Indian super league ( ISL ) 2016 discussion and updates

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FC Goa edge Chennaiyin in nine-goal thriller

Y oung Indian player Sahil Tavora struck twice, including a last-gasped stunner, as FC Goa beat champions Chennaiyin FC 5-4 in Indian Super League's highest scoring nail-biting match in Margao, on Thursday.

In a match between the two finalists in the last edition, Goa prevailed over the Chennai side with 21-year-old Tavora firing in a screamer from the edge of the box into the Chennaiyin goal with just a few seconds left in the three-minute injury added time to end a dramatic match.

Coming in as a substitute at the start of the second half, Tavora scored his first goal of the match in the 68th minute. Goa's other goals came from Rafael Coelho (6th and 76th) and Joffre Gonzalez (21st).

Jerry Lalrinzuala (4th) Dudu Omagbemi (28th) and John Arne Riise (88th) scored for Chennaiyin while Goa player Gregory Arnolin conceded an own goal.

Goa, coached by legendary Brazillian footballer Zico, ended their campaign on a high but they still finished at the bottom of the league table with 14 points from 14 matches (4 wins, 2 draws, 8 losses).

In a way, they avenged last year's defeat in the controversial summit clash at the same venue, where Zico's side ended as runners-up with Chennaiyin lifting the trophy.

Chennaiyin, coached by Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi, ended just one place above Goa at seventh place with 15 points from 14 matches (3 wins, 6 draws, 5 losses).

Both sides were out of the reckoning for a play-offs berths and with nothing at stake, they played freely and it was a goal fest and the nine goals scored are the highest in three editions of the ISL.

18-year-old Jerry Lalrinzuala of Chennaiyin also became the youngest scorer in ISL 3 when he curled in a brilliant free-kick into Goa net in the fourth minute of the match.

A move from the middle saw Richarlyson Felisbino foul Anrirudh Thapa just outside the box and Lalrinzuala sent the ball to the far corner of the net giving keeper Laxmikant Kattimani no chance to react.

The home team retaliated almost immediately and found the equaliser two minutes later when Joffre Gonzlez sent a brilliant pass to Rafael Coelho who sent the ball past an onrushing keeper into the net.

The visitors once again took the lead in the14th minute. Thoi Singh made a run into the box from the right, took a crack at the goal which keeper Kattimani blocked but the ball fell on the path of Anirudh Thapa whose shot deflected defender Gregory Arnolin and went in.

Goan were not disheartened and they counter-attacked to earn a penalty after Harmonjit Singh Kabra brought down Rafael Coelho inside the box and Joffre Gonzalez made no mistake as his left footer found the far corner of the net in the 21st minute.

The visitors were once again in the lead in the 28th minute through Dudu Omagbemi who, after receiving a through pass from Daniel Lalhimpuia, cut past onrushing keeper Kattimani and slotted the ball into the empty net to have Chennaiyin FC leading 3-2 at half time.

Goa brought in Tavora in place of Mandar Rao Desai after the break and they looked more enterprising in their attack as they kept rival keeper Karanjit Singh on his toes. After coming close to scoring a few times, substitute Tavora finally equalised in the 68th minute.

Rafael Coelho then put Goa in the lead for the first time when he was put through by Trinade Goncalves as he beat rival keeper Karanjit Singh to find the back of the net in the 76th minute.

The visitors brought some fresh pairs of legs by making a couple of changes and the move paid off as they equalised in the 88th minute after Goa defender Raju Gaikwad handled the ball inside the box off a throw-in by substitute John Riise who converted the penalty with a fierce shot.

But Goa had the last laugh when they scored the winner in the injury stoppage time through Tavora who cut past a rival defender on the left and essayed a shot which beat keeper Karanjit all ends up.

ISL: FC Goa edge Chennaiyin in nine-goal thriller - Rediff Sports
 
ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters beat NorthEast United to seal semi-final spot

India international C K Vineeth struck in the 66th minute as Kerala Blasters beat NorthEast United FC 1-0 to seal a spot for the play-offs in the Indian Super League football here today.

Kerala needed just a point to qualify for the semi-finals while NorthEast United would have gone if they had collected all the three points. But Kerala did not disappoint the massive 53,000-plus home crowd present at the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with Vineeth scoring the all-important goal.

The win helped Kerala finish second at the league table with 22 points from 14 matches and will now meet third-placed Delhi Dynamos in the two-leg semi-final battle. League toppers Mumbai City FC will face Atletico de Kolkata in the other semi-final.

