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The 2018-19 Hero I-League kicked off on 26th October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with Chennai City FC picking up a comprehensive 4-1 win over Indian Arrows. Despite being overshadowed by the ISL, the I-League has exceeded the viewers' expectations and given them some enthralling encounters.
A lot of ugly incidents have panned out too, with the recent news that Star Sports would not broadcast 30 of the next 60 I-League matches angering the fans. The Mohun Bagan officials complained to the AIFF twice regarding the sub-standard refereeing of the league.
The Real Kashmir FC management took to Twitter to accuse Gokulam FC of abuse in the run-up to their away match against them.
Also Read: Best XI from the first half of 2018-19 Hero I-League
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However, a lot of positives developments have also taken place in these two months. From the rise of an Indian striker to the first I-League match in Kashmir, here are the top 5 moments from the first half of the season.
#5 The rise of Jobby Justin - a new striker in the making
Irrespective of the side you are representing, it is always an honour to don the jersey of 'Red and Gold' or 'Green and Maroon' in the Kolkata Derby. And, if you are playing as a striker, the responsibilities increase exponentially. Hence, the managers rarely deploy Indian strikers upfront.
Also Read: Interview with Jobby Justin- The Kerala Striker who has made East Bengal his home
But, Alejandro Menendez entrusted Jobby Justin and, the Keralite reposed his faith. He spotted Laldanmawia Ralte's run and gave a perfect through ball towards him which he later equalized. Justin, then, gave East Bengal the lead with an acrobatic overhead kick to send one half of the stadium in euphoria and the other half in despair.
Jobby Justin's performance against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan isn't the only one that should be commended. As of this writing, he is the leading Indian goalscorer with 5 goals from 8 matches, only behind Churchill Brothers' Willis Plaza in the overall leading goalscorers' list. In the ISL, Sunil Chhetri has scored as many goals but played three matches more.
Indian strikers have never had their fair share of luck in the I-League. Last season, Abhijit Sarkar and Subhash Singh were the joint top scorers with 4 goals in the entire tournament. The current record for the most number of goals by an Indian is held by Sunil Chhetri when he sent the ball home fourteen times in the 2013-14 season in 24 matches.
With 12 matches in his hand, Jobby Justin might overtake the national team striker. Moreover, he can also become his heir in the Indian football team.
#4 Stadium attendance figures
The attendance figures for ISL have been a worry this season. So, when the I-League started, the fret increased among the Indian football fraternity as the I-League has post-lunch and 05:00 p.m. kick-off timings.
The step-motherly treatment didn't end there as AIFF barely marketed the league and, its fixture was released only a couple of weeks before.
However, Gokulam FC fans shut all the critics in their opener against Mohun Bagan. A total of 28,437 Malabarians thronged the stadium to support their team. The Calcutta and Northeast fans didn't disappoint either as their attendance figures were constantly above the 20,000 mark.
Only Chennai City FC, Churchill Brothers, Indian Arrows, and Minerva Punjab's home matches see four-digit attendance figures. After 47 matches, the average attendance figure for the I-League is a staggering 13,645. On the other hand, the ISL has an average attendance figure of 14,304 after 59 matches.
Had the AIFF taken the I-League as seriously as the ISL, they could have overtaken the franchise league in terms of attendance and sponsorship.
#3 Chennai City FC's surge to the top
On extremely rare occasions, you would see a club avoiding relegation in one season, challenging for the trophy in the next season. Leicester City did it in 2016 in the English Premier League but, the same story has been repeating in the I-League since the past two seasons.
Had Churchill Brothers won their last match of the season against the eventual champions Minerva Punjab, the Southerners would have been in the Second Division. But, much like Aizawl FC and Minerva Punjab in the previous two seasons, they find themselves in the pole position midway through the league.
One interesting aspect of their flight at the top is the perfect blending of their Indian players with the foreign counterparts. Edwin Vanspaul, Gaurav Bora, Pravitto Rahu, Charles Anandraj, and Romario Jesuraj have grown leaps and bounds under the tutelage of Akbar Nawas to replicate the Spanish style of short passing football in the I-League.
East Bengal, Real Kashmir, and NEROCA might be in the sniffing distance at the moment. But, Chennai City FC thoroughly deserve their lead.
#2 East Bengal breaking 7-match jinx in Kolkata Derby
“Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell.”- Walter Scott, The Heart of Mid-Lothian
The East Bengal fans waited 988 days for the morsel which instantly melted in their mouth. In their previous seven encounters, Mohun Bagan got the better of them or the match ended in a draw. The jinx was finally broken on 16th December when Alejandro Menendez' men outwitted the 10-men Green and Maroons 3-2.
Azharuddin Mallick put Mohun Bagan on the front foot before Laldanmawia Ralte equalized for East Bengal a minute later. Jobby Justin struck an acrobatic overhead kick to break the deadlock before Ralte gave them a two-goal cushion. Dipanda Dicka did manage to score a goal but, it turned out to be a mere consolation.
A total of 64, 867 fans flocked the Salt Lake stadium, painting one half 'Red and Gold' and the other one 'Green and Maroon.' The ISL clubs and their overzealous fans have only been present for the past five years.
On the contrary, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and their passionate followers have thrived for over 100 years.
#1 First I-League match in Kashmir
Brimming with curfews, violence, and bloodshed, football is the only hope for the people living in Kashmir valley. After qualifying for the I-League by winning the Second Division, Mason Robertson and his Real Kashmir FC players crossed swords with Churchill Brothers on 6th November at the TRC Turf Ground in Srinagar.
Sadly for the team and the fans, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. However, the match was a feisty one with the woodwork rescuing the visitors twice. Local-lad Danish Farooq rattled the woodwork in the 7th minute after volleying Brian Mascarenhas' cross. In the 64th minute, Gnohere Krizo latched on to a long ball but, his ensuing shot hit the crossbar.
With Star Sports refusing to telecast all the I-League matches, the fans could dive into the beauty of the picturesque TRC Ground only one more time. Real Kashmir's encounter against Chennai City FC on 29th January will be the last time the I-League fans can see a football match in Kashmir this season.
