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For the third time in a row, the I-League champions will be decided in the last round of the tournament, with both Chennai City FC and East Bengal both vying for the title. While Chennai City will simply need a win against Minerva Punjab to lift the title, East Bengal will have to win against Gokulam Kerala and hope Chennai drop points in order to end their 16-year wait for the crown.
But going into the last match, both teams will miss their key players. Chennai City will not get the service of their wrecker-in-chief Nestor Gordillo, who is suspended for the match. On the other hand, East Bengal will miss Jobby Justin who was handed a long six-match suspension for spitting on Aizawl FC player Kareem Omoloja.
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However, both the teams have enough players who can lead them to glory. In this article, we will discuss five players who can make an impact in the title race.
#5 Pedro Manzi
The I-League has been bestowed by some talented and famous foreigners over the years. Some quickly made a name for themselves and earned lucrative contracts after their exceptional performances, while others eventually faded out after failing to leave a mark.
When Pedro Manzi took the field against Indian Arrows in the first match of this year’s I-League, not many would have noticed him. After all, he was completely new to the league, as were rest of the four foreigners of Chennai City. What transpired in the 90 minutes of the match was enough for the Uruguayan-born Spanish player to force Indian football fans to sit up and take notice.
He again scored in the third match against Gokulam Kerala before he was forced to sit out for a couple of matches due to an injury. He could not find his usual form for the next few matches. But the game against Shillong Lajong at home saw Manzi at his destructive best as he scored a hat-trick. After that, there was no stopping the 30-year-old, who has kept on scoring goals.
He scored in the very next match against Gokulam and registered his fourth hat-trick of the campaign against Neroca. With 20 goals, he is now the joint-top scorer alongside Willis Plaza of Churchill Brothers.
What makes him distinct is goal-scoring ability. He can turn a half chance into a goal. His positioning is brilliant and understanding with Nestor Gordillo and Sandro Rodriguez is astonishing. No matter what, Chennai City will be looking to their main man before they face Minerva Punjab in their final game.
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#4 Enrique Esqueda
If one googles his name, a lot of Spanish articles will appear on the screen. If one can translate and read those, they will come to know how much Enrique Esqueda is famous in Mexico.
‘Paleta’, as he is lovingly called by the fans, made heads turn when he decided to come to India and join East Bengal. Many questioned his decision, although support came from some corners knowing that the East Bengal team will be managed by Alejandro Menendez, who handpicked the Mexican before the start of the season.
Like Manzi, Esqueda made his presence felt with a brace against Neroca in East Bengal’s first match. Then he assisted Jobby Justin in the next match twice. Esqueda scored his third goal, though on lost occasion against Chennai City. However, he broke his rib in the Gokulam Kerala match and was ruled out for one month.
Esqueda went back to Spain for treatment and there were a lot of rumours over whether East Bengal would retain him. But Menendez showed his trust on the Mexican and eventually, Esqueda would come back in January, before the second leg of Kolkata Derby. He silenced his doubters with impressive performances against Neroca, Shillong Lajong, Real Kashmir and Minerva Punjab, scoring goals in all these matches.
Esqueda has exceptional skills, good heading ability, positioning. At a time when East Bengal’s main goal-scorer Jobby Justin is missing through suspension, Esqueda took the mantle of scoring and there is hope that he would continue the same form against Gokulam in the last match.
#3 Sandro Rodriguez
One of the five Spaniards that Chennai City coach Akbar Nawas and his assistant Jordi Villa handpicked from the lower tiers in Spain. Sandro has caught the attention of the Indian football fans with his exceptional free-kick taking skills. Out of nine goals he has scored in the I-League, five of them are from free-kicks.
Along with Pedro Manzi and Nestor Gordillo, Sandro has formed a formidable trio which creates all the attacks for Chennai. Sandro usually plays from the middle of the park but can also operate from the right wing.
Nestor, who creates most of the attacks with his dribbling and quick forward runs, will be missing the match against Minerva due to suspension. For Chennai to maintain the same form, Sandro will have to take extra responsibility. He will need to feed balls to Manzi on a regular basis in order to get goals. Also, he will have to take the chance whenever he gets a set-piece chance near the goal.
#2 Jaime Santos
Even after first few matches of the season, East Bengal could not fulfil their six foreigner quota due to the transfer that was imposed on them due to irregularities in the club’s attempts to sign defender Sukhdev Singh from Minerva Punjab in the summer. After knowing their transfer ban would be lifted, East Bengal contacted Jaime Santos as per the recommendation of coach Alejandro Menendez.
Santos came through the ranks of the youth team of Sporting Gijon, a club where Menendez had a stint as a youth coach. He had watched Santos closely during his time with Gijon and under his influence, the club signed the player.
The former Mirandes player made a good impression in his first match for the club, against Mohun Bagan. As of now, Santos has scored four goals in 13 appearances for the club, including one in the second leg of Kolkata Derby.
His swift passing, with the ball run, speed, agility and accurate shooting ability made him instant famous among the fans. They chant his name quite often during matchdays. If East Bengal are to end the campaign on a sweeter note, then Santos will have to shine against Gokulam.
#1 Laldanmawia Ralte
When Khalid Jamil came from Aizawl to take over as the Head Coach of East Bengal, he took some of his trusted lieutenants who helped him to win the I-League. Among the several Mizoram footballers who switched their allegiance from Aizawl FC to East Bengal was Laldanmawia Ralte.
Usually shy of nature, Laldanmawia never walks away without doing his job. He loves to score goals and never wastes an opportunity to increase his tally. Under Jamil, he got little chance and apart from a goal in the Calcutta Football League against Mohun Bagan, he didn’t have anything much to say.
Under Menendez, the player has changed himself completely. He has improved his physique, became more lethal in front of goal. Playing as a right winger, Laldanmawia always takes the right position at the right time to score goals. Menendez’s philosophy of playing passing football also suits him.
He is the first and only Indian player so far to score a hat-trick in the tournament this season. Apart from that, he scored a brace in the first leg of Kolkata Derby, which made a toast in the eye of supporters. He has scored seven goals so far. Laldanmawia would surely try to add some more in his kitty when his side face Gokulam.
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