ATLETICO DE KOLKATA

MATCH : 1

The majority of the fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai were left disappointed, as a Postiga double and a neat header from Valmiro Lopes Rocha gave Atletico de Kolkata a 3-2 win over Chennaiyin FC in the opening match of ISL 2015. 

Atletico had hardly got into the game, but, as is so often the case, they found themselves a goal up thanks to a massive error from the home team in the 13^th minute.

 A harmless freekick was floated in by Borja, with Edel Bete coming out to catch the ball. It looked like that was that, only for the Chennaiyin goalkeeper to crash into his own teammate Mailson Alves, and in the process drop the ball. That dropped ball fell to Postiga, who netted into the open net for the easiest goal he will score in the ISL this season.

 Atletico, after the opening goal, started to take control of the match for the next ten minutes or so, dictating the pace of play – which to be honest was quite slow, understandable considering the heat and humidity in Chennai – to try and frustrate Chennaiyin further.


Atletico-De Kolkata FC :

Here comes the Inaugural Indian Super League (Football) Winner of successful first season in 2014 - Atlentico de Kolkata Club. Managed by former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, businessmen Harshavardhan Neotia, Sanjiv Goenka, and Utsav Parekh, as well as Atlético Madrid of La Liga in Spain.

We Congratulate the Team and We wish once again the team to grab the success of season 2 of ISL-2015.

Goalkeepers :- Amrinder Singh, Kunzang Bhutia, Juan Calatayud.

Defenders :- Arnab Mandal, Denzil Franco, Josemi, Mohan Raj Nallapan, Augustin Fernandes, Tiri, Lalchhawnkima, Rino Anto.

Midfielders :- Borja Fernandez, Ofentse Nato, Jewel Raja, Syed Rahim Nabi, Clifford Miranda, Arata Izumi, Jaime GavilAin MartAnez, Sameehg Doutie, Valmiro Lopes Rocha (Valdo), Javi Lara.

Forwards :- Iain Edward Hume, Helder Postiga, Nadong Bhutia, Baljit Sahni, Sushil Kumar Singh.

Head Coach :- Antonio Lopez Habas.

KERALA BLASTERS FC

Runners of the 1st season of Indian Super League (Football) - 2014. The team which is Owned and managed by The Legend of Cricket, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar the Kerala Blasters FC.

 We Congratulate the team and we wish the Kerala Blasters to be the Winner of upcoming 2 season of ISL-2015.

Blasters went into the first season of the ISL with former England international David James as their marquee signing cum head coach with Iain Hume and Michael Chopra the other prominent foreigners in the squad.
They had a tough start to the league with five straight away games of which they could accumulate only four points. The following five games saw them gain 11 points and a reputation for having one of the meanest defences in the league marshalled by Cedric Hengbart and Sandesh Jhingan from Chandigarh.
Successive defeats against FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC and a stalemate with NorthEast United left the Blasters requiring an outright win in their last league encounter against FC Pune City at Kochi. An Iain Hume free-kick saw them keep Pune at bay and qualify for the semi-finals.

MANAGER :-

PETER TAYLOR :- 
Blasters have roped in former England international and Under-21 & Under-20 head coach Peter Taylor as manager for the 2015 ISL season. Taylor who played for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace as a winger is a proven customer as a coach, having managed numerous clubs including Leicester City in the Premier League.

He has also managed Bahrain and England (albeit for one game as a caretaker manager). Taylor had this to say after his appointment: “I'm personally impressed with the support that Kerala Blasters have received in the inaugural edition. Kerala has a strong legacy in Indian football and I am looking forward to working with the team and share the passion for football with the fans."


STRENGTHS :-

The Blasters only conceded 11 goals in 14 games in the group stage which formed the bedrock of their charge to the final and it will be no different this time around. Their defence looks the most settled area of the squad with Jhingan, Gurwinder Singh, Saumik Dey retained and a stalwart in Marchena brought in along with shrewd buys like Ramage and Perone who have Premier League experience.

It will be tough to score against them with fine holding midfielders like Mehtab Hossain, Joao Coimbra and Peter Carvalho providing cover. Trveor Morgan being the assistant manager of the side is certainly an asset given his knowledge of Indian football and conditions.
Do not concede a free-kick against Blasters this season as Marchena is an expert from set-pieces. It is learnt reliably that the Spaniads spends at least 20 minutes each day after the training sessions to practice free-kicks and scored a couple in their practice games.

