At the end of the league stages of ISL 2016, Atletico de Kolkata remain as the only side to have made it to the semifinal in all three seasons of the ISL. This year, Atletico finished fourth, leaving them with a semifinal tie against Mumbai City FC.
The 2014 champions will face a stern test as Mumbai have been the strongest side in the competition, and have looked at ease. Consistency was something that Kolkata did show this year, but unfortunately, the consistency was in drawing games, with Jose Molina’s side drawing eight out of their 14 games.
Trending
The tie will no doubt be a challenge for Kolkata, and like the first year, when they beat Goa in the semifinal, they will play the first leg at home. Unlike that time when the game happened at Salt Lake Stadium, this will happen at the much smaller Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, which has been Kolkata’s home ground this season.
#1 Big-match experience
Kolkata have played five knockout matches before this and they have lost only one of them. That was a 3-0 loss in the away leg of their semifinal against Chennaiyin FC last year. Even a spirited comeback at home could not prevent Marco Materazzi’s eventual champions from going through.
Kolkata have players with them who have enough experience of being there on the big occasion. Borja Fernandez, Ofentse Nato and Arnab Mondal have been a part of all three campaigns for Kolkata, and Iain Hume did make it to the final in 2014 with Kerala Blasters before making the switch to Kolkata.
In games such as this, the pressure sometimes dictates the performance on the pitch. In many ways, more than the actual performance, it is a team’s ability to handle pressure that dictates the outcome of such games.
For Mumbai, it will be the first knockout game in their history. It will be a new experience for the Mumbai players, even though they do have big-game players like Sunil Chhetri and Diego Forlan in their ranks. But the young Indian players in the Mumbai side would not have experienced this before.
In contrast, for Kolkata, the likes of Arnab Mondal and Pritam Kotal have been part of big occasions before, either in the ISL or with the Indian national team and that should give Kolkata a distinct advantage.
#2 Big players hitting form
By the high standards that Hume set for himself in the ISL, this has been a rather lean season for him. He has only scored five goals this season, having scored 11 goals last season and being the main catalyst behind Kerala’s push to the final in 2014. For Kolkata, he finally seems to have come to the fore this season, and his partnership with Postiga suddenly seems to have hit the heights that Molina would have been expecting.
It has helped Postiga and Hume that Javi Lara has been in the form that he is and that Stephen Pearson hit his straps towards the end of the league stages. The return of Sameehg Doutie will also be a huge plus for Molina.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Kolkata’s foreigners. Juan Belencoso has struggled to find any form, despite scoring two crucial winners for Kolkata this season. But with Hume and Postiga showing semblances of performing at the level they are capable of, the Spaniard is unlikely to play any part in the tie.
#3 Indians stepping up
It has not just been the experienced Arnab Mondal who has stepped up among the local players for Kolkata. Debjit Majumder played every minute of their campaign except the last game, by which time Kolkata had already wrapped up qualification for the knockouts. Debjit made 26 saves in 13 games, on his way to keeping two clean sheets this season.
Arnab has been helped by the additions of full-backs Pritam Kotal and Prabir Das to the squad this season. Prabir has impressed one and all with his energy and composure. His performances have even earned himself the tag of ‘Indian Maldini’.
While that may be a little far-fetched, Prabir’s importance to this Kolkata side this year cannot be understated. His ability to play at both full-back positions have made him an invaluable asset for Molina.
Similarly, Kotal has had a very good first season for Kolkata. He has proved on the pitch why he is Stephen Constantine’s first choice right-back for the national team. His ability to read the game and not get fazed in pressure situations are what set him apart from a lot of other Indian defenders.
Pritam playing on the same side of the defence as Arnab has helped the centre-back because Pritam has covered for his lack of pace. Also, there is constant communication between the two and that has helped them ensure that the opposition does not get too much space in the vicinity of goal.
#4 Borja Fernandez and Javi Lara
The two Spanish midfielders are hugely crucial to Kolkata’s fortunes. Borja’s defensive work in midfield is as good as anyone else in the league, but his passing is an underrated aspect of his game. A lot of times, it is Borja who is starting off Kolkata’s attacks with an incisive pass to one of the front players.
Lara is a slightly different kind of player to Borja. He plays in a slightly more advanced role in midfield than Borja and is the one linking the midfield with the attackers. Although he doesn’t have any assists this season, he has got himself three goals this season. But given that Kolkata have not won any game this season by more than one goal, all of Lara’s goals have come in situations where they have rescued points for Kolkata.
It is not just their ability on the pitch that makes Borja and Lara indispensable for Kolkata. Their experience and leadership on the field in invaluable for Molina. Especially this season with youngsters like Prabir and Abinash Ruidas making a huge impression, it will be a bigger duty for the experienced duo to guide them through on the pitch.
This will be the biggest game they have played in their careers so far, especially Ruidas, who has impressed one and all so far this season.
#5 Sameehg Doutie’s return
Kolkata have looked toothless and insipid in attack in the mercurial South African’s absence. But he is expected to be back for the clash against Mumbai. Kolkata need someone strong on the left flank to put some doubt in the back of Sena Ralte’s mind. The Mumbai left-back has been at his marauding best this season and has always been an outlet for Mumbai’s other attackers to use.
Doutie’s pace, trickery and decision-making have generally been top-class whenever he has played this season. And Kolkata desperately need that conviction in the final third. It is primarily due to Doutie’s absence that Kolkata didn’t score more goals – and as a result never won a game by more than a goal.
While there is still a little bit of uncertainty in the defence with their propensity to concede the silliest of goals, it would help Molina immensely if Doutie gives his team that cutting edge that they have so desperately lacked this season.
Without that cutting edge, they have made the semifinals. Now, it is just a question of three good days and Kolkata could well be lifting their second ISL title.
