From Elano's goals to sheer unpredictability: Seven takeaways as ISL reaches halfway mark

We’re at the halfway stage of the inaugural Indian Super League — 28 matches have been played, 63 goals scored at an impressive 2.25 goals per game, 821 crosses have come in, 931 tackles have been made, 99 yellow and five red cards have been dished out and another 33 games remain in the football extravaganza which is no longer called ‘IPL-style tournament’, but has carved it’s own identity in just over a month.

Seven league games have been played, the teams have a feel for each other and now the tactical battles will begin in earnest. From what we’ve seen so far, here are the seven takeaways from the Indian Super League:

There’s no best team: And that’s great isn’t it? Atletico de Kolkata and Chennaiyin FC sit at the top of the table with 12 points each — with FC Pune City a point behind and Mumbai City FC two points behind. Nobody’s a runaway number one yet. Both Atletico and Chennaiyin have lost games against teams they were expected to beat and have shown vulnerabilities in their three draws. FC Goa, who sit at the bottom, still have a mathematical chance to finish in the top four — they’re not a rubbish team, they’re just not scoring goals despite statistically being one of the most attacking. Atletico had run away at the top at the start, but have been brought down to earth with a recent loss against Pune — with no clear front-runner, the league stays alive longer.

Anything can happen: A team hammers in five goals one day and then lets in five within a week. A team made of unheard-of youngsters creates ripples with their fast-paced football and an initially drab, disjointed unit goes on a four-match unbeaten run. FC Goa get their first win with an injury time goal, Andre Moritz scores a hat-trick and then slips in the bathroom, Antonio Lopez Habas allegedly punches Robert Pires in the tunnel, Delhi Dynamos draw their first two games and then hammer a strong Chennaiyin outfit – then draw another and lose two on the trot. Anything can happen in the ISL. There’s no way you can predict an outcome because the teams are so evenly matched, playing many matches in a short space of time and are such unknown quantities than tactically outguessing each other is near impossible.

Elano: Eight goals in seven games, plus two assists and a couple of gobsmacking long shots which have thundered the crossbar, a magical run from left to centre to score a goal and the humility to get off his team bus last and walk straight to the school kids to sign an autograph for everyone of them — Elano is in India and he’s winning hearts. This is a guy winning games on his own at times and is under a manager who was famous for being part of shut-the-door Italian tactics — and is now, contrastingly, asking his team to play an adventurous attacking brand of football. Sitting in the stands will give you an idea of how much he’s liked. Pune fans wanted to see him score – screaming his name when a freekick in his zone came his way – and sounded slightly dejected when it hit the woodwork. Elano’s fame goes beyond teams it seems. Everyone knows him in India — and not because he is ex-Manchester City and Brazil, but because he’s from Chennaiyin FC.

The foreigners are settling in and the Indians are loving it: Nicolas Anelka scores a couple of fine goals in 1-0 wins, David Trezeguet shows glimpses of his class that saw him become a Juventus legend, David James defies his age to make great diving saves, Alessandro del Piero pulls of nimble tricks, Luis Garcia unlocks defences and there’s Eric Djemba-Djemba who says in the mixed zone after a game: “I’m just 20% fit now – once I’m 100% – whooosh!” These guys are enjoying themselves in India – and it’s showing in their football. Meanwhile, the domestic heroes are getting great receptions too. People want selfies with Balwant Singh and Subhash Singh, everyone knows TP Rehenesh is a rising star, Gouramangi’s stock is rising with every game his team wins and gone are the days of just one Indian superstar footballer. This is the age of the established becoming more famous and the unknown becoming – well – known.

More stars are coming: John Goossens and Jermaine Pennant just signed for FC Pune City and Djemba-Djemba is Chennaiyin’s latest recruit. Former Arsenal left-back Andre Santos arrived to FC Goa and has made an impact — all this shows that there is a pull that the ISL generates. The more it’s being played, the more people are talking about it — and it’s got the players thinking: ‘couple months of lots of matches in a country which I always wanted to visit and can travel around playing a game I love? Yes, why not. Plus, I get a chance to make a change and be part of a football revolution.’ As Pennant said when asked by Firstpost on how the ISL was sold to him: “When the offer came I did my research, saw a few games – I saw that everyone wants to win, it’s mighty competitive and anything happens. It also gives me a chance to lend my experience to something new in a country where football can grow.” The more the merrier.

Manager power: No manager seems to be under pressure to make decisions. Delhi Dynamos’ Harm Van Veldhoven hardly gives Del Piero a full 90 minutes. FC Pune’s Franco Colomba left Trezeguet out of his full match-day squad and explained it by saying ’no reason, maybe I don’t want to give a reason.’ NorthEast United manager Ricki Herbert keeps selecting young Indian GK Rehenesh over the vastly experienced Alexandros Tzorvas. As of now, it doesn’t look like managers are being forced to play to the crowd, and more importantly, to that of the owners.

Professionalism: Bans have come thick and fast in the ISL. Habas got suspended for four games and even Pires and Fikru Teferra got a couple of games for a half-time altercation. Colomba was sent to the stands for a game after celebrating on the pitch ala Jose Mourinho and Veldhoven is suspended for Delhi’s next match for dissent and clapping at the referee while walking off. The AIFF’s disciplinary committee has cracked down hard and the rules of anti-corruption are strictly followed. The media has been managed well, access to teams is fantastic, interviews are not impossible to do and the players are willing to talk openly about the game. As far as professionalism on and off the pitch goes, the ISL has been terrific.

The writer tweets @TheFalseNo9