WEAKNESS :-

 Attack was often their Achilles Heel last season with Hume rescuing the team on several occasions. With the English striker joining Atletico de Kolkata, the Blasters are with an entirely new frontline devoid of their star man from last season. It will be interesting to see if the new boys can click and find goals upfront. They were the only side to conduct their pre-season training in India. Whether it comes back to haunt them remains to be seen.

KEY PLAYERS :-

Carlos Machena :  

Carlos Marchena’s pedigree is unquestionable. The former Valencia and Villarreal defender is also a World Cup, European Championship and La Liga winner. He will be the player Peter Taylor will look to marshal and organise the defence. His experience will benefit the young Indian players and will calm the team down in pressure situations. 

Sandesh Jhingan : 

Sandesh Jhingan was an unknown quantity till he burst into the collective conscience of the Indian football fraternity with stellar performances last season, which won him the ISL Emerging Player of the Season and AIFF Emerging Player of the Year 2014 awards.
The 22-year-old was also handed a call up to the national team and the Blasters will hope their young defender can repeat his performances.


Full Squad :-
 
Goalkeepers: Sandip Nandy, Stephen Bywater, Shilton Paul.

Defenders: Saumik Dey, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Carlos Marchena, Peter Ramage, Bruno Perone, Gurwinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Marcus Williams.

Midfielders: Ishfaq Ahmed, Peter Carvalho, Joao Coimbra, Antonio German, Mehtab Hossain, Cavin Lobo, Josue Currais Prieto, Victor “Pulga” Forcada, Shankar Sampingiraj, C K Vineeth.

Forwards: Chris Dagnall, Mohammed Rafi, Manandeep Singh, Sanchez Watt.

DELHI DYNAMOS

 Delhi Dynamos had a not bad season last year but Dynamos with few changes in the team are ready to grabs all the chances to win the tittle in the 2nd season of ISL.

 
 After missing out on the semi-finals spot last time around, Delhi Dynamos have strengthened heavily this time around with a new coach, new marquee player and a new look team to find a place at the top of the charts.

 After announcing the massive signing of Roberto Carlos as their marquee player-cum manager, Delhi managed to acquire big names like Indian ace striker Robin Singh alongside the foreign duo of Florent Malouda and John Arne Riise.

  Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero was their marquee player last season - but the former Juventus striker found it hard to get going on his ageing legs, and hence Delhi set their sights on Carlos.
Delhi finished fifth last time around and that was due to their inconsistent performances throughout the season.

  The team from the Indian capital started with two draws and then thumped Chennaiyin FC. But after that win their performance went downhill and there was even a time when they were bottom of the league for a few days. However, they did make a strong comeback towards the end of the season as they registered four wins in their final six outings but that was not enough to help them finish in top four.

  The Dynamos had a memorable jersey launch this season in front of the historic Taj Mahal in Agra. The team, including big players Malouda, Riise, Adil Nabi, Robin and Ravi Kumar, along with Brazil legend Carlos, unveiled the white jersey.
And they will hope the Taj brings their way that slice of luck which was missing for Delhi in the inaugural season.

Strengths :-

  With the signings of two experienced men in  Malouda and  Riise, Delhi have arguably one of the strongest attacks in the tournament along with stability and balance. The sight of  Riise and  Malouda down the left side will indeed be one to behold; and if the duo can find the understanding between them, then the opposition defence will be under big pressure to contain the former EPL duo. The Delhi management has also done well to retain the likes of Hans Mulder, Gustavo Dos Santos, Anwar Ali and Shylo Malswamtlunga. These players were the core of the team last time around and their influence will be a big boost for the dressing room.

  Another big strength for the team will be their marquee player-cum-manager Carlos. The Brazilian is a highly respectable figure in the world of football and will demand a lot from his players; and the players will surely improve under his guidance. Although Carlos isn't very experienced when it comes the manager's role, he did well to recruit new players and now it's down to him to make them click and help Delhi to go all the way this time around.

Weaknesses :-

The biggest weakness that came out during the last season was Delhi's inconsistency. The team could not put together a string of wins and when they did it was too late. With other teams too strengthening their squads, Delhi players need to set the ball rolling right from the start. Hans Mulder and Brazilian Gustavo were the only two players who impressed last season. Also a worry is Delhi's defence, which didn't show much improvement in the pre-season games.

