The ISL Golden Boot has traditionally been given to the highest goal-scorer in a particular Indian Super League season. In the seven years of ISL history, only one player - FC Goa’s Ferran Corominas - has won the award twice. 

As we conclude the ISL 2021-22 season, we take a look at the list of all the ISL Golden Boot winners:

ISL 2021-22 Golden Boot winner - Bartholomew Ogbeche

Hyderabad FC forward Bartholomew Ogbeche won the Golden Boot award for the ISL 2021-22 season with 18 goals from 20 games. Ogbeche's incredible form helped Hyderabad FC clinch their maiden Indian Super League title by beating Kerala Blasters FC in the final. The 37-year-old Nigerian netted eight more goals than Igor Angulo of FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC's Greg Stewart, who scored 10 goals each in the tournament.

You are looking at our #HeroISL 2021-22 Golden Boot Winner, Bart Ogbeche, for scoring 1️⃣8️⃣⚽s! #HFCKBFC #HeroISLFinal #FinalForTheFans #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/P9YVhLK5kR

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 20, 2022

ISL 2020-21 Golden Boot winner - Igor Angulo

FC Goa forward Igor Angulo pipped ATK Mohun Bagan talisman Roy Krishna in his maiden ISL season to bag the Golden Boot award in ISL 7. Angulo scored 14 goals from 21 games just like Krishna but Angulo's better goal-per-minute ratio helped him win the award.

Presenting you 2020/21 @IndSuperLeague Golden Boot winner! #RiseAgain #HeroISL pic.twitter.com/Kukna24lQ9

�?FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) March 13, 2021

Meanwhile, Krishna missed the Golden Boot award by a whisker for the second consecutive year as he had scored a joint league-high of 15 goals but Nerijus Valskis had more assists. The criteria was, however, changed in ISL 2020-21 season as the goals per minute ratio was applied to break a tie.

ISL 2019-20 Golden Boot winner - Nerijus Valskis

Chennaiyin FC, who had finished fourth in the ISL table in the 2019-20 season league stages, will be grateful to the prolific Nerijus Valskis for their run to the final. The Lithuanian forward, who will play for Jamshedpur FC this season, had scored 15 goals to finish as the joint-highest goal-scorer in the 2019-20 ISL season. 

However, with ATK Mohun Bagan’s Roy Krishna and Kerala Blasters�?Bartholomew Ogbeche each with 15 goals to their name as well, the ISL rules had to dig deeper and identify the player with most assists to give away the ISL Golden Boot.

1�?�?Goals �?br />6�?Assists �?br />Runner-up in the #HeroISL �?a href="http://twitter.com/NValskis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@NValskis not only won the Golden Boot award but gave us all a season to remember pic.twitter.com/3qq5bL5cUG

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) May 5, 2020

Interestingly, both Valskis and Krishna had netted 15 goals and provided six assists, which further narrowed down the final selection to the player playing fewer minutes. Valskis, who eventually walked away with the ISL Golden Boot award, had played 20 matches - one fewer than Krishna.

Ogbeche finished third with 15 goals and a solitary assist to his name in 18 games.

ISL 2018-19 Golden Boot winner - Ferran Corominas

Ferran Corominas, who is ISL’s all-time top scorer with 48 goals, claimed his second ISL Golden Boot in the 2018-19 season after scoring 16 goals in 20 games. The Spanish forward was significantly ahead of his competitors - Mumbai City FC’s Moudou Sougou and Bartholomew Ogbeche, then playing for NorthEast United. Both had notched 12 goals each in 18 games.

ISL 2017-18 Golden Boot winner - Ferran Corominas

Ferran Corominas is the only player in ISL’s history to have won two ISL Golden Boot awards and the first one came in his debut season. The Spaniard had joined FC Goa in 2017 after a brief stint in Cyprus, and it didn’t take long for him to assert his authority in India. In his debut season with the club, Coro outscored eventual-champions Bengaluru FC’s striking duo of Miku (15) and Suni Chhetri (14) by scoring 18 goals in 20 games. 

