ISL 2021-22: Hyderabad entering semis, Kerala and Mumbai on collision course and other talking points from bygone week

The league stage of the 2021-22 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is nearing its conclusion and the excitement has reached fever pitch. As always, this week provided plenty of talking points, and contained its fair share of awe-inducing moments.

The biggest talking point was arguably Hyderabad FC qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history. ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC also inched closer to jotting down their place in the top four. The Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City FC, meanwhile, strengthened their semi-final credentials, although they still have plenty of work to do.

That, however, wasn’t the case with Bengaluru FC as their semi-final hopes evaporated on Sunday. Odisha FC, too, fell out of the race after a stalemate against the Mariners. NorthEast United and SC East Bengal, on the other hand, played out a 1-1 draw at the bottom of the table.

Without further ado, here is a look at what happened in the week gone by.

Hyderabad FC qualify for ISL semi-finals; set sights on AFC Champions League

When the 2019-20 season culminated, not many would have expected Hyderabad FC to be a constant menace in the league in the future. In their debut campaign, they looked short of ideas, shipped goals at the drop of a hat, sacked a manager mid-way and brought in a manager (Albert Roca) who left days before the next term began.

Hence, Hyderabad FC becoming the first team to qualify for the semi-finals in 2021-22 is a massive achievement in itself. But this team, especially under Manolo Marquez, don’t rest on their laurels. Instead, they are always plotting how to improve and how to scale the next peak in their footballing journey. And that peak, at the moment, is the AFC Champions League.

Since 2019-20, the club that finishes atop the points table in the league stage gains automatic entry into the continental competition. Last time out, Mumbai City FC pipped ATK Mohun Bagan by a whisker, whereas FC Goa won that accolade in 2019-20.

As things stand, Hyderabad FC are in pole position to become the third team to do so. HFC have 35 points from 18 games and their level of performance has shown no signs of abating. If anything, they are growing in confidence and are believing that they can outwit any club that crosses its path.

Against the Kerala Blasters, Hyderabad FC didn’t create too many openings. At times, they even held on, hoping that Bartholomew Ogbeche would do the trick at the other end. And, guess what, he did. The striker notched up a goal in the 28th minute, and was ably supported by Javier Siverio, who also made the net bulge.

Defensively, Hyderabad FC looked a little shaky but they seem to have developed the habit of keeping things tight, even when their boat is creaking — a quality that will hold them in good stead moving forward.

If Hyderabad FC win their remaining games, they will end up with 41 points. If that happens, they will anyway eliminate Jamshedpur FC from the race for the top spot, considering the pair play each other on Tuesday.

Hyderabad FC are also a point ahead of ATK Mohun Bagan and have featured in the same number of games, meaning that this AFC Champions League spot is most certainly Hyderabad FC’s to lose.

Which brings us to….

ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC are nearly there

Mathematically, ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC can still miss out on qualification. If the Kerala Blasters win their remaining games, Mumbai City FC accumulate three points, and the Mariners & the Men of Steel only bag a solitary point between them, there could be a situation where one of those two misses out. But that, as you might have deciphered by now, is quite wishful thinking.

Not just because the Blasters and the Islanders might find it difficult to hunt them down, but also because ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC, especially in this sort of form, are unlikely to drop many points.

On Friday, Jamshedpur FC locked horns with NorthEast United FC in what was supposed to be a routine fixture. For a major chunk of the opening hour, it seemed that way too. Greg Stewart was pulling the strings, Seiminlen Doungel was marauding down the flanks and their midfield was barely allowing the Highlanders a moment’s peace.

But then, Jamshedpur FC conceded two goals in quick succession — each owing to a slight lapse in concentration. That, however, didn’t deter them. They kept going and ultimately barged through the door in the 85th minute, highlighting why they are such a tough team to pin down.

The Mariners, meanwhile, clashed with Odisha FC on Thursday and Bengaluru FC on Sunday. Against the Juggernauts, ATK Mohun Bagan were, in fact, quite lucky to escape with a stalemate. The 2020-21 finalists had more shots on goal (17 to 13) but the quality of chances, as compared to Odisha FC, wasn’t great.

Against the Blues, the Mariners were a lot more clinical. They didn’t go searching for opportunities. Instead, they bided their time, waited for Bengaluru FC to become desperate before landing a blow late in each half.

Thus, it would be a huge surprise if ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC suddenly start misfiring. If anything, they would, much like Hyderabad FC, be harboring hopes of playing AFC Champions League football next season.

