Not much of a home advantage in ISL
KOLKATA: By winning two of their eight home games, ATK emerged champions in the first and third editions of the Indian Super League (ISL), in 2014 and 2016. If despite a success percentage (based on the number of wins and draws) of 48.57 at home ATK have been this successful, Steve Coppell’s team shouldn’t really be worried about losing the first two games in Kolkata this season.
Chennaiyin FC, who meet ATK here on Friday, are the only other team to have won the franchise-based league that is into its fifth season. The home record of the defending champions and winners of the 2015 edition is better than ATK’S but 16 wins in 35 games in Chennai wouldn’t really intimidate away teams. Proof of that lies in both home games this season ending in losses for coach John Gregory’s men.
Yet, at 60% Chennaiyin FC have the second-highest success percentage in the 10-team league. Bengaluru FC top the list at 69.23% and are the only team which has won the majority of home games (eight of the 13 so far). But, along with Jamshedpur FC, they weren’t part of the first three editions.
That the semi-finalists of the 2017-18 season won more points away shows that home advantage is yet to take root in this nascent competition that lasted less than three months for the first three seasons before growing into one that runs for nearly six.
“Early on in the season, you’re looking for a rhythm. You are looking to establish a style which can be successful. Until you get three-four games under your belt, you are searching a little bit,” said Coppell whose team bagged four points from their last two away games.
On the road, teams may be more relaxed and looking to hit on the break, said an official who has been involved with the ISL Jamshedpur
since 2014. The constant chatter and chants that make home stadia intimidating also don’t happen as much perhaps because teams are still building a dedicated fan following. That, barring Goa and Mumbai, the venues have athletic tracks running around the pitch may also contribute to the home team not feed- ing off the energy of the crowd.
“I’m not sure what the reasons are. There are not many teams who have had a dominant home record (in ISL). To be a top team you have to have a good home record,” said Coppell. To that end, good results against Chennaiyin (Friday) and Bengaluru FC (Wednesday) here could help.