Ferran Corominas fired 18 goals for @FCGoaOfficial - the most by any player to win the Swift Golden Boot Award convincingly this season! #LetsFootball #HeroISL @MSArenaOfficial pic.twitter.com/EW6kvbGk4s

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 19, 2018

A 34-year-old ISL debutant, Corominas had scored his maiden goal against Chennaiyin FC before going on to bag consecutive hat-tricks against Bengaluru FC (a 4-3 win) and Kerala Blasters (a 5-2 win) that season. His return of 18 goals in the campaign is, in fact, the most goals a player scored in a single ISL season.

ISL 2016 Golden Boot winner - Marcelinho

Marcelinho, who will be playing for his fourth club in ISL 2020-21, had scored 10 goals and assisted five times to win the ISL Golden Boot in 2016. Representing the now-defunct Delhi Dynamos, his effort had taken the team to the semi-finals after finishing third in the points table.

ISL only had eight teams in 2016 and Marcelinho’s closest competitor was Iain Hume of ATK. The Canadian international had scored seven goals in 14 games that season.

ISL 2015 Golden Boot winner - Stiven Mendoza

Chennaiyin FC forward Stiven Mendoza scored 13 goals in 16 appearances to run away with the ISL Golden Boot award in 2015. Iain Hume was the closest competitor with 11 goals. 

Mendoza’s ability of taking on defenders and beating them with pace was a sheer treat for the Super Machans. It was at the back of his efforts that Chennaiyin FC finished third in the points table before going all the way to the final to face FC Goa. 

Mendoza stepped up on the biggest stage to score the winner in the added minutes of the injury time to take home the title as well as the ISL Golden Boot award.

ISL 2014 Golden Boot winner - Elano

Elano was one of the marquee players to have played in the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League. The former Manchester City midfielder had arrived with much fanfare and he lived up to the hype as well. 

First season. First Golden Boot.

Second season. First ISL trophy. #MersElano made his time at CFC unforgettable #AattamReloaded pic.twitter.com/ZvDrF7ZpvR

�?Chennaiyin FC (@ChennaiyinFC) June 14, 2020

Signing a three-month contract with Chennaiyin FC, Elano had announced his arrival with a sensational free-kick on his ISL debut against FC Goa. The carnage continued throughout the season as the Brazilian ended his tenure with eight goals in 11 games to finish as the top scorer of the 2014 edition, thus making him the first ISL Golden Boot winner.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @FCGoaOfficial

Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche and retired Canadian star Ian Hume share the record for most hat-tricks in Indian Super League.

Hume, who represented Kerala Blasters, Atlético de Kolkata and Pune City, hit his first hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Mumbai City FC in the 2015 edition. His second triple strike came just 26 days later in Atlético de Kolkata’s 4-1 triumph over Pune City.

Ian Hume’s third and final hat-trick came in the 2017-18 season as he inspired Kerala Blasters to a 3-1 win against Delhi Dynamos.

Hume’s feat of most hat-tricks in Indian Super League (3) would later be matched by Bartholomew Ogbeche with his hat-trick in the ISL 2021-22 season.

Bartholomew Ogbeche, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Indian Super League, recorded his three hat-tricks with three different clubs. In the 2018-19 season, the 37-year-old Nigerian forward initiated NorthEast United’s counter-attack in their 4-3 win over Chennaiyin FC with his triple strike.

His next hat-tricks came in Kerala Blasters�?3-6 loss to Chennaiyin FC (ISL 2019-20) and Hyderabad FC’s 4-0 win against SC East Bengal (ISL 2021-22).

Indian national football team captain Sunil Chhetri is the only homegrown player to have scored a hat-trick in the Indian Super League. Chhetri is among the six players with two hat-tricks in the tournament.

Andre Moritz, the first player to score a hat-trick in the Indian Super League, leads the list of 13 players with a solitary triple strike in the ISL.

