Bengaluru FC eye ISL crown in debut season Finalists benefit from retention, nurturing youth
GRAND FINALE As Sunil Chhetri’s BFC gun for glory versus Chennaiyin at home, focus will be on 10 players who regularly don India colours
BANGALORE: Given how ATK’S titles came with the team’s spine made in Spain and Chennaiyin became champions in 2015 riding Stiven Mendoza’s brilliance, what makes Saturday’s final of the 2017-18 Indian Super League (ISL) special is that it involves Indians on both sides who could influence the outcome.
Between themselves, Bengaluru FC (BFC) and Chennaiyin FC (CFC) have nine players chosen by India coach Stephen Constantine for the last Asian Cup qualifier against Kyrgyz Republic. A 10th would have been a shoo-in but BFC skipper Sunil Chhetri is suspended.
Indian players have scored in ISL finals; Mohammed Rafique’s stooping to conquer being followed by T Haokip in 2015 and Mohammed Rafi for Kerala Blasters in 2016. But the games have been dominated by foreigners such as Borja Fernandez, Edel Bete, Henrique Sereno, Mendoza, Leo Moura and Joffre Mateu. With Miku, Raphael Agusto, Sereno, Mailson Alves, Dimas Delgado and Gregory Nelson slugging it out at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here, Saturday night’s final too could go the way of the other three but there is an equal chance that it might not.
Because the absence of the suspended BFC left-back Subhasish Bose and injured Harmanjot Khabra notwithstanding, both teams have a mix of Indian players who have been in super form. So it fit that the backdrop to Friday’s media conference had Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua.
Sixteen of Bengaluru FC’S 38 goals have come from Indians, Chhetri getting 13. And 14 of Chennaiyin FC’S 29 goals have been by Indians with Jeje Lalpekhlua leading with nine.
Between the posts at each end will be Gurpreet Singh and Karanjit Singh with seven clean sheets each. At 19, Chennaiyin FC left-back Jerry Lalrinzuala is the baby of the back four but good enough to play 19 games.
And at the other end, Benga- ISL final live on Star Sports 2, SS 1 Hindi, SS 1 Tamil, SS 2 HD, SS Hindi HD 1 from 8:00pm
luru FC have 21-year-old Udanta Singh whose ability to wing it could make for interesting duels with full backs Inigo Calderon and Lalrinzuala.
At the heart of Chennaiyin FC’S midfield are Dhanpal Ganesh, whose comeback from a long Jeje Lalpekhlua ended his six-game goal drought with a brace against FC Goa in the second leg of Chennaiyin FC’S semi-final win on Tuesday. The Mizo forward has been instrumental to the club’s campaign and leads their goal-scoring charts with nine strikes in 19 appearances.
Chennaiyin FC skipper Henrique Sereno has been the backbone of what has been a defensively disciplined campaign. Part of the ATK side that won the ISL title last season, Sereno has provided a major boost to Chennaiyin this term.
Part of the Chennaiyin side that had won the ISL title in 2015, Raphael Augusto is in his third season at the club. The Brazilian midfielder’s creativity is key to making the Chennaiyin attack tick. In what was John Gregory’s first assignment in India, he has been able guide Chennaiyin FC to their second ISL final in three years. The Englishman, who has also enjoyed a successful stint as manager of Aston Villa, has led Chennaiyin FC to their most stable ISL campaign.
injury layoff has been so good that Constantine has called him, and Bikramjit Singh for whom this will be the third successive ISL final after playing for FC Goa in 2015 and then ATK. Together with the back four and Rapahel Agusto, they kept FC Goa’s Sunil Chhetri has delivered time and again for Bengaluru FC during his five seasons at the club. At 33, with 13 goals and two assists, he has been a vital cog in Bengaluru’s wheel.
Venezuelan forward Miku has been crucial to Bengaluru FC’S run with 14 goals from 19 games. Because of his high work rate, as well as his ability to drop deep, he can create space for teammates in the final third.
Bengaluru FC’S midfield engine Dimas Delgado has quietly gone about his business. An intelligent passer, Delgado has combined well with Eric Paartalu to provide solidity and act as a shield in front of defence. The Spaniard also doesn’t shy away from moving forward to help attack.
deadly duo Ferran Corominas and Manuel Lanzarote quiet. How successful they are doing that to Chhetri and Miku could have a massive bearing . In Anirudh Thapa, CFC have another promising midfielder who usually replaces Singh and got the Albert Roca, who has served under Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard began to weave his magic after initial hiccups. Hand-picking the team for the club’s debut in ISL, he has lead them to final on the back of a top of table finish with 40 points – the best in ISL history.
But even when we lost players in the draft and had to sign new ones, our philosophy stayed the same because our coach knew this would take time SUNIL CHHETRI, Bengaluru captain
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away goal at Goa in their semi-final. Playing further up the park for CFC will be Gregory Nelson and it is likely to be Bengaluru FC right-back Rahul Bheke’s job to contain the artful dodger.
“In Bikramjit, Dhanpal, Thapa, Jeje, they have some good
Indian players. I wish them well but hope they don’t do well tomorrow,” said Chhetri,
This tells you how, when the national team is 99th in the Fifa rankings, Indians players have improved in the ISL over the years, said Lalpekhlua. BANGALORE: This is the first time top two teams after the league phase are playing in the final of the Indian Super League (ISL). And in the way they have focused on retaining players, investing in youth, hiring medical staff and judiciously appointing coaches, it seems appropriate that Bengaluru (BFC) and Chennaiyin (CFC) are contesting for the trophy.
Going into this ISL season, BFC’S first, both teams showed how important it is to not overhaul rosters. BFC retained 11 players and CFC kept 10. Among them was Chennai midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh who was given a two-year deal this season.
“It helps if you build from a base,” said BFC coach Albert Roca .
The transition for BFC from Ashley Westwood as coach to Roca wasn’t easy and Sunil Chhetri pointed out how defeats in friendlies led to hue and cry. “But even when we lost players in the draft and had to sign new ones, our philosophy stayed the same because our coach knew this would take time,” he said.
Left-back Subhasish Bose, for instance, was not in sync with the team physically and mentally but with the help of senior players he fitted in, said Roca. BFC now have 28-30 players who provide depth for Roca to rotate squads for the AFC Cup and ISL, said Chhetri.
“Some of the boys who came here five years ago with their parents are now getting first-team shirts,” he said.
In the run-up to the final, BFC also gave Gurpreet Singh Sandhu a five-year deal and Erik Paartalu a new contract till 2020.
Having played the I-league meant that BFC had to invest in youth teams but they have gone beyond that with soccer schools here, an academy in Bellary and a reserve team in the I-league second division.
CFC, who began the season with new coach John Gregory getting introduced to the players, too are serious in investing in youth. “We have under-13, under-15 and under-18 teams and a reserve team of players between 18-20 years in the I-league second division. Almost 90% of our under-13 boys are from Chennai district,” said Amoy Ghoshal, the team’s chief technical officer.
While looking for a coach , CFC also wanted someone who could also get a sports scientist. Dr Niall Clark was formerly with Manchester City squad which won the Premier League in 2013-14. This season, CFC have scored most goals in the last 10 minutes and stayed injury-free, said Ghoshal.
All this has led to two teams from south India fighting for the ISL4 title. “As India captain, this feels great. When we joined the I-league, it was about massive clubs such as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. We won the I-league twice. Chennaiyin have won the ISL once and create quite a hostile atmosphere for home games. It is great for football in south India that we are playing the final here,” said Chhetri.