With the loss, Northeast ended at fifth with 18 points from 14 matches.

Both teams started nervously trying to gauge each other’s strengths but it were Kerala who were in command and could have surged ahead in the third minute.

Haitian international Duckens Nazon got the ball down on the left, cut past Mailson Alves and found space inside the box. However, his attempt on goal was palmed away by NorthEast goalkeeper T P Rehenesh.

Apart from that early goal-mouth action, there was not much that either team did to break the deadlock. Most of the chances came from set-pieces but the teams could not get it right. Two free-kicks of Kerala on top of the box were wasted.

In the second session, NorthEast showed more urgency. Emiliano Alfaro’s effort from just inside the box saw goalkeeper Graham Stack prove equal to the challenge in the 60th minute.

The game got its decisive moment in the 66th minute. Mohammed Rafi switched play and found Vineeth on the left. The winger did well to cut inside, switch the ball to his right foot and take an unexpected grounder which beat the rival goalkeeper.

The goal stunned NorthEast as they suddenly appeared to lose hope, despite coach Nelo Vingada ringing in the changes. They now had to score two goals to turn the match in their favour, although it were Kerala who seemed more likely to score again.

Kervens Belfort saw his attempt go straight into the hands of NorthEast goalkeeper Rehenesh two minutes after taking the lead. In the 75th minute, substitute Antonio German brought the best out of Rehenesh who kept his team alive with a diving save.

Rehenesh’s best save of the day came three minutes before the end when he palmed Rafi’s header from point-blank range on to the post. It counted for nothing in the end as Kerala sailed home and now have the chance to seal their second final appearance in three years.

ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters beat NorthEast United to seal semi-final spot | The Indian Express
 
Kochi to host ISL final

The news has been doing the rounds here for the last few weeks. And now, it has been confirmed.

The final of the third Hero Indian Super League will be held here on December 18.

“We felt that awarding the prestigious ISL final to Kochi would be an apt ode to the State’s contribution to Indian football,” said Nita Ambani, chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited, promoter of ISL, while announcing the news on Friday.

Kochi has thrown up the biggest crowds for the ISL this season, with the numbers for Kerala Blasters’s home games often touching 55,000 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

With the Blasters in good shape to reach the semifinals — the final berth will be confirmed after the Kochi team’s last league game against NorthEast United FC here on December 4 — the Nehru Stadium is likely to see record attendance figures for the next few games.

Kochi to host ISL final - The Hindu
 
ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata beat Mumbai City FC 3-2 on aggregate to book final berth

New Delhi: Atletico de Kolkata became the first finalists of Indian Super League (ISL) 2016 after a 0-0 draw against Mumbai City FC in the semi-final second leg. With a 3-2 aggregate victory, Kolkata advanced into the final.

Kolkata and needed just a draw to edge out their rivals, who despite topping the league table, bowed out of the competition after reaching the knockout stages for the first time.

It's for the second time in three years that Kolkata have managed to advance to the summit clash. What makes their achievement all the more special is the fact that there were reduced to just 10 men in the 43rd minute of the match.

Atletico de Kolkata's defenders were right on the money in the match and showed great character.

Atlético de Kolkata
@atletidekolkata
And OFF WE GO TO THE FINALS!
C'mon #Kolkata , #LetsFootball ! #ATK
#MUMvATK #AamarBukeyATK

ATK played more than 45 minutes without full-back Robert Lalthlamuana who was sent off for a second booking near the end of the first half.

A brawl broke out after the match when ATK`s Juan Beloncoso was tripped by Mumbai`s Leo Costa. Several players got involved in separate altercations when Belencoso reacted in an ugly manner prompting Thiago Cunha from the Mumbai bench to attempt a kung-fu kick at the Spaniard.

Atletico de Kolkata will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Delhi Dynamos and Kerala Blasters on December 18 in Kochi.

ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata beat Mumbai City FC 3-2 on aggregate to book final berth | Zee News
 
ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters Beat Delhi Dynamos on Penalties to Enter Final

Kerala Blasters strode into the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) after a 10-man Delhi Dynamos, in a shocking display, missed thrice in the penalty shootout in their second-leg semifinal here on Wednesday night.

Watched by Liverpool legend Ian Rush, Kerala Blasters won the match 3-0 on penalties after the regulation time ended 2-1 in favour of the home side.