Most hat-tricks in Indian Super League

Player	Hat-tricks	Last hat-trick date
Ian Hume	3	January 10, 2018
Bartholomew Ogbeche		January 24, 2022
Stiven Mendoza	2	November 21, 2015
Dudu Omagbemi		November 26, 2016
Coro		December 9, 2017
Marcelinho		December 30, 2017
Sunil Chhetri		March 11, 2018
Modou Sougou		February 22, 2019
Andre Moritz	1	October 18, 2014
Thongkhosiem Haokip		November 17, 2015
Reinaldo		November 29, 2015
Diego Forlán		November 19, 2016
Seiminlen Doungel		January 19, 2018
Roy Krishna		February 8, 2020
Manuel Onwu		February 23, 2020
Bipin Singh		February 24, 2021
Greg Stewart		December 14, 2021
Deshorn Brown		December 27, 2021
Kiyan Nassiri		January 29, 2022
Jorge Ortiz		February 9, 2022
Airam Cabrera		March 6, 2022

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: Twitter / Indian Super League

Given the brevity of the Indian Super League, the provision for a month-long winter transfer window is often questioned. However, to everyone’s surprise, the ISL 2020-21 season has seen clubs making some season-defining deals in January.

With the tournament all set to kick off its playoffs schedule from Friday, March 5, we look back at some of the top winter transfers that pumped in the much-needed fuel into the clubs�?respective Indian Super League campaigns.

Deshorn Brown

A year on from his Indian Super League stint with Bengaluru FC, Jamaican forward Deshorn Brown’s move to NorthEast United not only revitalized his form but also helped the Highlanders secure a place in the playoffs.

The 30-year-old striker struggled for game time at Bengaluru, failing to score a single goal in 10 matches for the Blues this term. Brown, who netted seven times in 20 appearances across all competitions for the 2018-19 winners, mutually decided to terminate his contract with Bengaluru and signed for NorthEast on a free transfer on the dotted line.

While this move was considered a big gamble, the former DC United attacker scored on debut against Jamshedpur, giving interim coach Khalid Jamil a victorious start to his reign. Going forward, Brown scored four times in his next eight games, including a brace against league winners Mumbai City FC that ended their 12-game unbeaten streak.

Deshorn Brown has become a vital cog in Khalid Jamil’s style of play and has forged strong partnerships with Uruguayan attacking midfielder Federico Gallego and Portuguese winger Luis Machado.

Marcelinho

Marcelinho’s impact in the Indian Super League has been considered significant, with 33 goals and 18 assists in 77 appearances. With his attacking prowess stagnating at Odisha, a loan move to ATK Mohun Bagan has seen the Brazilian slowly find himself making attacking contributions in the tournament.

A golden boot winner with the now-defunct Delhi Dynamos team in the 2015-16 season, Marcelinho is a versatile player who can play in different attacking roles - a striker, a winger, or as an attacking midfielder.

The 33-year-old played eight matches for Odisha this season but failed to register a goal or an assist in 307 minutes of game time. However, since joining ATK Mohun Bagan, Marcelinho has quickly become one of the strongest performers on the field.

The Mariners' attacking approach didn't have a commanding presence this season, as they averaged approximately two goals per game. With the Brazilian's arrival and Edu Garcia sitting out with injury, the club has been more aggressive in their attacking third. In the process, Marcelinho has seemingly formed a strong pairing with topscorer Roy Krishna.

Glan Martins

When a call came for Goa-born Glan Martins to sign for FC Goa, the lanky midfielder didn’t hesitate much and quickly sealed a ‘dream�?switch from ATK Mohun Bagan on a short-term deal.

The 26-year-old began his career with SESA Football Academy in Goa before inking his first professional contract with Sporting Club de Goa in 2014. He signed for the Mariners in November 2020 after a solitary campaign with Churchill Brothers.

While he may not yield goals on a whim, Martins�?tough tackling and passing abilities make him a vital part of a team’s midfield setup, which is quite noticeable in his game time with new employers FC Goa.

While one often searches for creative ways to mark a debut goal for his club, Glan Martins took things up a notch as he struck a thunderbolt strike from approximately 30 meters distance when Goa were 0-2 down near half-time. It was his first start for the Gaurs and the goal is a prime contender for the ‘Goal of the Season.�?/span>

Bright Enobakhare

The 22-year-old Nigerian forward Bright Enobakhare became one of the youngest foreign players to feature in the Indian Super League when he signed for SC East Bengal. He repaid the faith shown in him with an audacious goal on his first start for the club - his second game - against FC Goa.

