Road to ISL 2018-19 Playoffs - Eelco Schattorie makes history - 5 Things NorthEast United FC did right to make the Playoffs

Five different managers tried over four seasons to get NorthEast United FC to the playoffs.

In a league as competitive as the Indian Super League (ISL), they’d remained the only original side to never reach the playoffs.

Last season, they finished bottom of the standings, hauling just 11 points from 18 outings.

Not much was expected of them this season either and justifiably so.

However, they raised eyebrows in the opening matches, under the stewardship of Eelco Schattorie, with three wins and two draws in five games, including back-to-back away wins against two-time ISL winners ATK and Chennaiyin FC.

Although they left the Indian football fraternity awe-inspired, not many were convinced they could go all the way.

However, 13 games later, they secured their place in the last four, with the smallest budget in the competition no less.

The Dutch coach has done so impeccable a job that the Indian football fans have been clamouring for his being appointed as the Indian national team coach.

They will be locking horns with Bengaluru FC on March 3 and 11, with the home leg set to take place Thursday evening.

Here are five reasons why NorthEast, the ultimate underdogs, find themselves just three games away from becoming only the third side to win the ISL finals.

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#5 The resurgence of Rowllin Borges

An excellent passer of the ball, Borges connects their impeccable backline with their dynamic frontline and has racked up four goals and two assists in 18 appearances (Image Courtesy: ISL)

A state that used to have multiple representatives in the national team, Goa had a solitary player at the Asian Cup: Rowllin Borges.

A Goa-born NorthEast midfielder, he started the crucial game against Bahrain although India ended up losing to a last-minute goal.

It couldn’t have happened hadn’t it been for his recent resurgence at NorthEast.

He found his footing last season itself, but a poor showing from the team as a whole meant his side finished bottom of the table.

This season, however, it’s been a completely different story.

An excellent passer of the ball, he connects their impeccable backline with their dynamic frontline and has racked up four goals and two assists in 18 appearances.

He has played as big a role as any other player in the squad in their playoffs qualification.

His being at his best will be crucial to NorthEast United FC causing an upset against last season’s finalists Bengaluru FC in the playoffs.

#4 Superb away record

The Highlanders have an enviable away record (Image Courtesy: ISL)

Titles in football are often won away from home.

One needs to look no further than ISL’s cousin I-League for proof.

Churchill Brothers have built a fortress at the Tilak Maidan, Vasco, even registering a 3-2 win against Chennai City there.

Their uninspiring away record, however, has seen them fall behind East Bengal and Chennai City in the title race.

NorthEast United FC, meanwhile, have a rather enviable away record.

With wins on the road against ATK, Chennaiyin FC, Delhi Dynamos FC, FC Pune City and fellow semi-finalists Mumbai City FC, they secured crucial away points to find themselves where they do now.

They just have two away losses to their name - against title favourites FC Goa and Bengaluru FC.

They’ll hope to take inspiration from their league-stage away wins to hand stuttering Bengaluru FC the biggest upset of the season when they meet for the second leg of the playoffs at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on March 11.

#3 Belief in Eelco Schattorie

Schattorie's tactics have paid dividends this season (Image Courtesy: ISL)

Among the ISL managers this season, save for the Dutchman, no one else has coached in the I-League.

He had coached Prayag United and East Bengal and had a thorough understanding of Indian football before arriving in India.

He updated his knowledge of Indian football from the sidelines, working as the assistant manager under Avram Grant last season.

Upon stepping down of the latter, NorthEast United FC, convinced with his work, looked to promote him.

Appointing him as the coach, however, wasn’t easy.

The coach himself admitted that the “club had to pull some strings” to make him the coach as the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) weren’t keen on clearing him.

Congratulating him on helping NorthEast reach the playoff, football journalist Marcus Mergulhao tweeted, “Come to think of it, the organizers were not even willing to clear you as coach. You proved them wrong, and those who believed in you right.”

#2 Bartholomew Ogbeche’s goals

Ogbeche has scored 55% of the NorthEast United FC’s goals this season (Image Courtesy: ISL)

This is quite an obvious one.

Signing a 34-year-old striker hardly ever sparks interest in fans and understandably so.

Not a lot was expected of Bartholomew Ogbeche when he arrived from Willem II although he had just come off a 10-goal Eredivisie season.

After scoring a hat-trick against Chennaiyin FC and crucial goals against fellow top-four clubs, including Mumbai City FC and FC Goa, though, he has solidified himself as a regular goal source.

To put things into perspective, he has scored 55% of the NorthEast United FC’s goals this season, and his goals have won them 10 points, without which they’d have finished seventh, on 19 points.

In addition, they have had just four goal-scorers this season - while six sides have at least 10 different scorers - so without his goals, NorthEast United FC, perhaps, would have retained their underachiever's tag.

He hasn’t scored against Bengaluru FC over two legs in the league stages and will look to buck the trend when they meet in the semi-finals on Thursday.

#1 Top-notch scouting

The scouting work of the Highlanders have been top notch this season (Image Courtesy: ISL)

With most other sides wrapping up their transfer activity much before NorthEast United FC announced their first foreign signing, they attracted a plethora of derision from the Indian football followers and probably, deservedly so.

However, they have now made the naysayers eat humble pie.

Signing former NK Inter Zaprešić centre-back partners Mato Grgic and Mislav Komorski has proved a decision they could be proud of given their chemistry and the fact that they have conceded the fewest goals.

Bringing down Uruguayan midfielder Federico Gallego has made them dangerous in the attack.

Bartholomew Ogbeche has kept up his fine form from his Willem II days; he’s now on 12 goals, three short of league chart-topper and Goa striker Ferran Corominas.

Technical advisor Avram Grant, the manager and club’s officials deserve plaudits for doing intense scouting to find promising young players instead of bringing back former players like most other ISL clubs do.