Dynamos' inspirational skipper Folrent Malouda, who otherwise played his heart out in the regulation plus extra time, shot one way above the bar, much to the disbelief of all at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to leave the hosts trailing in the shootout.

As the scoreline read 2-1 (2-2 aggregate) in favour of Dynamos after 120 minutes of enthralling football, the match went into shootout.

Taking the first shot, Josu Currais put Blasters on their way as he easily beat Antonio Doblas. Then came the turn of Malouda, and what followed, is something he would like to forget in a hurry.

Doblas brought Delhi back into the game when he stopped Antonio German's attempt with a diving left-handed save. But Delhi were again let down, this time by Bruno Pelissari, who, like his captain, hit it high above the horizontal.

Kerven Belfort kept his cool and took Kerala closer to the final by calmly slotting one past Doblas.

Emerson Gomes de Moura's shot was met with a brilliant save by Sandip Nandy, the Kerala goalkeeper making amends for his two blunders that led to goals in the regulation time.

Mohammed Rafique then came in and hit it low and perfectly into the bottom left corner to seal the issue in favour of Blasters.

However, the absolute shocker of the match was undoubtedly Malouda's miss as it was least expected from a man of his experience.

In a repeat of the inaugural edition final two years ago, Kerala Blasters will take on Atletico de Kolkata in the summit showdown in Kochi on Sunday.

Earlier, Marcelinho put Dynamos ahead with a 21st minute strike. Blasters hit back immediately through Duckens Nazon in the 24th minutes. However, Ruben Gonzalez Rocha (45+6) ensured Dynamos went into the breather with a 2-1 match advantage, by finding the back of the net with a header.

After a rather quiet start for the first 20 minutes, the game picked up pace and Marcelinho, the leading scorer of the league so far, struck his 10th goal when he unleashed a left-footed volley in an empty net to leave Blasters custodian Sandip Nandy stranded.

Marcos Tebar played a long ball towards Richard Gadze and Kadio's clearance was met by Marcelinho's shot.

Blasters hit back almost immediately as Duckens Nazon ran beautifully through the Dynamos defence before belting the ball past Antonio Doblas off a Josu Currais assist.

More drama was in store as Delhi midfielder Milan Singh was shown a red card for a harsh tackle on his Kerala counterpart Mehtab Hussain. That was soon followed by a yellow to Kimkima for protesting as the referee meant business in this high-voltage encounter.

Down to 10 men, Dynamos were not be bogged down, rather they upped the ante and pressed the Blasters defence. Their relentless attacking game bore fruit when Ruben Gonzalez Rocha headed in a regulation free-kick by Marcos Tebar.

Goalkeeper Nandy again made a hash of it as he failed to read the trajectory of the ball while obstructing his defender Aaron Hughes.

It was a rather entertaining first half barring the first 20 minutes of the game. If the combination of Nandy's blunder and Marcelinho's prowess allowed Dynamos to go 1-0, Blasters responded through Nuzon who hit one into the far post.

The marching order to Milan Singh only spiced things up as the stunned Delhi midfielder made his way back into the dressing room waving kisses to the home crowd that had= gathered at the venue to support their team.

While Dynamos were relentless in attack and dominated possession, with the home team switching to top gear in the last 15+6 minutes, Blasters looked for openings on the break.

However, as the match approached the lemon break, Rocha turned out to be the home side's hero as he headed in the freekick after a scramble inside the box. On that occasion, Nandy was again at fault.

Blasters had a man advantage, but it were the Dynamos who went into the break with a goal ahead and a 2-2 aggregate.

Dynamos kicked off the second half in earnest as their inspirational skipper Florent Malouda nearly made it 3-2, but for a chip shot that went over the bar. The former French star ran rings around the Kerala defence as he effortlessly made his way through after dribbling past three-four of them, bringing the Delhi crowd on their feet.

Blasters too had their moments, but it were the Dynamos who showed more urgency.

Just before the end of regulation 90 minutes of play, Dynamos initiated another creative move with Marcelinho, down the right, playing the ball to Tebar on the edge of the box. Tebar headed it towards Malouda, but the captain's header went high.

Meanwhile, in the added time, Blasters' Haitian recruit Kervens Befort went past Kimkima, only to miss the far post after beating Doblas.

The combo of Malouda and Marcelinho were again at the heart of things but, after Nandy palmed away Malouda's effort, the Brazilian striker failed to find the much-needed goal.