A graduate of Wolverhampton Wanderers academy, Bright has been the much-needed injection that Robbie Fowler-coached East Bengal needed this term. They were winless in their first eight games, including three successive losses at the start of the 2020-21 season.

Bright, blessed with incredible pace and splendid dribbling skills, has brought about a change for the Red and Gold Brigade as they picked up three wins following his arrival. Against Goa, the young Nigerian broke past four defenders to open the scoring against the Gaurs. The tie, however, ended with the teams sharing the spoils with a 1-1 scoreline.

Leaving a trail of defenders in his wake

by @sc_eastbengal's Bright Enobakhare #SCEBFCG #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/GoCI4cYxKf

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 6, 2021

With 12 games under his belt, Bright Enobakhare has registered three goals and one assist for East Bengal. While the club finished ninth on the points table, the Nigerian attacker’s signature did bring some respite to the club, and fans will expect much from him next season.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / NEUtdFC 

While Spain’s Sergio Lobera is widely considered to be the ideal coach in the Indian Super League with his tiki-taka style and easy on the eye offensive football, Antonio Habas Lopez’s moniker of being the “most successful ISL coach�?remains indubitable.

The Pozoblanco-born hardly embodies the philosophy that Spanish football is famous for. Whether it be the seamless transition from defence to attack or the quick passing football that mesmerized the world through Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and Spain’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2010, Habas�?men don’t indulge in any such tactics.

Instead, the hard taskmaster believes in a physical football that comprises an impenetrable backline while a flock of well-built forwards drill at opponents�?defence relentlessly.

Quite interestingly, Habas had spent his days as an assistant manager to former Barcelona legend and Ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov, who was a part of Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team of the early 1990s. Hence, it is strange how Habas developed his conservative style of play in the first place.

However, ATK Mohun Bagan wouldn’t mind his playing style as long it fetches results �?something Habas specializes in. Prior to his stint in ISL, Habas had plied his trade in South Africa, where football is played very differently than Asia, but the gaffer managed to mix in things in the right proportions clinching the first-ever ISL title during his very first season with ATK.

Building a robust spine

A closer look at the ATK Mohun Bagan team and it can be easily figured out that Habas is going to war to win every aerial battle thrown at his side.

 

In Tiri and Sandesh Jhingan, Habas has two towering centre-halves who aren’t afraid to put their body in the line. Identical physical traits could be found in central midfielder Carl McHugh and centre-forward Roy Krishna. Hence, the spine of Habas�?team is unshakeable and has players who are ready to put their head in tackles which others would be afraid to do.

The winning formula is no secret as managers like John Gregory and Jorge Costa have resorted to it on previous occasions with the former even winning the title once. However, none has been able to execute it as effectively as the current ATK Mohun Bagan coach.

Injecting quick feet

A perfect team that can win the league or challenge for the title time and again requires the right blend of strength and skill to endure the rigours of the league as well as get the favourable outcome regularly.

Despite the controversial refereeing in the ISL,  Habas�?men have been able to win matches regularly. Refereeing has been below par since the inception of the league and while some teams complain about it after finishing on the wrong end of results, there are some who overcome these hurdles without much fuss.

Human errors cannot be hundred percent corrected and Habas knows that very well. Hence, his selection of players with exceptional close control of the ball has done the job very often. The likes of Michael Soosairaj, Edu Garcia, Javier Hernandez, and David Williams perfectly complement the rough tackling spine of Habas, giving his team an edge that is difficult to counter by their opponents.

No other team in ISL has so finely balanced these two elements together.

Fine-tuning a well-oiled machine

Habas�?vision and steel-mindedness are further aided by the financial resources of the management who aren’t afraid to shell out money on reinforcements.

Losing Soosairaj early in the ongoing edition of the league was a huge blow for Habas after the mercurial Indian forward was instrumental for ATKMB last time around. And Habas was quick enough to replace him with 2016 ISL top goal-scorer Marcelinho in the winter transfer window. The Brazilian loanee not only brings experience but a vibrance in the attacking third.

