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Out of the first five matches of the ISL, two ended in 0-0 draws. However, the first week belonged to the strikers, and rightly so. But certain defenders stood out from the pack and made their mark.
When the going got tough, these defenders stamped their authority with some fine performances. Let's take a look at the 5 best defenders from week 1. These players may not have dominated the headlines, but they made sure their goal was left speckless.
#1 Nemanja Lakic Pesic
Pesic was rock solid for Kerala Blasters in their first outing against ATK. The Serbian defender's positioning was on point and he rarely put a foot wrong during the 90 minutes. With 4 clearances and 4 blocks to his name, the centre-back was in the thick of things, marshalling his back line with military precision. For a defender, he got on the ball quite often and wasn't afraid to play the waiting game. While he was rash with a couple of his tackles, Pesic definitely made his presence felt.
#2 John Johnson
Playing their first ISL game ever, Bengaluru FC didn't seem nervous at all, and it was down to their stability at the back. The experienced campaigner, John James Johnson, once again showed why he is one of the best centre-backs currently playing on Indian soil.
More importantly, Johnson let his team's fullbacks maraud forward without hesitancy. He had his area marked like a hawk, and never let Mumbai's front line pepper his goal with shots. With a pass accuracy of 83%, Johnson kept it simple and played the ball to the right individuals.
#3 Anas Edathodika
When Jamshedpur took on NorthEast United, all eyes were on the league's most expensive defender - Anas Edathodika. The centre-back was tested against a side which was reckless in attack.
Unlike the other defenders on this list, Anas did not get on the ball much. Instead, he adopted a zonal marking method and never got out of his zone unless required. Jamshedpur's star defender was disciplined and his no-nonsense approach helped them secure a point in their first ever ISL outing.
#4 Keegan Pereira
ATK could only manage a draw against Kerala Blasters but they did create the better chances on the night. The visitors made Kerala look sluggish and some credit must go to their fullbacks.
When Keegan Pereira was at Mumbai City FC a couple of seasons ago, he failed to impress and was understandably offloaded. However, he started for ATK in their first game and put in a thoroughly impressive performance. The left-back created two goal-scoring chances and more importantly, Keegan made five crucial interceptions in his own half, thus keeping the likes of Berbatov and Ian Hume at bay.
#5 Jose Julio Goncalves
Playing his first ever game on Indian soil, Jose Julio was sturdy and miserly at the back for NorthEast United against Jamshedpur. Not one to ponder on the ball, the Portuguese did not give the opposition an inch in the final third.
You could argue Julio could have played out the ball rather than simply clearing it but given the fact that this was the first match of the season, he was in no mood to take any kind of risks. Ultimately this approach paid dividends. NEUFC are a side notorious for slacking off. He ensured it didn't happen with a solid performance.
