#2 Raphael Augusto
Chennaiyin FC’s main man deserves a mention here. The Brazilian who won the Polish League with Legia Warsaw in 2013-14 came to Chennaiyin FC for the second season and created a massive impact, taking the Machans to the title.
With Elano Blumer usually on the bench and Bruno Pelissari firing in patches, it was the guile and creativity of this man which supported the strike pair of Stiven Mendoza and Jeje Lalpekhlua incredibly well.
Capable of playing anywhere in the central midfield, Augusto began the 2016 season as one of the two defensive midfielders, alongside Hans Mulder. With Chennaiyin’s inefficiency in front of the goal increasing with every game, Materazzi had to push his game-maker forward, and the side has seen commendable improvement since then.
Italian Davide Succi has scored goals, the team is playing at a much higher tempo and all the credit must be given to the Brazilian. With his powerful presence, Augusto ensures two defenders are always kept busy and away from his forwards, who get that little extra space to operate in and around the box.
While statistics tell a different story, Augusto’s presence in the deep lying playmaker role has seen him win the ball an astonishing 50 times, the highest among midfielders this season.
Breaking up opposition play and switching the game from defensive to offensive is one of the rare assets this burly Brazilian possesses. If the defending champions hope to reach the semi-finals, it will be down to the wizardry of this player.