The manager further balanced the Indian and foreign quota of players by bringing in experienced midfielder Lenny Rodriguez after yet another club star Edu Garcia was sidelined for weeks. And the fact that both the imports had an instant impact on the Mariners season by registering consecutive wins against Kerala Blasters FC and Odisha FC speaks volumes about Habas�?determination to not get bogged down by any limitation whatsoever.

Feature Image Courtesy: Website/ ISL

ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Edu Garcia has been ruled out for at least two-to-three weeks after the 30-year-old sustained an ankle injury during the Mariners�?last encounter against Chennaiyin FC in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL).

Garcia had limped off the field after the playmaker was fouled by Chennaiyin FC's Memo Moura in the 87th minute.

The former Zaragoza footballer is expected to miss at least five matches and it will be difficult for the star midfielder to get fit before the much anticipated Kolkata derby against SC East Bengal, which is scheduled to take place on February 19. 

Garcia is expected to be back for the high octane clash against Mumbai City FC on February 28.

The Spaniard has featured in 10 matches in ISL 7 so far, forming the lynchpin in coach Antonio Habas Lopez’s set-up. Clocking 787 minutes for ATKMB this season, Garcia’s solitary goal came from a stunning free-kick against FC Goa.

Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan have roped in Brazilian forward Marcelinho on a loan swap deal until the end of the season from Odisha FC, which will see Mariners midfielder Brad Inman join Odisha FC on loan, the Goal has reported.

Marcelinho �?ATK Mohun Bagan
Brad Inman �?Odisha

Good move for both clubs? #ISL pic.twitter.com/7ucaTTTRpN

�?Goal India (@Goal_India) January 26, 2021

Currently, ATK Mohun Bagan are six points behind table-toppers Mumbai City FC in second spot and have a game in hand. 

The Kolkata club next face NorthEast United FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday.

Feature image courtesy: 2021 Indian Super League

The Indian Super League has seen some best names from the world of football. Alessandro del Piero, Dimitar Berbatov, Alessandro Nesta, Wes Brown, Diego Forlan are some of the legends who played in ISL. However, none of these has gone on to become one of the best to ever play in the league as some of the other football players have. So, who is the best player in ISL?

Coro

Spaniard Ferrán Corominas Telechea, better known as Coro, is one of the greatest, if not the greatest foreign player to ever play in the ISL. The forward is the Indian Super League’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 48 goals in just 57 games. Coro also holds the record for most goals in a single ISL campaign, scoring 18 in his debut season in 2017-18. 

He won his second ISL Golden Boot the following season, bagging 16 goals and leading FC Goa to the final, where they were beaten by Bengaluru FC in a nail-biting contest. The Spanish forward finished just a goal shy of winning his third Golden Boot on the trot in season 6 with 14 goals. His numbers alone make him one of ISL’s best players and arguably perhaps even the best player in ISL history.

Sunil Chhetri

He is not only one of ISL’s best players, but one of India’s finest too. India's and Bengaluru FC's all-time leading goal-scorer Sunil Chhetri has enjoyed a distinguished career in the ISL. He began his career in the league with Mumbai City FC and spent two seasons with the Islanders, scoring seven goals for the side and leading them to their maiden appearance in the ISL playoffs. 

Following the inclusion of Bengaluru FC in the ISL in 2017, Sunil Chhetri has only furthered his legacy in the league, leading Bengaluru FC to a top-four finish in each of the past three campaigns and guiding them to their maiden title in just their second season in the league in 2018-19. The Indian football team captain is currently the second-highest goal-scorer in ISL history with 39 goals in 74 matches. 

Iain Hume

A player that shaped the legacy of the ISL in its formative years, Iain Hume was consistently brilliant in the first three seasons of the league. The Englishman led Kerala Blasters to the final in the league’s maiden season, where they were upstaged by ATK in the final. The following season, he joined ATK and was deployed in a more advanced position, which paid dividends as he enjoyed his two most prolific campaigns in the ISL, scoring 18 goals over the course of those two seasons. 

