ISL first impressions: Defensive blues, attackers on point and Jamil’s forgettable opener

A couple of talking points before the start of the season was the new foreign player rule as well as the introduction of Khalid Jamil, the first Indian head coach of an ISL club. Both those points got their moments in the first couple of games of the season.

One marker of how the lack of a foreign player manifested itself was the ability to hold onto the ball. Teams were a lot less efficient in their passing. In the season opener, Bagan’s passing accuracy stood at a measly 63% and their opponents Kerala Blasters were not much better at 75%.

In the next game, Bengaluru managed to make 81% of their passes – a stat which should be taken with a pinch of salt purely due to NorthEast United FC’s excellent high press in the first half of their game. The ability to not hold onto the ball for long periods of time was one of the major reasons for the goal rush this weekend experienced.

In the first two games, three of the four teams had at least one foreign centre-back. In the third ISL game of the season between East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC, centre-backs for both teams were foreign players and the result ended 1-1. After Bagan’s game, coach Antonio Habas talked about the foreign player rule and said, “It’s good for ISL (to have an extra Indian player). But more important is foreign players coming in have good quality,” Habas said.

You don’t want to miss this!

Our boy Liston Colaco scored a stunner to seal the fate of the match vs Kerala Blasters in the Hero ISL season opener 💫🤩#ATKMohunBagan #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন #HeroISL #ATKMBKBFC pic.twitter.com/YS9pnC7PS1

— ATK Mohun Bagan FC (@atkmohunbaganfc) November 20, 2021

Indian attackers on point

Two beautiful goals were scored by fringe players in the Indian national team. Kerala Blasters’ Sahal Abdul Samad and Bagan’s new signing Liston Colaco both had their moments of brilliance in the opener.

Samad was handed a lofted chip in the Bagan box to control in the 22nd minute. The attacking midfielder controlled the ball with his chest and let the ball touch the grass once before unleashing a half volley amid a sea of Bagan defenders. It was his second goal in 52 ISL games and a reminder of why Blasters continue to persist with him in their midfield.

Colaco’s debut ISL game for Bagan was a reminder that he scores beautiful goals. Last season with Hyderabad, he had weaved his way past three NorthEast United FC players and then finished with his weaker left foot. Against the Blasters, Colaco received a routine pass from Roy Krishna while he was standing on the edge of the box.

The 23-year-old took a touch to kill the ball and then dinked a curled attempt past the two defenders in front of him. The shot was almost suspended in air and curled slowly, but with plenty of height, past Blasters’ goalkeeper Albino Gomes.

🎙️ “Defensively we didn’t work good today”@NEUtdFC head coach Khalid Jamil rues poor defending for their loss against @bengalurufc!#BFCNEU #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/vNIAUJYSqK

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) November 20, 2021

Jamil’s horror opener

Khalid Jamil’s first-ever outing as a permanent head coach of NEUFC ended in a 4-2 loss. The 44-year-old went for an all-Indian defensive lineup of Provat Lakra, Jestin George, Mashoor Shereef and Gurjinder Kumar. They let four goals in and the highlight of the four was Shereef blasting an own goal that would have made any striker in the world proud.

After the match, Jamil revealed that injuries meant he couldn’t put his best lineup on the field. “Gallego was injured. Flottmann and 4-5 others had an upset stomach, so we had to change our lineup at the last minute,” said Jamil after the game.

While the four foreign-player rule will mean that Indians get more opportunities, it also means that there will be a learning curve for these players. An increase in Shareef’s game-time might see him get better at keeping composure in high-pressure situations and not make the kind of errors that he did against Bengaluru FC.

The lack of quality Indian centre-backs, one that has plagued the national team for so long, will be seen in this season of the ISL. But more opportunities also mean that the league now gives the chance for another player like Chinglensana Singh to be unearthed, just like last season.