Marquee player-cum-manager :-

When it comes to big former football stars playing in India, it can't get better than Roberto 'The Galactico' Carlos. The former Real Madrid star was snapped up by Delhi Dynamos as their manager-cum-marquee-player for the second season of the league. One of the best left-back of his time and a dead-ball specialist, Carlos will look to showcase his outstanding skills in the ISL as well. Having Carlos in the dugout will give the young Indian players an opportunity to pick his brains and surely Delhi Dynamos will be a team to watch out for this time around just for that reason alone. Carlos replaces Alexandro Del Piero as the marquee signing for the team from the capital city.

Players to Watch :-

Robin Singh:

  He is touted as the next big thing of Indian football and hopefully the game's flag-bearer for the country in the coming years. Born and raised in Delhi, Robin will surely be delighted after being picked by Delhi Dynamos for the second season of the ISL. The on-loan Bengaluru FC forward is an opportunistic striker. It was unfortunate for him to not feature in the first edition of ISL as his I-League club refused to release him, but this time around he will surely be excited to play alongside some big names and make his mark in the tournament.

John Arne Riise:

 Delhi Dynamos won the race to sign the former Liverpool left-back who was also linked to Kerala Blasters. Having won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and the Carling Cup with Liverpool, Riise will be a big asset for Carlos' team. He brings with him a bundle of experience, which Delhi dearly wanted this season. Despite being a left-back, Risse has scored some brilliant goals in the past and is a handful on free-kicks as well.

Florent Malouda:

  The former Chelsea winger is one of the only two players in the ISL with an English Premier League winners' medal. The left-footed French footballer is known for his tricky dribbles and creativity. The winger has not only been the key player for his teams in the past but also pitched in with crucial goals throughout his illustrious career with Lyon and Chelsea. He was also part of the French national team to finish runners-up in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Squad :-

Goalkeepers :- Subhasish Roy Chowdury, Toni Doblas, Ravi Kumar.

Defenders :- Roberto Carlos (Coach), John Arne Riise, Cichao, Anwar Ali, Anas, Prabir Das, Naoba Singh, Robert Lathlamanua.

Midfielders :- Serginho Greene, Hans Mulder, Francis Fernandes, G Vignesh, Zodingliana Ralte, Souvik Chakraborty, Snehaj Singh, Gustavo, Florent Malouda.

Forwards :- Vincius Ferreria, Robin Singh, Adil Nabi, Seminlen Doungel, Richard Gadze.

MUMBAI CITY FC

Mumbai City FC had a poor first season in the ISL and will be looking forward to a much better tournament this year. The earliest piece of business that Mumbai City FC concluded this year was to re-sign French striker Nicolas Anelka. This team is owned by actor RANBIR KAPOOR.

Mumbai City FC finished with a mere 16 points from 14 games last season in second bottom.
The side have appointed Oscar Bruzon as their assistant coach while the position of the head coach has been given to Nicloas Anelka. Peter Reid and Steve Darby were in charge last year as the side under-performed. They have since left Mumbai City FC, who are yet to make a formal announcement on their new coach.

Nicolas Anelka has agreed a deal to extend his stay at Mumbai FC by another year. Anelka, who had starred for the likes of Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Chelsea in Europe in a successful playing career had been the marquee player for the franchise and his return will boost morale to a great degree as a player-cum-manager this year.


Mumbai City FC team for 2nd season.

INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (FOOTBALL) - 2015

                      

         

 

 

 

      Participating Teams :-

 

 

- ATLETICO DE KOLKATA 

 

- CHENNAIYAN FC

 

 

 

-  DELHI DYANMOS FC        

- FC GOA





     -  KERALA BLASTERS

  

     - MUMBAI  FC

- NORTHEAST UNITED FC

  