In his second campaign, the Englishman led by example and scored twice in the semi-finals, which helped ATK knock title-favourites Mumbai City FC out of the tournament. ATK went on to win their second title in three seasons, beating Kerala Blasters on penalties in the final. Hume returned to Kerala Blasters for a season and then spent a year with Pune City FC, scoring just six goals over those two seasons. The Englishman may not have had a fairytale ending to his incredible ISL career but he will always be revered among the best ISL players.

Marcelinho

Brazilian forward Marcelo Leite Pereira, better known as Marcelinho, brought Samba magic to ISL in his debut campaign in 2016 and has since continued to dazzle with his extraordinary skills and prolific scoring ability. The Rio de Janeiro native made his ISL debut in 2016 and made an instant impact, scoring 10 goals in 15 games and winning the ISL Golden Boot. 

Marcelinho then moved to Pune City and was sensational for the side, scoring 14 goals in just 31 games. The Brazilian spent ISL 2019-20 at Hyderabad FC and struck seven goals in 17 matches, which saw him surpass Iain Hume as the third-highest goal-scorer in ISL history, only behind Coro and Sunil Chhetri. Marcelinho will be leading Odisha FC in ISL 2020-21.

Tiri

Perhaps the best centre-back to play in the ISL, José Luis Espinosa Arroyo, or simply Tiri, has been a steady rock at the heart of every defence that he’s played since making his debut in the league in 2015. Tiri was an integral part of the Indian Super League club ATK that won the title in 2016. He then joined Jamshedpur FC where he made 48 appearances and established himself as one of the foremost defenders in the league. 

Tiri will represent the newly-formed ATK Mohun Bagan in ISL 2020-21, as he chases a second ISL title that will further his legacy as one of the best players in the league’s history.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Arun Sankar

There were a number of top Indian Super League (ISL) transfers that created a lot of interest among the football fans across the country.

As the ISL 2020-21 season gets underway, let’s take a look at some of the high-profile football players who grabbed headlines when ISL transfer market was in swing.

ISL transfer: How it works

The All India Football Federation (AIFF), in June this year, confirmed that it will open the ISL transfer window for the summer from August 1, 2020, till October 20, 2020. The second transfer window, on the other hand, starts on January 1, 2021, and runs till the end of January. The ISL teams will be allowed to acquire new players during this phase only.

The registration of the amateur players, however, can be done anytime during the season. In other ordinances, a club can only sign a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players and at least one of them should be from an AFC-affiliated country. There are, however, no other restrictions in terms of the number of players that can be transferred, restricted to the extent of the squad limit.

ISL transfer market: Big moves of ISL 2020-21

Sandesh Jhingan: Kerala Blastes to ATK Mohun Bagan

ATK Mohun Bagan roped in Indian football team defender Sandesh Jhingan after a long ISL transfer battle with several other clubs.

The former Kerala Blasters FC captain had earlier decided to part ways with the Kochi-based outfit after six consecutive years. Jhingan joined ATK Mohun Bagan on a free transfer and was the most notable signing from the Indian contingent.

Sandesh Jhingan, who made his international debut in 2015, has represented India 36 times and scored 4 goals for the national side.

Interestingly, the Indian football team star defender will make his ATKMB debut against his former side Kerala Blasters in the first match of the ISL this season.

Hugo Boumous: FC Goa to Mumbai City FC

Hugo Boumous�?move from FC Goa to Mumbai City FC has been one of the most talked-about ISL transfers in recent memory. Mumbai City FC paid INR 1.6 crores to secure the services of ISL 2019-20 ‘Hero of the League�?

Boumous had scored 11 goals and also provided 10 assists in just 14 matches in ISL season 6, which helped FC Goa qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League.

The French midfielder had joined the Gaurs in 2018 under head coach Sergio Lobera, who is now the coach of the Islanders and has been instrumental in bringing Hugo Boumous to Mumbai.

Bartholomew Ogbeche: Kerala Blasters to Mumbai City FC

Kerala Blasters�?all-time top goal-scorer Bartholomew Ogbeche has penned a one-year deal with Mumbai City FC. 

