BAGAN’S HIGH, HYDERABAD BLUES AND OTHER ISL TRENDS

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan Super Giant winning the league shield in the 10th season of Indian Super League (ISL) on the day they won the National Football League in 2002 was a coincidence. Like then, Mohun Bagan had to wait till the last round to see if they would be able to best the rest of India.

But that was an away game in Goa. What made the 2-1 win against Mumbai City FC rare — apart from it being Mohun Bagan’s first in eight attempts — was 61,177 at Salt Lake stadium. Such turnouts are usually for the India team or the Mohun Bagan-East Bengal clash. Monday changed that.

“This is what we want every game and not just special occasions. The supporters were great and helped Mohun Bagan today,” said Mumbai City FC coach Peter Kratky.

Equally rare, unique even, was the case of Hyderabad FC. In nearly three decades of all-India leagues — the National League, I-League and this —never has a club had to release so many players because salaries were not paid. Gurmeet Singh, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Sahil Tavora, Chinglensana Singh, Hitesh Sharma, Nim Dorjee, and this list is by no means complete, started 23-24 with the champions of 21-22 but ended at other clubs because they weren’t paid on time and wanted to move.

A two-transfer window ban means rebuilding will be difficult even if money comes in. It is a blot the season that saw coaches making a successful comebacks and the lack of Indian goalscorers as trends will have to live with.

Coaches comeback

“We were nine points behind Goa before the second leg started. But I remember what coach said… if you trust me in my work, we will win the championship. Look where we are now,” said Manuel Cascallana, Mohun Bagan’s assistant-coach on Monday.

Cascallana was referring to Antonio Lopez Habas. ISL’s most successful coach had unfinished business in the competition — not having won the league shield being denied by Mumbai City in 20-21.