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The Hero I-League is now under a brisk Christmas break and will resume on December 28 with Neroca FC hosting Mohun Bagan in Imphal. The League has seen some wonderful stories and records being written. With a large player pool and Geographically, the most widespread Football League in the country, the Hero I-League season so far has been more overwhelming than ever for the fans.
With the teams like Chennai City FC and Gokulam Kerala revived completely from scratch, the advent of Real Kashmir from the Second Division and the New Ownership of East Bengal has certainly brought in some new quality names into the league from across the World who have taken the league by storm courtesy their quality and commitment.
Sportskeeda brings to you the Top 5 Players who have been the epitome of being clinical in the league so far :
5) Nestor Jesus Gordillo
Hailing from Las Palmas, Spain, the 29-year-old Spaniard has surely been one of the most exciting names in the I-League so far. Nestor came right into the spotlight when his brilliant trickery and build-up play abilities came into the light in the I-League opener against Indian Arrows which resulted in a 4-1 win. The way he went past the opposition defenders to set up his fellow Spaniard Teammate Pedro Javier Manzi for the hat-trick was scintillating.
Nestor Jesus himself started scoring for the Southerners as he found the net with ease against Churchill Brothers in the second game for his club. A touch of pure class set him up clear and he placed it past the Goalkeeper with calm and composure.
Gordillo has now gone on to scoring 4 goals in the 9 games he has played, even making it up for the absence of Pedro Javier Manzi due to an injury in a couple of matches. His clinical finishing skills, finding strikers upfront with an incisive bit of passing has been instrumental to Akbas Nawas' side being at the top of the table and it should continue to be so if Nestor keeps on putting up the performances he has been doing so far.
4) Mason Lee Robertson
The Scottish centre-back followed his father David Robertson to the I-League 2nd Division Champions right before the beginning of the season and it has been a good show from him at the heart of the Kashmiri defence. He made his debut in India for the Snow Leopards in the first ever I-League game of Real Kashmir against Minerva Punjab in Panchkula and helped his side contain the Minerva strikers to guide the team to a historic 1-0 win over the Defending Champions.
Robertson's ball distribution abilities has made him one of the most popular house-hold names in the Conflict torn Kashmir Valley and is a key part of David Robertson's plans for the season. His guidance and Marksmanship has made Real Kashmir the most defensively economic side in the league as they have conceded just 5 goals in the 9 matches so far, making Real Kashmir one of the toughest nuts to crack for the opposition. This defensive prowess of the Snow Leopards now see them standing 2nd behind Chennai City FC in the League Table so far.
Mason Lee Robertson can also play up front if needed giving more utility and versatility to Real Kashmir. The Scottish scored against Shillong Lajong in Srinagar in the 6-1 win. If Kashmir does keep on being defensive and tactical as they are for the rest of the league, it could certainly make them serious contenders for the League this season.
3) Pedro Javier Manzi
The Uruguay-born Spanish Forward has been the impressive performers and efficient goal-scorers in the I-League so far. His sudden outburst of speed and composure in front of the goal does make him as a dangerous customer for the other teams. The Spaniard has netted 4 goals so far in the 7 games he played for Chennai City so far. He made all the headlines on the opening day of the season when he smashed a hat-trick against the Indian Arrows in a 4-1 win in Coimbatore.
He scored against Gokulam Kerala in Kozhikode and has been off the scoresheet ever since. He is being marked heavily by the opposition defences in each and every game which speaks volumes of the impact he has made with his goal-scoring ability. He had to sit out a couple of games due to an injury and has not scored since his recovery.
Pedro Javier Manzi is an amazing and prolific goal-poacher and Akbar Nawaz will hope that he soon finds his scoring boots back and do what he does best. Score goals.
2) Jobby Justin
Although Jobby Justin scored 4 goals for the Red and Golds in the Calcutta Football League (CFL) season, it was deemed as an unsuccessful campaign for the Kerala-based striker largely due to his inconsistency and the team's lowly finish at 3rd in the Standings behind arch-rivals Mohun Bagan and Peerless SC.
He began the Hero I-League on a shaky not but has turned out a completely different player eventually under the guidance of former Celta Vigo and Real Madrid B Manager Alejandro Menendez. His quick runs and physical play has made a key part of Menendez's team formation. Jobby Justin has been quicky earning up possession out of nowhere on several occasions, thanks to his aggressive body language and instinct to be at the right place at the right time.
He scored a splendid over-head goal in the Kolkata Derby which allowed East Bengal get the better of their arch-rivals after 2 Years and 9 Months as Jobby Justin has now got his name written in Golden Letters in the Derby Record Books.
Jobby Justin is the leading Indian goal-scorer in the I-League so far with 5 goals from 8 games. A little bit of polishing in the finishing department and a tad bit of less self-play will certainly make Jobby Justin one of the most lethal Indian forwards some day.
1) Willis Plaza
After a disappointing stint with East Bengal marred with criticism from the fans and the Media alike last season, Plaza switched to Churchill Brothers at the end of the last season. He rose back to brilliance in the Super Cup with 3 goals from 2 matches. Plaza has continued that gain of form in the ongoing I-League as well. He is the overall top-scorer with 8 goals from 9 goals so far. He came under the spotlight when he smashed a hat-trick against a young Shillong Lajong side in a 4-2 win in Goa. Since then, he has not stopped scoring.
His most notable performance could well be the one against Mohun Bagan when he scored twice to blow the Mariners by 3-0 in Kolkata, given the fact that Plaza struggled a lot to score against the Mariners in the East Bengal shirt.
Willis Plaza may be scoring goals in tandem but is largely due to the excellent support he has got in the form of Khalid Aucho and Dawda Ceesay in the Midfield and in the Wings. He has missed several sitters as well in a few games and needs to work on his accuracy if he wants to keep his lead intact in the goal-scoring charts.