The Nigerian had netted 15 goals for the Tuskers and finished as the joint-top scorer in ISL 2019-20 season alongside Chennaiyin FC’s Nerijus Valskis and erstwhile ATK’s Roy Krishna.

Previously, Ogbeche had scored 12 goals playing for NorthEast United in ISL 2018-19.

The Nigerian will bring in plenty of experience in Indian football and can help the Islanders secure their maiden ISL title.

Nerijus Valskis: Chennaiyin FC to Jamshedpur FC

ISL’s Golden Boot winner in season 6, Nerijus Valskis followed his former head coach Owen Coyle from Chennaiyin FC to Jamshedpur FC ahead of ISL 2020-21.

Nerijus Valskis had scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 20 matches for the ‘Marina Machans�?

The Lithuanian footballer has also represented his national side 24 times. He has played his club football in his homeland, Israel, Belarus, Poland, Thailand and Romania. 

Adam Le Fondre: A-League to Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC arguably made the biggest signing of the season by roping in Sydney FC star Adam Le Fondre on loan.

Adam Le Fondre, who has also played in the Premier League, has scored 35 goals in just 49 appearances for Sydney FC and helped them win back-to-back A-League titles.

Additionally, Adam Le Fondre was named in the A-League Team of the Season in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Other notable ISL transfers

Nishu Kumar: Among Indian players in the ISL, Nishu Kumar’s transfer also grabbed headlines. After another splendid season with Bengaluru FC, 23-year-old Nishu Kumar decided to move to Kerala Blasters for ISL 2020-21, signing a four-year contract which made him the highest-paid Indian defender.

Redeem Tlang: Redeem Tlang, who scored three goals in the 2019-20 ISL season (his personal best), became FC Goa’s first acquisition when he switched his alliance from NorthEast United FC, signing a pre-contract in June. Despite NorthEast United finishing ninth last season, Tlang showed what he brings to the table.

Marcelinho: Marcelinho, the ISL Golden boot winner of the 2016 season, will play in his fourth Indian Super League club in the 2020-21 season after Odisha FC decided to splash �?8 million to lure the attacker away from Hyderabad FC.

Gary Hooper: Former Celtic and Norwich City forward Gary Hooper has arrived in Kerala Blasters amidst massive fanfare. The 32-year-old is expected to fill the void left by Bartholomew Ogbeche and judging by his experience, it is safe to say the Tuskers have done a fantastic job.

Anthony Pilkington: Hooper’s teammate at Norwich City, Anthony Pilkington signed for SC East Bengal ahead of the 2020-21 season and brings in an experience of over 400 appearances across four tiers of English football leagues and cup competitions. He will certainly be the one to keep a keen eye on.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @MumbaiCityFC

After a week that had as many as 20 goals scored across five games, a relatively low-scoring matchday 16 of the Indian Super League took the centre-stage, which hardly had any impact on the top half of the table. 

Mumbai City FC, who sit fourth on the table, needed injury-time drama to beat Jamshedpur FC 2-1 to strengthen their grip to reach the playoffs. Table-toppers FC Goa and ATK both registered easy victories over Hyderabad FC and Odisha FC respectively, while Chennaiyin FC dropped points for the first time in five games, as defending champions Bengaluru FC held them to a 0-0 draw.

A mere 12 goals were scored during the recent match week, and here are the best bits from it:

Hugo Boumous

For: FC Goa

Against: Hyderabad FC

Hugo Boumous has been an absolute revelation for FC Goa of late, scoring four goals in his last three outings; two of which came in his side’s recent 4-1 victory over Hyderabad at home. After breaking the deadlock as early as the 19^th minute, the 24-year-old midfielder scored a stunning solo goal in the 50^th to give his side a two-goal cushion.

Picking up the ball on the left-wing, Boumous beat not one or two, but five Hyderabad players to slot home a neat finish, and his celebration duly matched his breathtaking effort.

Marcelinho

For: Hyderabad FC

Against: FC Goa

Marcelinho has been Hyderabad’s only shining light this season, and although he has five goals and an assist so far, the best from the lot came against Goa last Wednesday. As Hyderabad won a free-kick some 25-30 yards out, the 32-year-old Brazilian fired a vicious left-footed drive which rattled the inside of the top bar and found its way into the net.

