Old guards key to Delhi Dynamos's success

Carlos will be relying on Mulder and Gustavo’s ISL experience

During the official jersey unveiling at the Taj Mahal in Agra, Delhi Dynamos’s president Prashant Agarwal labelled his squad as Indian Super League’s “Galacticos”. On paper, the side from the capital boast some of the most renowned modern day footballers, with the likes of Florent Malouda, John Arne Riise and Roberto Carlos distinguishing the side with their presence. Together the trio make Delhi Dynamos one of the most decorated sides of the tournament.

But despite spending millions on such high profile players, Carlos finds himself relying on the old guards of Delhi Dynamos when going forward. There wasn’t much to cherish after the defeat to FC Goa in the first game of the season, where the side looked lethargic and short of options. The defeat raised a few questions on Carlos’s team selection, which saw last season’s top scorer Gustavo Dos Santos start from the bench. Hans Mulder who came across as the only driving force in Delhi’s dismal first half against Zico’s men was taken off inside the first 45 minutes as Carlos came on to replace him.

There was an air of puffery surrounding the Dynamos side after the defeat as many started foreseeing this as yet another season of false hopes with high profiles players just making up numbers in the squad.

While the win against last season’s semi-finalists Chennaiyin FC was in no ways a flawless performance from the men in white, it was the performance of the opening game outcasts that caught everyone’s attention.

More than 19,000 supporters gathered inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the capital to record the highest attendance for an ISL game, hoping to catch a glimpse of the marquee stars glorifying the occasion. But instead it was the performance of two familiar faces that ultimately grabbed the attention.

There is a “problem of plenty” in the left side of the attack for Dynamos’s Brazilian head coach, but Dos Santos’s dazzling performance in the last game was a stern reminder to the 42-year old of the quality and the directness he brings to the side.

It was his run inside the 9th minute of the game that left defender Abhishek Das biting the dust as he teed up Mulder who subsequently won the penalty. The combination showed by last season’s impressive duo was a reminder to Carlos of the importance of banking on league experience in this short tournament.

Dos Santos dazzled the Delhi crowd in the last game

The duo were a constant nuisance for Marco Materazzi’s men, and held their own in completing the task allotted to them. While Dos Santos terrorized the right side of Chennaiyin’s defense, Mulder contributed in stopping Elano as well as playing a pivotal role when going forward.

Dos Santos’s directness is a boon to Carlos’s side which at present no one else provides in the side. While Vinicius was fairly decent in the opening game, he clearly lacks the footballing knowledge of his Brazilian counterpart. Malouda on the other hand at 35 can hardly be seen as someone who can inject life into the game when the side is in dire need of inspiration.

Both Dos Santos and Mulder have the ISL experience, which in a tournament of just two months plays a significant role. While they lack the expertise of Riise or Malouda, they have adjusted well to the Indian conditions and have looked far more convincing physically than any other foreign player has in a Dynamos jersey.

While Dos Santos’s sojourn with Atletico Paranese ended in bitter disappointment, he looks to bounce back and reclaim the form he showed 12 months back in this league. “My mind is now focused here in Delhi Dynamos. What happened in Brazil is part of the past. I’m willing to have a better season here. What happens later as well, I’m not concerned.”

“I think the teams have more quality and it is harder. I think every day we are developing and growing. Developing the football here, things will get easier for us hopefully”

At 28 and 21, Mulder and Dos Santos are the two most experienced players in the Dynamos squad, and with games coming thick and fast, Carlos needs his two stalwarts to deliver consistently if they wish to better last season’s position.