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The Indian Super League always brings us surprises. Both the two-time Champions, ATK and Chennaiyin FC, are currently sitting at the bottom of the table at number 10 and 9 position, respectively, and are yet to open their account.
Meanwhile, five teams -- FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters, Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United -- are grappling for the top spot with four points from two matches each. Delhi Dynamos and Pune City FC, the only two teams to have played only one match each, are at the sixth and seventh position, respectively.
ISL Season 5 is an opportunity for the Delhi-based franchise to finally prove their worth and they have all the armoury to do it this time.
Delhi Dynamos began their season 5 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Pune City FC in which their Indian defender Rana Gharami scored a scorcher of a goal to give them the lead. However, they would be a little disappointed to concede a late equalizer at their home, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
Although it is early on in the season, watching the first 90 minutes of gameplay gives a decent idea of how the team may fare in the coming season and who are the key players.
In this article, we take a look at how the big guns of The Dynamos -- namely Marcos Tebar, Pritam Kotal, and Rene Mihelic -- have fared so far in this edition of the Indian Super League under the guidance of their new Head Coach Josep Gombau.
#3 Rene Mihelic
He had a good link-up play with Kaludjerovic, which is a really positive sign as that is the duo expected to bring the majority of the goals for The Dynamos this season. Last season, Mihelic had two goals in his 14 appearances for the Marina Machans.
The Slovenian midfielder was the anchor in the centre of the park for Chennaiyin FC in the previous season. His form was crucial for the success of the defending champions as he acted as the pivot between the defence and midfield.
With The Dynamos on a one-year deal, Mihelic showed glimpses of what he is capable of doing in the match against The Stallions.
This time around, he will be looking to increase that number a little as Delhi do not have their goal-scoring machine -- Kalu Uche -- with them now.
On one occasion in the match, Rene found Kaludjerovic in an excellent position but the latter was deemed offside.
He was also quick to react on counters and rushed to help out his defence when The Stallions were on a break. 1 tackle, 42 passes, and 57.14 percent passing accuracy -- these are his stats from the first match and one can only expect them to improve.
Even though he contributed well, 30-year-old was not as prevalent or influential on the pitch as he was during his Chennaiyin days. In one of the corners, Rene directly went for the goal which caught everyone by surprise, including FC Pune City keeper Vishal Kaith.
Even though he missed out as the ball curled out, only a player of immense calibre has the audacity to make such an attempt.
Rene's contribution will be vital for the Delhi-based franchise in their upcoming matches. The 30-year-old, along with Marcos Tebar, needs to make a much bigger impact in the centre of the park if Delhi are to succeed.
#2 Pritam Kotal
Although only 25 years old, Pritam is one of the most experienced defenders in the Indian Super League. The veteran Mohun Bagan player spent the initial two seasons of the ISL with FC Pune City, the 3rd with champions of that edition -- ATK, and has been with The Dynamos since the last season.
Now the captain of the Delhi-based franchise, Pritam indeed led from the front in the match against his ex-club. He was extremely vocal on the pitch and helped in organizing the defence.
Playing the complete 90 minutes, the fullback's contributions were excellent. 1 tackle, 2 interceptions, 9 clearances, 2 blocks, and 70 percent passing accuracy -- these are Pritam's numbers from the first match. The reason why the versatile right-back was retained was for his ability to move forward as well.
On one occasion, Pritam cut the ball into the box for Kaluderovic who squandered the opportunity.
Although Pritam did not have the opportunity to make as much an impact in the final third in his first match, it is something which can be expected from him in the future games. However, he could have still got his first assist had Kaluderovic not missed the sitter.
After a very disciplined first match, Delhi captain Pritam Kotal will hope he can lead them to their first win when they take on ATK on 17 October 2017 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, thereby giving the home fans something to cheer about.
Delhi's defensive unit looks great overall, with the best fullbacks of the country -- Narayan Das on the left and Kotal on the right.
The centre-backs Rana Gharami and Gianni Zuiverloon were also extremely comfortable on the ball and the inference that can be drawn from their first match is that the four already have a great understanding amongst themselves.
They would be disappointed to concede the late goal as that was just one case of their lack of concentration and they had to pay a big price for it.
#1 Marcos Tebar
The 32-year-old Spanish Midfielder Marcos Tebar reunited with Delhi Dynamos this season, having played for them in the 2016 ISL season. The Real Madrid academy product brought his experience to the fore in the first match against his ex-club FC Pune City.
Tebar had a terrific work rate in the first game, with 1 tackle, 1 interception, 4 clearances, 1 block, 59 passes, and a phenomenal 81.35 percent passing accuracy. However, the highlight of the match came when he passed the ball to Rana Gharami, who had space in front of him. Rana scored a screamer from out of the box which left FC Pune City's keeper Vishal Kaith fixated to the ground. With this, the Spanish midfielder already has an assist to his name this season. The defensive midfielder was solid as a rock. He was always asking for the ball, moving up and down the field constantly.
His role will be extremely crucial for The Lions in the upcoming matches as well.
Delhi Dynamos are a team which did really poorly last season as they finished 8th. The big question lies -- Will this be a season of redemption for the team which has made it to the playoffs on two occasions previously?