In the extra time, Malouda and Marcelinho were on the prowl often. Soon, another powerful shot from the Dynamos marquee player was parried away by Nandy.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Rafique, who was a busy man throughout, found space on the right and put in a dangerous looking ball towards Belfort, but Delhi defender Anas Edathodika was equal to the task as he cleared it to safety.
Dynamos' World Cup winning coach Gianluca Zambrotta made a surprise in the 111th minute, as he replaced Marcelinho with Bruno Pelissari.

Both teams had their fair share of chances in the second half but failed to translate them into goals. While their were many moments, what stood out was the goal-line clearance by Sandesh Jhingan off Malouda's header. While they could not break the deadlock upfront, both teams looked pretty strong in defence.

Dynamos' lack of finishing let them down in the second half with Marcelinho also missing out on a couple of occasions, which probably prompted Zambrotta to replace him in the extra time.

In a desperate search of what would have been a match-winning goal, both teams resorted to playing long balls, but the tactic amounted to nothing.

ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters Beat Delhi Dynamos on Penalties to Enter Final
 
ISL 2016: Rio Olympics Final Referee Faghani to Officiate in Summit Clash

Iranian referee Alireza Faghani, who recently made history by becoming the first Asian to officiate the final of the men’s football at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will be officiating in the final of the Indian Super League between Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters.

A FIFA referee since 2008, Alireza has an envious resume having been in-charge of the 2015 Club World Cup Final along with the 2015 Asian Cup Final.

Alireza will be assisted by his team of co-Iranians Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri as linesman, who had also teamed up with him for the 2016 Olympics Gold match.
With so much at stake, there could have been no better way to uphold the spirit of the game and crown the best team as the Hero ISL 2016 champion by one of the best referees in the world.

ISL 2016: Rio Olympics Final Referee Faghani to Officiate in Summit Clash
 
Atletico de Kolkata pip Kerala Blasters in shoot-out to win second ISL title

Atletico de Kolkata were crowned Indian Super League champions for the second time in three years after they edged out Kerala Blasters 4-3 in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout after a below-par display for 120 minutes.

Both sides were locked 1-1 after extra time that led to the shoot-out.

No wonder ATK’s marquee co-owner Sourav Ganguly along with Sanjeev Goenka were ecstatic beating a franchise which is co-owned by Sachin Tendulkar .

India international Jewel Raja successfully converted the fifth penalty as the 55,000 capacity crowd at the Nehru Stadium were stunned into silence.

In that 2014 final, ATK had beaten Kerala Blasters 1-0 in Mumbai.

It was the first penalty shootout in three editions of the cash-rich league.

Besides Jewel Raja, Sameehg Doutie, Borja Fernandez and Javier Lara found the target in the shootout while Iain Hume’s shot was blocked by Kerala goalkeeper Graham Stack.

For Kerala, who came into the match after winning six times on the trot before today’s match, Antonio German, Kervens Belfort and Mohammed Rafique scored while Elhadji Ndoye and Cedric Hengbart failed to find the target.

The match was devoid of any extraordinary moments or twists and turns, which was there in the summit clash of last season.

ATK’s tournament second highest goal-scorer Hume was quiet for most part of the match as he was not given space by Kerala defenders.

Visiting side marquee player Helder Postiga was out of sorts and substituted in the 68th minute. Kerala forwards CK Vineeth and Duckens Nazon also failed to impress after a top-class performance till this summit showdown at their home venue where a capacity crowd turned up to cheer them.

There were no surprises in the starting eleven of both the teams with ATK bringing in marquee player Helder Postiga, league second highest scorer Iain Hume and Sameehg Doutie after ‘resting’ them in the second-leg semifinals against Mumbai City FC.

Kerala, on the other hand, left out their second-leg semifinal penalty shootout win hero sandip Nandy in favour of former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack.

With full-to-the-brim crowd egging them on, Kerala started off with a series of attacks but without any serious threat at the ATK goal. Kerala Blasters’ India striker CK Vineeth sent a fine pass from the flanks in the second minute but none of his team-mates were in position to convert.

In the 10th minute, Kerala’s Kervens Belfort played Mohammed Rafi through inside the box and the former India forward looked to finish it with a powerful shot but Jose Arroyo was just on time to block it.

Atletico de Kolkata pip Kerala Blasters in shoot-out to win second ISL title | The Indian Express
 
The Cup is back where it belongs!!!
Once a champion always a champion!
#AmarBukeyATK #GoAtleti #ATK
 
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