inferiority ultimately leads to a lapse in concentration and a late goal concession.

Just like that, their qualification hopes go up in smoke, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow, which would have been expedited with a semi-final appearance, vanishes. This is not to say that the Islanders did not give it everything they had on that sultry evening in Mumbai. It’s just that when you come so close to something you always wanted to accomplish, it stings a shade more.

Mumbai City FC will play Odisha FC on Saturday

Cut to October 15, 2022. The aforementioned game remains the last fixture Mumbai City FC have played at the Mumbai Football Arena, all thanks to COVID-19. The world has changed. Masks have become more commonplace than they were back in 2020. Social distancing has become an actual practice rather than just another fancy bit of jargon. Bio-bubbles are more than a thing now, and there is hardly a household where a day goes by without the mention of COVID.

Another thing that has changed is how Mumbai City FC conduct themselves on the field nowadays. While COVID-19 was wreaking havoc everywhere on the planet, the Islanders took time out to invest in their team and build an eye-watering squad, almost unrecognizable to the one that turned up against Chennaiyin FC in 2020.

For context, only three players (Bipin Singh, Rowllin Borges and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy) from that side are still in the squad. Among those, only Bipin is a certainty to start on Saturday against Odisha FC. And if that is not enough to tell you all that has changed vis-à-vis Mumbai City FC, nothing ever will.

Personnel aside, there is a stark difference in how the Islanders play these days too. Under Costa, they wore their hearts on their sleeves, ran themselves into the ground, and portrayed the ‘never say die’ attitude that the Portuguese was renowned for when he was a player. Des Buckingham has inherited a side that still displays these ideals. But with better quality at his disposal, he has gotten them playing a free-flowing brand of football.

The biggest difference, though, is how the Islanders approach games these days. Under Costa, because of how financially-stricken they were, they had to prioritize calculation over creativity. Clean sheets meant a lot more than the goals they scored at the other end. Extravagance drew hundreds of collective gasps but efficiency was what thousands of fans expected week in, week out.

A draw, or even a defeat was not scoffed at because whenever Mumbai City FC took the field, they were fighting adversity. It was either going up against a technically superior side, or against a team that had invested heavily. Or, sometimes, it was a more rudimentary case of just not having enough firepower to outscore the opposition.

Keeping all those elements in mind, Costa did a darn fine job of getting Mumbai City FC to the brink of qualification in 2020. The Portuguese even famously quipped that his side were fighting the semi-final war with stones and shotguns, while others had drones and airplanes aiding their cause.

From that perspective, the dynamics could not have been altered any further. The Islanders have arguably the best squad in the ISL this season. They also have the most gifted footballer in the league aka Greg Stewart. Alberto Noguera and Roberto Pereyra Diaz aren’t bad either. Bipin and Chhangte are two of the most exciting wingers in the country. And that Moroccan guy who wears No.10 (read Ahmed Jahouh) knows a thing or two about unlocking defences.

So, there is expectation that Mumbai City FC should win a significant chunk of the games they feature in. Just making up the numbers or staying in touch is not an option anymore. For a lot of teams, this would just pile on the pressure. For a side like the Islanders, who have already relished this responsibility and extra burden (they won the ISL not long back, remember?), this feels even more liberating.

Even in 2020, there was excitement whenever Mumbai City FC played in Mumbai. The stands were not packed to the rafters but that sense of anticipation was palpable to anyone who stepped foot inside the Mumbai Football Arena. That was back when the Islanders were often searching for opportunities to punch above their weight.

Now, they are supposed to make the play every time. They have the squad. They have the players. They have the right manager, and most importantly, they have title-winning experience. So, things are different to what they were in 2020.

The soul of Mumbai City FC, though, has remained the same. They still fight for every loose ball. They still wear their heart on their sleeve and try to ensure that their commitment is not found wanting. And that is why this story is so intriguing. They will return to their old stomping ground on Saturday, and a lot will feel different. But look closer, and it all might feel refreshingly similar.

Remember that talk of a brighter dawn two years ago, which seemingly vanished when Chennaiyin FC dumped them out of that season of the ISL? Well, the brighter times have arrived, and Mumbai City FC will have a chance to give their fans a first-hand experience on Saturday.