Playing home or away at a stretch
MAKING IT COUNT?
MUMBAI: FC Goa lead the ISL 2 standings but till the fourth round, it was FC Pune City who were top with nine points. What was striking about Pune City’s rise was that all four of their ties were at home.
Asked if his team was able to make the run of four home games work to their advantage, Pune’s head coach David Platt said: “I don’t think there is much advantage in this league whether you play at home or away. The travelling is something you have to consider but I feel it’s more important what rest you have in between.”
A closer look at the fixtures reveal most teams have consecutive runs of home or away games at some stage. In top leagues of Europe, no team plays more than two consecutive games home or away. A spokesperson for the ISL confirmed the organising team and the officials responsible for scheduling did take into account the run of fixtures teams will play at home and away. The organisers did their best to strike a balance, said the spokesperson.
The fixtures’ list for the ISL was created taking several factors into account. The spokesperson said the first concern was to align with the Fifa mandate which requires at least 72 hours between two matches for any team.
WEEKEND MATCHES
There were certain other criteria. The first challenge was to ensure that each team got an equal number of weekend matches to facilitate attendance. Second, the fixtures were drawn taking into account that the national players would not be available during World Cup qualifiers. The fixtures were arranged so the departure of Indian nationals would have a similar impact on all teams.
The third criterion was the festivals during the season. “We had to consider the celebrationsof Durga Puja in Kolkata and Dussehra in Delhi. If you look at it, there was one match in Delhi on October 8 but then the team is on the road during Dussehra. Similarly, Atletico de Kolkata had a match on October 13 and then there is a lean period because of the Durga Puja celebrations (October 20-23),” said the spokesperson.
Additionally, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) allotted the ISL a window of 79 days ending on December 20 so the fixtures had to be planned within that timeframe.
To analyse whether a team playing consecutive matches at home has an advantage over a team playing consecutive matches away, one need look at last season’s ISL fixtures. Last year, Kerala Blasters started by playing five consecutive away games — their home stadium had an ODI allotted — of which they lost three.
LOOKING BACK
However, they did have a run of three consecutive home games to finish the league. It would seem that any advantage or disadvantage from the consecutive runs evened out as Kerala Blasters ended fourth, made it into the playoffs and eventually ended ATLETICO DE KOLKATA Last four games at home.
CHENNAIYIN FC First game at home followed by four away.
DELHI DYNAMOS Four away, followed by four at home.
FC PUNE CITY First four at home; last game at home preceded by four away.
KERALA BLASTERS Three at home followed by run of three away.
MUMBAI CITY FC Opening two away followed by five at home.
NORTHEAST UNITED FC Three at home followed by four away.
OTHER TOP LEAGUES
In the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, no team plays more than two back-to-back home or away games.
Tuesday’s match: Pune City vs Kerala Blasters. Live on Star Sports 2, 3, HD2, & HD3. runners-up.
This year, Kerala play three consecutive home games between October 31 and November 10. When asked if Kerala will look to capitalise on the stretch of home games, assistant-coach Trevor Morgan said: “We try to win every game. We know that if we can get something from the away matches and then go back to Kerala, it will put us in a comfortable position for the three games. But we don’t think about that. We think about each game individually.” NEW DELHI: India’s bantamweight boxer Shiva Thapa may have found world champion Michael Conlan a tough nut to crack on the ring, but he is good friends with the Irishman. The two often share notes on their craft. “We are good friends, and learn from each other,” Thapa said.
Thapa, however, is hoping that friendship turns into a big favour for him. Conlan, by virtue of his victory in the recent world championships in Qatar, qualified for the Rio Olympics. The Indian boxer narrowly missed out, after losing the playoff between the two losing semifinalists to decide the third slot from his weight division.
However, it was the second time that the Irish boxer was achieving the qualification, having already gained the spot at the World Series. As per rules, Conlan will have to give up one of them, and convey it to the world body by the year end. If Conlan gives up the Doha quota place, Thapa will move up one place and earn the berth for Rio.
Thapa conceded that he was hoping Conlan gives up his Doha spot. “It would be an advantage to start Olympic preparations early. Otherwise, I will have to go