For a nation that has got an overdose of cricket, the ISL is a saviour. It provides some great football matches and offers a whole lot more. A number of celebrities and sportsmen like Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and more, own a stake in different franchises and are often spotted at the stadium, cheering for their team. This just ups the entertainment quotient.
The second season began on the 3rd October with a spectacular opening ceremony in Chennai. The final match will be held on 20th December and fans can purchase their passes on BookMyShow. In terms of performances, this edition has provided a lot of surprises and shocks. The winners of the 2014 Indian Super League were the Atlético de Kolkata team as they defeated the Kerala Blasters FC in the final match.
While the Kolkata franchise has maintained the same form, this year, the same can't be said about last year’s runners-up. They are mostly found languishing at the bottom of the table and even changing their coach hasn’t helped their cause.
NorthEast United FC got the wooden spoon last year and this year too they started off on a bad note. After the first few games, the team was among the bottom two but what a turnaround it has been since the last few matches. They now stand a chance of making to the semi-finals.
FC Goa and Delhi Dynamos FC look good to make the cut too. For the fourth spot, there will be a tough fight between FC Pune City, Chennaiyin FC and the NorthEast United FC. All three of them have an equal chance and by the end of the league games, they would have to depend on the results of other games.
Mumbai City FC is having a dismal season once again. They finished seventh last year and will most likely end up there in this edition. The team has a very slim chance of making it to the knockout rounds and the franchise will have to make some serious changes for next year.
For the uninitiated, the popular league began last year and had eight teams participating in it. The format is such that each team has to play the others, twice. The venues for both will be the stadium of the home team and then there will be a return leg in the opponent’s one. The league has helped increase the popularity of the sport in the country and is going from strength to strength. It is also a great platform for local players to showcase their talent.
Summary:
The last few matches of the league are going to be very interesting. Since four teams are battling for a semi-final spot, the competition just got stiffer. While it may be hard on the players, the fans couldn’t ask for more.
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