- PUNE CITY FC             

Indian Super League Schedule

Date	Matches	Location

03 Oct Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 1 Chennaiyin FC 2 - 3 Atlético de Kolkata	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
04 Oct Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 2   FC Goa 2 - 0 Delhi Dynamos FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
05 Oct Monday 19:00 IST	Match 3   FC Pune City 3 - 1 Mumbai City FC	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
06 Oct Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 4   Kerala Blasters FC 3 - 1 NorthEast United FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
07 Oct Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 5   FC Goa 1 - 1 Atlético de Kolkata	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
08 Oct Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 6   Delhi Dynamos FC vs Chennaiyin FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
09 Oct Friday 19:00 IST	Match 7   FC Pune City vs NorthEast United FC	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
10 Oct Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 8   Kerala Blasters FC vs Mumbai City FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
11 Oct Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 9   FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
13 Oct Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 10   Atlético de Kolkata vs Kerala Blasters FC	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
14 Oct Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 11   FC Pune City vs Delhi Dynamos FC	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
15 Oct Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 12   NorthEast United FC vs FC Goa	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
16 Oct Friday 19:00 IST	Match 13   Mumbai City FC vs Chennaiyin FC	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
17 Oct Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 14   FC Pune City vs Atlético de Kolkata	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
18 Oct Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 15   Kerala Blasters FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
20 Oct Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 16   NorthEast United FC vs Chennaiyin FC	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
21 Oct Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 17   Mumbai City FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
22 Oct Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 18   FC Goa vs Kerala Blasters FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
23 Oct Friday 19:00 IST	Match 19   NorthEast United FC vs Atlético de Kolkata	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
24 Oct Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 20   Chennaiyin FC vs FC Pune City	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
25 Oct Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 21   Mumbai City FC vs FC Goa	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
27 Oct Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 22   FC Pune City vs Kerala Blasters FC	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
28 Oct Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 23   Mumbai City FC vs NorthEast United FC	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
29 Oct Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 24   Atlético de Kolkata vs Delhi Dynamos FC	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
30 Oct Friday 19:00 IST	Match 25   FC Goa vs FC Pune City	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
31 Oct Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 26   Kerala Blasters FC vs Chennaiyin FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
01 Nov Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 27   Mumbai City FC vs Atlético de Kolkata	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
03 Nov Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 28   Delhi Dynamos FC vs NorthEast United FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
04 Nov Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 29   Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Pune City	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
05 Nov Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 30   Chennaiyin FC vs FC Goa	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
06 Nov Friday 19:00 IST	Match 31   Delhi Dynamos FC vs Mumbai City FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
07 Nov Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 32   Atlético de Kolkata vs NorthEast United FC	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
08 Nov Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 33   FC Pune City vs FC Goa	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
10 Nov Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 34   Kerala Blasters FC vs Atlético de Kolkata	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
11 Nov Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 35   Chennaiyin FC vs NorthEast United FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
13 Nov Friday 19:00 IST	Match 36   Mumbai City FC vs FC Pune City	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
14 Nov Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 37   Delhi Dynamos FC vs Atlético de Kolkata	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
15 Nov Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 38   NorthEast United FC vs Kerala Blasters FC	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
17 Nov Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 39   FC Goa vs Mumbai City FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
18 Nov Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 40   Atlético de Kolkata vs Chennaiyin FC	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
19 Nov Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 41   Delhi Dynamos FC vs FC Pune City	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
20 Nov Friday 19:00 IST	Match 42   NorthEast United FC vs Mumbai City FC	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
21 Nov Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 43   Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
22 Nov Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 44   Atlético de Kolkata vs FC Goa	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
24 Nov Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 45   Chennaiyin FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
25 Nov Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 46   FC Goa vs NorthEast United FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa
26 Nov Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 47   Mumbai City FC vs Kerala Blasters FC	D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai
27 Nov Friday 19:00 IST	Match 48   Atlético de Kolkata vs FC Pune City	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
28 Nov Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 49   NorthEast United FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
29 Nov Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 50   Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
01 Dec Tuesday 19:00 IST	Match 51   Chennaiyin FC vs Mumbai City FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai
02 Dec Wednesday 19:00 IST	Match 52   NorthEast United FC vs FC Pune City	Indira Gandhi Stadium, Guwahati
03 Dec Thursday 19:00 IST	Match 53   Delhi Dynamos FC vs Kerala Blasters FC	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
04 Dec Friday 19:00 IST	Match 54   Atlético de Kolkata vs Mumbai City FC	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
05 Dec Saturday 19:00 IST	Match 55   FC Pune City vs Chennaiyin FC	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune
06 Dec Sunday 19:00 IST	Match 56   Delhi Dynamos FC vs FC Goa	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
11 Dec Friday 19:00 IST	Semi-final 1 (1st Leg)   TBD vs TBD
12 Dec Saturday 19:00 IST	Semi-final 2 (1st Leg)   TBD vs TBD
15 Dec Tuesday 19:00 IST	Semi-final 1 (2nd Leg)   TBD vs TBD
16 Dec Wednesday 19:00 IST	Semi-final 2 (2nd Leg)   TBD vs TBD
20 Dec Sunday 19:00 IST	Final   TBD vs TBD