New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): The Indian Super League (ISL) league stage reached its conclusion with Mohun Bagan Super Giant retaining the League Shield in emphatic fashion. Joining them in the playoffs were FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC, according to the official website of ISL.
With the top six teams of the league stage set to battle it out for the ISL Cup after the international break, the league’s best players will look to light up the playoff stage and leave another impression on the season.
However, with seven teams bowing out at the end of the league stage, some of the ISL’s top performers will miss out on the playoffs, with their teams failing to make the cut, but their performances did make the mark in the league.
Hugo Boumous joined the Kalinga Warriors in the summer and didn’t disappoint as he spearheaded their midfield. He was a constant nuisance for defensive midfielders as most found it hard to contain him as he efficiently popped up in spaces between the midfield and defensive lines. With five goals and seven assists to his name, he did plenty of damage to the opponents and almost got Odisha FC into the playoffs.
One of the best performers in the league season, Connor Shields, will not be a part of the playoffs after Chennaiyin FC fell short of the top six. However, the Scottish midfielder was the creative hub of the Chennaiyin FC side. He has the most assists this season (8) so far and also created more chances than any other player in the league (76). The second-best player in this metric is Kerala Blasters FC’s Adrian Luna, who created 21 fewer chances.
Kerala Blasters FC had a void to fill to replace the ISL 2023-24 Golden Boot winner Dimitrios Diamantakos, but in Jesus Jimenez, they found a perfect replacement as the Spaniard was a goal threat for the Blasters all season long. A return of 11 goals in his debut ISL season, which sees him placed joint third in the leaderboard for most goals scored at the end of the league season, is an impressive feat, and the Blasters would want to count on him again next season.
The Odisha FC frontman Diego Mauricio has been a consistent performer over the years in the ISL and despite not being able to take Odisha FC into the playoffs, the Brazilian had another solid season. With nine goals and six assists, Mauricio was the glue that bound the Juggernauts’ attack together and emerged as their biggest goal threat despite growing competition for his place in the team.
Having switched to Kerala Blasters FC from FC Goa, Noah Sadaoui needed no time to sparkle in the yellow and blue. After a fast start, injuries troubled the Moroccan, but he still returned with seven goals and five assists despite playing just 19 games this season. Had he been fit, the Blasters would have been closer to the playoff spots than where they ended up being.
The shining light of East Bengal FC’s season, PV Vishnu, captured the imagination of the fans. A livewire on the wings, Vishnu grew into being the Red and Gold Brigade’s most influential player this season. He also backed up his performances with a return of four goals and three assists. The 23-year-old showed all the qualities of being one of the pillars of the East Bengal FC team for the future.
The Shers’ Mr Consistent, Luka Majcen, delivered yet again, notching up ten goals and three assists to his name. He missed a few games due to injury without which his tallies could have been even bigger. Majcen once again was a source of inspiration for a young team and led the pack incredibly well, even though Punjab FC faded away after a strong start to miss out on the playoffs.
The Argentine midfielder was Mohammedan SC’s best player this season as his energy and craft in midfield elevated the standard of the team. Alexis Gomez created 38 chances, placing him eighth in the metric in the league. He also completed 615 passes in the league season. He also shot on goal 20 times this season, the best for any Mohammedan SC player by some distance.
Irfan Yadwad had a brilliant season as he made nine goal contributions. The 23-year-old emerged as one of the best Indian forwards this season as he was a constant goal threat for Owen Coyle’s team, creating 20 chances for them. He deservedly earned a call-up to the Indian national team and will be looking to leave a lasting impression in the blue of India.
The 24-year-old defender-turned-midfielder Nikhil Prabhu was one of Punjab FC’s most consistent performers this season as he made the central midfielder position his own. Topping the charts for most interceptions (56), Prabhu displayed extreme tactical discipline to perform his role to the fullest. He also won 31 tackles and created seven chances for his team despite playing a deeper role in midfield. His versatility has been a huge asset to the Shers in the last few seasons.
The ISL 2024-25 Playoffs will begin on March 29, with the Knockouts being played on March 29-30, followed by the two-legged Semi-finals on 2nd-3rd & 6th-7th April. The much-anticipated Final of the 2024-25 season will be played on Saturday, April 12. (ANI)
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