Bidyananda Singh

For: Mumbai City FC

Against: Jamshedpur FC

91 minutes into the game and the scoreline was stuck at 1-1. With the battle for the final playoff spot heating up, Mumbai City FC needed a moment of brilliance and a certain Bidyananda Singh delivered what was promised. As Jamshedpur defenders failed to clear the danger, the 22-year-old struck a first-time volley from the edge of the area and although the connection wasn’t the greatest, the ball found its way into the goal.

Roy Krishna

For: ATK

Against: Odisha FC

A hat-trick against Odisha FC on Saturday has taken ATK’s Roy Krishna to the top of the goal-scoring charts. He scored his first in emphatic fashion; a potent, typical striker’s finish. The 32-year-old, during a corner, skipped his marker from the far post and attempted a neat volley to send the home supporters into a frenzy. 

His second, on the other hand, was equally breathtaking, this time a stunning sprinting effort from the halfway line. Skidding past Carlos Delgado from the left, the Fijian made a neat cut into the area and pulled off a near-perfect chip to make it two for his team. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / IndSuperLeague

As the Indian Super League nears the last international break of 2019, we take a look at the first 15 days of riveting football this season. So far, this edition has witnessed quite a number of brilliant goals, with new signings like Odisha FC’s Aridane Santana and ATK’s David Williams capturing major attention with their early peak.

Here we list down five ultimate goals scored in the first 15 matches of ISL 2019-20 that is sure to delight the fans.

ARIDANE SANTANA

Club: Odisha FC
Against: Mumbai City FC

Acquired on loan from the Spanish outfit Cultural Leonesa, the 32-year-old Santana has taken to the league like a duck takes to water. His best performance this season has come against Mumbai City FC away from home where he assisted one and got two in his kitty. 21 minutes into the game and youngster Jerry Mawihmingthanga laid a sweet ball for the striker on the edge of the box. It might have felt easier for the spectators, but there was still a lot to do than what met the eye. Santana, who connected the ball with his right, slotted home with a neat finish at the bottom right corner to give his team a two-goal cushion.

SERGIO CASTEL

Club: Jamshedpur FC
Against: Odisha FC

Despite being reduced to 10 men inside 35 minutes, Jamshedpur FC seemed reluctant on giving away a win. With the game tied at 1-1 until 84 minutes, the Men of Steel decided to up the thrust and capitalized on a counter. Piti, running towards the final line of defenders, found Sergio Castel on his right, and the Spaniard �?with his neat touch �?got into the goal-scoring opportunity. Francisco Dorronsoro did try closing him down, but a lovely chip over the keeper found the back of the net to send the home fans into a frenzy.

ROY KRISHNA

Club: ATK
Against: Hyderabad FC

Mere two minutes after Williams had put ATK in front with a neat finish against Hyderabad, new signing Roy Krishna made his mark with an absolute beauty from distance. The Fiji captain was afforded yards of space and he duly pounced upon the given opportunity. He indeed needed an assistant from the frame of the goal, but one cannot deny the exquisite class of his strike.

CARL MCHUGH

Club: ATK
Against: Kerala Blasters

The first game of the new ISL season kicked off in absolute style, with the away team, ATK finding the net in as early as the sixth minute. A long set-piece delivery was sent all the way to the away post and center-back Agus, with his tall frame, headed the ball into the dangerous area, founding fellow defender Carl McHugh, who decided to take the shot first time with a calculated left-footed volley. The ball swung over everyone including keeper Bilal Khan to find its way into the net.

MARCELINHO

Club: Hyderabad FC
Against: Kerala Blasters

After enduring back-to-back defeats in the opening two games, Hyderabad FC bounced back with a narrow 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters. As the match entered its final 10 minutes, Hyderabad were awarded a free-kick some 25 odd yards out. It indeed seemed a long way out, but up stepped the Brazilian, Marcelinho whose left-footed curler swung into the top left corner to give his side a much-deserved win. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @ATK