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Even though Mumbai City FC struggled in the later stages of the tournament, they had enough points in their kitty to make it through to the last four. Jorge Costa did a fairly satisfying job with the footballers at his disposal, especially after a low lying 7th-place finish in the Indian Super League last season. But they would be rather disappointed not to make it to the finals for the second time in a span of three seasons.
The 1-5 defeat to FC Goa in the semi-finals was a heart-break to them, and even though they won the return leg 1-0, the damage had already been done. The loss to bottom-placed Chennaiyin FC in the Super Cup piled on their misery. In spite of the losses, there were a lot of positives which emerged from the campaign, while there are also a few areas where they should improve before the next season kicks-off.
Let us have a look at 5 footballers who may leave Mumbai City FC before next season:
#5 Matias Mirabaje
Matias Mirabaje was the pick of the players for Delhi Dynamos FC in the previous season, even though the team finished in eighth place. Mumbai City FC were quick to secure the services of the Uruguayan playmaker for the following year, but he failed to replicate his natural game for his new team. With no assists to his name, Mirabaje was a flop for the Ranbir Kapoor owned side.
The only silver lining to his stats this year has been the goal he scored against the Kerala Blasters FC. Apart from that, he has been pretty ordinary throughout the 15 matches he featured in. Even though his side managed to get a top-four finish, the management may overlook Mirabaje in the next season looking at his recent performance.
#4 Paulo Machado
Paulo Machado was a stalwart for Mumbai City FC in the midfield as well as one of the most versatile players in the ISL this season. His ball distribution was laudable and he also provided support to the defenders which helped the team to a great extent. Apart from the 4 assists he produced, Machado scored a couple of goals, one of which was a winner against Bengaluru FC.
His passing has been better than most others in the tournament with a high average per game. The former Portugal International is an experienced campaigner and has played several leagues around the world, it has been a new challenge for him and he passed with flying colors. He is going be on the radar of other teams in the build-up to the next season.
#3 Mohammad Rafique
The then young footballer made headlines by scoring the winning goal in the final of the inaugural Indian Super League for ATK five years back. Unfortunately, that is the only goal Mohammad Rafique has scored in his ISL career so far. Mostly plying his trading in the I-League for Kolkata giants East Bengal, he never became a regular in the cash-rich league. After a one-year absence, he was recruited by Mumbai City FC to add stability in the attacking third.
His performances were below par, having no contribution to the side in the entire season. Having played 11 matches for them, he failed to score or even provide an assist. Rafique usually plays in a vital position, and it will become a huge problem for the side if he fails to deliver even in the next season.
#2 Amrinder Singh
Maybe the shot-stopper does not get many opportunities at the international level and remains largely in the shadows of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, yet it cannot be denied that he is a top-class footballer. Amrinder Singh has by far been the best goalkeeper this season, with a total of 66 saves which includes 7 clean sheets - the most by any in 19 matches he featured in for Mumbai City FC.
The Punjab-born shot-stopper would be rather disappointed to concede 5 goals in the semi-finals against FC Goa which almost sent them packing from the tournament. Amrinder has been around with the Mumbai based unit for three seasons now, and his employers might well want to secure his services for the upcoming season. If not, others will be more than happy to have him on their side.
#1 Moudou Sougou
The Senegalese footballer has been extraordinary this season and one of the primary reasons that Mumbai City FC qualified for the semi-final stages. He has been a ‘fox in the box’ for his team throughout, having found the back of the net a total of 12 times which includes two hat-tricks. Moudou Sougou ended up as the second highest goal scorer in the ISL behind FC Goa’s Ferran Corominas.
Sougou’s poaching skills made him a fan favorite overnight, even though he could not inspire his team to a maiden ISL title. It was his first season in India and was a successful one indeed. Even though he is 36, Sougou might well play a couple of years in the league, especially after his heroics with Mumbai City FC. On the other hand, other sides will be itching to sign him for the next season.
