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There is an old saying which goes like, "If you suffer an attack, your best ally is to keep calm and defend." And, in football, it is the responsibility of the defenders to ensure that the oppositions' attacking plans get thwarted.
In the 2018-19 ISL season, they not only lived up to their defensive duties but also helped out their team in attack and midfield - a vital trait of a modern-day defender. While four of these defenders will be in action in the semi-finals of the ISL, one huge name will be missing as his team has been ousted from the competition.
Also Read: ISL Semifinals- Top 5 Midfielders
Without any further ado, here are the top 5 defenders of the Hero Indian Super League.
#5 Mato Grgic (NorthEast United FC)
Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian footballer Mato Grgic had never stepped foot in Asia, let alone in India. By the time most of the first-time foreigners acclimatised themselves to the Indian conditions, the season reached its business end. However, the 31-year-old Mato Grgic didn't feel alienated and marshalled the back-four with aplomb.
Being a Dutch, Eelco Schattorie prefers his team to keep the ball and pass it around. Grgic has a staggering passing accuracy of 87.5% and averages 35 passes per game.
Barring NorthEast United's last game against Kerala Blasters in which he was suspended, Grgic started every game for the Highlanders and played the entirety of the ninety minutes. A no-nonsense defender when the team is under pressure, his mammoth 125 clearances in 17 matches along with 19 tackles and 29 blocks proves his mettle.
ALSO READ: ISL Schedule | ISL Results | ISL Points table
#4 Seriton Fernandes (FC Goa)
A lot of football pundits expected a fierce battle between Seriton Fernandes and Nirmal Chhetri in the right-back role for FC Goa once the season began. However, the 25-year-old Goan native ensured that the former Northeast United FC defender played only 8 minutes in the tournament.
Seriton is a very skilful and composed full-back when going in the overlap. A total of 28 crosses in 18 matches proves his worth; he also has 2 assists to his name. As a team, FC Goa has had the most number of successful passes in the league and Seriton played an instrumental part in it. A total of 1030 touches and 727 passes with an accuracy of 78.54% exemplifies his work rate.
A characteristic trait of the wing-back is to track back in time and perform his defensive duties with equal effectiveness. Seriton doesn't show any complacency in the department. His 76 tackles, 21 interceptions, 43 clearances, and 30 blocks being a testament to it.
#3 Lucian Goian (Mumbai City FC)
A Mumbai City FC fan-favorite, who become the first player to make 50 appearances for the Islanders recently, Lucian Goian started in the heart of the defence for their each and every encounter barring one and stuck to his team even in the harshest of the conditions.
Mumbai City FC like to sit back deep and then pounce on the counter. This tactic can only be useful if they have a stable back-four. And Goian is their leader, who orchestrates the band and uses the opponents' attacks against themselves.
The 36-year-old veteran made a staggering 175 clearances and 70 tackles in 17 matches. What is rather surprising is that despite being a centre-back, he leaves no stone unturned to help his team in attack. Having 14 shots and 6 crosses to his name, Goian can be a vital asset to Mumbai City FC in the semi-finals.
#2 Rahul Bheke (Bengaluru FC)
Not every defender can play as a right-back, a centre-back and a left-back with equal meticulousness. But then, not every defender is Rahul Bheke. Indian football fans were frustrated with Stephen Constantine's 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad and Rahul's name was on the forefront of every fan's lips as he was omitted from the squad.
In the attacking department, he has 2 goals, one assist, 11 shots and 20 crosses to show for his efforts. Moreover, averaging 36.53 passes per game and having 964 touches to his name, the Bengaluru FC man isn't a mere spectator going forward.
And, like most great full-backs, he shows no signs of lethargy when tracking back. Managing a total of 40 tackles, 19 interceptions, 81 clearances and 28 blocks in 17 matches, Rahul is a complete all-rounder when the thought of a 'modern-day defender' comes to someone's mind.
#1 Tiri (Jamshedpur FC)
While the fans will have an opportunity to see the beforementioned four names in the semi-finals, they will be unable to witness the defensive heroics of Tiri. The Jamshedpur FC centre-back started all of their games this season and even has a goal to his name.
The Jharkhand-based side has been criticised time and time again for lacking the attacking impetus and holding the ball for a long time in the defensive third. Their plan to free up space forward by inviting pressure from the oppositions might not have worked wonders but Tiri's positioning sense ensured they didn't lose the ball either.
With a flabbergasting figure of 1150 touches and averaging 46.94 passes per game with an accuracy of 81.3%, Tiri was Cesar Ferrando's go-to defender to implement his style of play of building from the back.
Speaking of his defensive statistics, he has 164 clearances, 33 interceptions, 42 tackles and 27 blocks to his name. That pretty much sums up why he has been hailed as the best defender in the ISL for three years running.
