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The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season two is just a game away from conclusion and the season so far has been full of drama, entertainment and most importantly, plenty of goals. FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC will battle it out for the ultimate prize on Sunday as the football fans in India wait for the champion of ISL season two to be crowned.In every team that made the top four or missed it by a whisker, there were individual performers a team couldn’t do without. We take a look at the very best performers from the ISL season two and who could possibly be the Contenders to be the Player of the Tournament this time out.
#1 John Stiven Mendoza (Chennaiyin FC)
Where would Chennaiyin have been if it not been for John Stiven Mendoza? The Coloumbian has scored twelve goals so far this campaign to power a Chennaiyin side that was languishing at the bottom of the league a month ago, to the Final of the Hero ISL. Mendoza has stepped up to the plate whenever it was starting to look bleak for Marco Materazzi’s men and has pulled them out of a tight situation.
Having netted two hat-tricks, the first one got Chennaiyin FC on the way as they picked up their first three points of the season with a 4-0 win over FC Goa. Once again, Mendoza produced a stellar performance against Kerala Blasters, scoring his second hat-trick, to once again lift Chennaiyin FC from the bottom of the table.
The striker was Chennaiyin’s best player in the semi-final 1st leg against Atletico de Kolkata where the Super Machans secured a 3-0 win, wich was eventually enough to secure them the ticket to the Final.
For such decisive performances playing upfront for Chennaiyin, Stiven Mendoza is one of the favourites for the Player of the Season.
#2 Leo Moura (FC Goa)
Leonardo Moura has been an absolute treat to watch for people who adore the beautiful game in India. The Brazilian has been one of the most creative players in the Indian Super League season two and has played a part in almost all goals that FC Goa has scored this season. The joint highest assist provider in the ISL, he has eight assists in fifteen games for The Gaurs.
Moura had a bad game in the semi-final 1st leg against Delhi Dynamos where he failed to affect the game as much as he would have liked and that led to his side falling to a defeat. However, the Brazilian came back strongly in the second game and put in an inspired performance to help FC Goa wipe off a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and march into the final with a 3-0 win over the Delhi Dynamos in the second leg.
The midfielder’s consistency in the FC Goa midfield has been vital for Zico’s men to dominate the second coming of the Indian Super League. However, the FC Goa faithful will now be hoping for one big performance from their beloved Brazilian to take them to glory which evaded them in the first season.
#3 Iain Hume (Atletico de Kolkata)
Having signed from the Kerala Blasters ahead of the second season of the ISL, Iain Hume was expected to be an ace in Antonio Habas’ pack thanks to the versatility that the Canadian possessed. Hume was assigned an attacking midfield role, with marquee player Helder Postiga leading the line for the Champions.
However, Postiga’s injury forced Hume to switch to a striker’s role and the Canadian initially struggled playing there before coming alive in the game against Mumbai City, where his hat-trick helped Atletico de Kolkata end a three-game losing streak.
The hat-trick kicked off Hume’s season and the Canadian scored eleven times in the campaign to help Atletico make the semi-finals. After a shocker in the first leg against Chennaiyin FC, Hume led his team’s fightback in the second leg, scoring the second goal which put Atletico within touching distance of their runaway opponents.
Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t enough for them to secure a place in the Final. For being a lone ranger upfront for Atletico de Kolkata and reviving their campaign almost single-handedly, Hume deserves to be among the contenders for the ISL Player of the Season.
#4 Florent Malouda (Delhi Dynamos)
Florent Malouda wasn’t exactly Delhi’s marquee signing as the club had already appointed Roberto Carlos as their player-manager. But, Malouda was no less than a marquee player for the Dynamos, considering his exploits with some of the biggest clubs in Europe like Chelsea and Lyon.
The Frenchman lived up to his reputation and was the main man in the Delhi Dynamos midfield. Malouda pulled the string for the team from Delhi and often dictated the pace of the game.
He was a true midfield marshal for the Dynamos and also their chief creative force. Malouda racked up eight assists in the campaign and was a textbook in midfield play for Indians who played alongside as well as against him.
Despite the former Chelsea midfielder failing to get on the scoresheet in the ISL, his presence in midfield was a huge lift for Roberto Carlos’ side. The Frenchman was also a leader in the Dynamos camp and always spoke of improving the standards of Indian football as one of his goals from his stint in India. Arguably one of the best midfielders in ISL season two, Florent Malouda is a leading contender for the Player of the Season.
#5 Joffre Mateu (FC Goa)
FC Goa’s Spanish midfielder had been in and out of the side in the initial games, but Joffre Gonzalez has really come good for his team when it mattered the most. Joffre has scored three goals for The Gaurs and also assisted four times this season and alongside Leo Moura, has been a complete joy to watch.
Despite struggling to be his true self in the initial parts of the season, the Spaniard has now assumed a massive role in the FC Goa set-up and was by far the best FC Goa player in both the semi-final encounters.
He created FC Goa’s best chances in Delhi, but those weren’t converted. However, he took the semi-final second leg by the scruff of its neck and opened the scoring just eleven minutes into the game to wipe off the deficit from the first leg.
Joffre terrorized the Delhi Dynamos defence all evening long and assisted the third goal which all but ended the tie as a contest. He has timed his rise to perfection and the Spaniard’s quality could just make the difference for FC Goa in the final on Sunday.
