Indian Super Cup 2018: 5 ISL stars who flopped in the cup

Modified Apr 20, 2018 15:06 IST

The Indian Super League saw Chennayin FC emerge as the champions for the second time since the foundation of the league. However, the ISL clubs were quite evidently overshadowed by the quality and passion the I-League has inculcated over the years, without having been given due credit or attention.

Here is a list of five players who nailed it during the Indian Super League, but couldn’t quite make a difference during the first ever edition of the Hero Super Cup, this year.

#1 Anirudh Thapa – Chennayin FC

Chennayin were kicked out of the competition by Aizawl FC in the initial stages of the Super Cup, once again showcasing the abyss between the I-League and the Indian Super League. Having won the 2017/18 ISL trophy, the Supermachans fell short in their endeavors against the North Eastern club.

Thapa, who had a decent ISL season, even had a golden opportunity, but couldn’t quite capitalise on it. During the first half of the game, Anirudh found himself in a one on one situation against the Aizawl shot-stopper, however, the youngster’s effort was effortlessly denied by Arup Debnath, who pulled off a stunning save.

The 20-year-old Chennaiyin midfielder was unable to even fall back and help his defence, while he perhaps did an A-Okay job of man-marking Alfred and Andrei at the heart of the pitch.

#2 Edu Bedia – FC Goa

After a dramatic 5-1 win over fellow ISL outfit, Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa managed to make it to the quarter-final stages of the Super Cup. Bedia had a decent game against the Tata-owned franchise, where he almost scored a free kick, but was denied by the woodwork, in the first half of the match. The Spaniard, while captaining his side in FC Goa’s quarter-final encounter against tournament finalists East Bengal, couldn’t emerge as the leader his team required.

Having four of their squad members unavailable due to suspensions and bans from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in the previous game, the Gaurs required a player with potential like Bedia’s to step up and be their knight in shining armour – someone who could pull off a miraculous victory considering their circumstances.

However, the former Barcelona B team player failed to do it for his team. Throughout the duration of the fixture against the Red and Golds, the midfielder constantly kept kicking the ball outside and continued tripping and fouling his rivals of the day – for which, he was eventually sent off by the ref.

#3 Bruno Pinheiro – FC Goa

One of the six to be shown a red card by the referee in the drama-filled clash between FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC, the Goa skipper failed to make a mark in the game as he let his team down as a captain amid his involvement in the halftime brawl between a few JFC players.

While he has played a significant role in arranging his defensive line, regardless of whether he is playing in the ISL or the Super Cup, the Portuguese national was unable to make a difference on the night as he watched on his team’s fixture versus East Bengal from the stands of the Kalinga Stadium.

#4 Trindade Goncalves – Jamshedpur FC

The playmaker looked dull and uninspired for the entire duration of his stint on the field against FC Goa. The Brazilian failed to make an impact as he experienced what they call an ‘off day’ during JFC’s quarter final fixture in the Super Cup.

He was unable to control the ball and made a series of sloppy passes, giving away possession of the ball cheaply. His attempts to build an attack were thwarted by the Gaur backline with utmost ease, before he was subbed off the pitch by his manager at the 60-minute mark, being replaced by Farukh Chaudhary.

#5 Anas Edathodika

The Indian national was placed at the heart of the defence against FC Goa by his boss, Steve Coppell. Though he did put in some strong tackles in and around the box, he let his coach and team down after having his name noted down in the referee’s book.

Edited by Arvind Sriram