Mathematically, they haven’t even qualified yet. But practically and using every bit of footballing wisdom, you know they are nearly there.

Bengaluru FC crash out of the ISL this time but could be a force to reckon with, again

Not many teams this season have endured as many ebbs and flows as Bengaluru FC. At one point, you wondered how they were going to win a game of football. At another juncture, you were spellbound by their remarkable turnaround, even touting them to reach the semi-final. And then, just like that, their season came to a grinding halt — all while highlighting the good and the bad elements that defined their campaign.

Against ATK Mohun Bagan, the Blues’ brief was clear. They needed to secure three points to remain in contention. Prior to that, a couple of untimely losses had left them relying on favours from other teams. With Bengaluru FC, though, no one was willing to write them off.

Thus, when they failed to score against the Mariners, despite hogging possession, it acted as a bit of a dampener. It was the sort of performance that marred the early part of their season and reared up at the most inopportune moment. So much so that this is what many people will recall when talking about Bengaluru FC’s 2021-22 ISL adventure.

This season, however, was more than just their inability to score when they needed to. It was about how they bought into a manager’s philosophy, stuck with it when results didn’t go their way and trusted whatever decisions they took.

Post-elimination from the ISL, Marco Pezzaiuoli was quick to plead for patience from the Blues’ faithful. Their fans, who often flog the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, might even buy into that thinking. That, though, doesn’t necessarily mean that the German will be at the helm when ISL 2022-23 rolls into town.

Since their introduction into the ISL, Bengaluru FC have consistently contested the games that matter. In their debut campaign (2017-18), they lost the final to Chennaiyin FC. A year later, they won the title before falling short at the semi-final hurdle in 2019-20.

Now, they have had to endure two topsy-turvy seasons — both of which have ended without a semi-final berth. For a Bengaluru FC manager, that is, quite simply put, a non-negotiable. But in Pezzaiuoli, the Blues might just have someone who could bring back the glory days.

It isn’t a lot and it is much tougher to make a case after a team has fallen well short of expectations. Yet, it is something. For large parts this season, that wasn’t the case, and that alone tells you how this season, despite not being successful by their standards, wasn’t entirely a disaster either.

Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City FC on a collision course

Back in December, the Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City FC played out an encounter which had far-reaching consequences for both clubs. The result, which ended resoundingly in the Blasters’ favour, was a precursor for the latter’s dominance and an alarm bell for the Islanders.

In the recent past, that status quo has been changed a touch. Mumbai City FC have found ways to win again. A couple of games ago, the Islanders found themselves in all sorts of strife against SC East Bengal — a side that has no chance of qualifying.

Mumbai City FC only managed 11 shots on goal, with three of those hitting the target. The Red and Gold Brigade, on the other hand, had 13 shots on goal, of which five hit the target.

As expected, the Islanders enjoyed a lot of possession. The cutting edge, though, which has so often defined their gameplay this season, largely went amiss. In fact, it wasn’t until Bipin Singh produced a moment of magic that the tide turned firmly in their favour.

A game later (against FC Goa), the defending champions fared a little better. Their passing had more continuity and they knitted neat patterns across the pitch. But it still wasn’t a display synonymous to what they produced at the start of the season.

They gave up a few chances too and would have conceded had FC Goa and SC East Bengal been more clinical. All of that, though, does not matter now. What matters is that they have six points from their past two matches, and two clean sheets.

Kerala Blasters, meanwhile, have stuttered and stumbled, meaning that they find themselves out of the top four at the moment. During the week, they dispatched Chennaiyin FC’s challenge comfortably but were pegged back by Hyderabad FC.

In the fixture against the Marina Machans, the Blasters clicked into gear and showed how good they could be. Against Hyderabad FC, though, they couldn’t stay in the game long enough to hurt Manolo Marquez’s men.

What that has done, though, is that it has set up a grandstand finish to the league stages. Mumbai City FC have a point more than the Blasters, with both teams having played the same number of matches.

So, this match, scheduled for 2 March, is pretty much a virtual quarter-final. Whoever loses this game could still qualify, considering the other can trip up in their final fixture. Yet, a failure to win this contest wouldn’t just deflate the losing side, it could also hand them an inferior head-to-head record (the tie-breaker if teams can’t be separated based on points).

Their previous tussle in December had implications that directly impacted the rest of the ISL. And, it seems that that trend will continue on Wednesday.

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