<div> The countdown started in a surreal manner. A football-crazy boy dribbling a ball through to the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, pulling a sea of people behind him, to be eventually questioned, ‘kaun kambakt football nahi khelta?’ — a modified version of a dialogue from the Shahrukh Khan-starrer Devdas.<br /><br />Who the hell doesn’t play football? Good question in a country where the game, despite its strong following, is fighting to present a meaningful challenge at the international level. The national team is struggling and the clubs are facing an uncertain future but all those problems will be pushed underneath the carpet for at least a couple of months as the game reinvents itself in a new avatar, beginning Saturday.<br /><br />After the stupendous success in its inaugural season that saw spectators flock the stadiums across the country, the Indian Super League (ISL) is back. And when defending champions Atletico de Kolkata take on Chennaiyin FC in the opening game, the hopes of an improvement in quality is very much alive.<br /><br />The inaugural season saw international stars already past their prime — Alessandro del Piero, Freddie Ljungberg, Luis Garcia and Roberto Pires — bring sparks of entertainment. The second season seems to promise a bit more. With the likes of Roberto Carlos, Hélder Postiga, Adrian Mutu and Carlos Marchena plying their trade for different teams, there seems to be no dearth in quality on the pitch.<br /><br />Moreover, with top Indian players like Sunil Chhetri, Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Rino Anto also involved for the first time, one could look forward to a better fare in the next two months. However, despite the big names and the attendent glitz, the tournament continues to stir debate, thanks to the lack of clarity on which direction the game is headed in the country. <br /><br />“There is no doubt that the ISL has been successful in bringing crowds back to the stadiums,” said Armando Colaco, former coach of the highly successful Dempo Sports Club. “But how can we deny the obvious. For how long can we believe that a three-month long competition is what will take Indian football ahead?” <br /><br />With the cash-rich league — the winners take home Rs 8 crore — casting a shadow on the premier football competition of the country, the I-League, many like Colaco believe that instead of a merger of the two leagues, as proposed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), it would do the domestic league a great favour if the I-League too is taken over by IMG-Reliance, the promoters of the ISL.<br /><br />“They have done a professional job with the ISL. Something that was missing with the I-League. It used to hurt to see 500-600 people turn out for a Dempo vs Salgaocar game in the I-League,” said a former Indian captain. “But with the ISL, things have changed. We have people coming to the stadium for every game. And moreover the players too are benefiting from it. So, if such a model can be adopted by the I-League, things can change for the good,” he added.<br /><br />In the rush for bigger stakes, those words seem to be reaching nowhere. While the national team coach Stephen Constantine saw his proposal for a camp ahead of the World Cup qualifier being turned down due to the reluctance of the league to release the players, Indian football legend IM Vijayan said that it was up to the All India Football Federation to find the right balance. “I will hold the AIFF responsible,” said Vijayan. “The national team should undoubtedly be our priority.” <br /><br />Indeed, the onus is on the federation to set up facilities and groom young talent if the game is to go forward, as all the veteran coaches and stars assembled for the ISL readily agree. The scenario, though, doesn’t promise a change in the near future and those questions will nag the Indian football fans as they take their seats for the ISL, eager to bask in the shinier side of the game. Afterall, who doesn’t want to watch a good game of football?<br /><br />INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE SCHEDULE 2015<br /><br />Date Home Team Away Team Venue<br /> 03-Oct Chennaiyin vs Kolkata Chennai <br />04-Oct Goa vs Delhi Goa <br />05-Oct Pune vs Mumbai Pune<br />06-Oct Blasters vs Northeast Kochi <br />07-Oct Goa vs Kolkata Goa <br />08-Oct Delhi vs Chennaiyin Delhi <br />09-Oct Pune vs Northeast Pune <br />10-Oct Blasters vs Mumbai Kochi <br />11-Oct Goa vs Chennaiyin Goa <br />13-Oct Kolkata vs Blasters Kolkata <br />14-Oct Pune vs Delhi Pune <br />15-Oct Northeast vs Goa Guwahati <br />16-Oct Mumbai vs Chennaiyin Mumbai <br />17-Oct Pune vs Kolkata Pune <br />18-Oct Blasters vs Delhi Kochi <br />20-Oct Northeast vs Chennaiyin Guwahati <br />21-Oct Mumbai vs Delhi Mumbai <br />22-Oct Goa vs Blasters Goa <br />23-Oct Northeast vs Kolkata Guwahati <br />24-Oct Chennaiyin vs Pune Chennai <br />25-Oct Mumbai vs Goa Mumbai <br />27-Oct Pune vs Blasters Pune <br />28-Oct Mumbai vs Northeast Mumbai <br />29-Oct Kolkata vs Delhi Kolkata <br />30-Oct Goa vs Pune Goa <br />31-Oct Blasters vs Chennaiyin Kochi <br />01-Nov Mumbai vs Kolkata Mumbai <br />03-Nov Delhi vs Northeast Delhi <br />04-Nov Blasters vs Pune Kochi <br />05-Nov Chennaiyin vs Goa Chennai <br />06-Nov Delhi vs Mumbai Delhi <br /><br />Date Home Team Away Team Venue<br />07-Nov Kolkata vs Northeast Kolkata <br />08-Nov Pune vs Goa Pune <br />10-Nov Blasters vs Kolkata Kochi <br />11-Nov Chennaiyin vs Northeast Chennai <br />13-Nov Mumbai vs Pune Mumbai <br />14-Nov Delhi vs Kolkata Delhi <br />15-Nov Northeast vs Blasters Guwahati <br />17-Nov Goa vs Mumbai Goa <br />18-Nov Kolkata vs Chennaiyin Kolkata <br />19-Nov Delhi vs Pune Delhi <br />20-Nov Northeast vs Mumbai Guwahati <br />21-Nov Chennaiyin vs Blasters Chennai <br />22-Nov Kolkata vs Goa Kolkata <br />24-Nov Chennaiyin vs Delhi Chennai <br />25-Nov Goa vs Northeast Goa <br />26-Nov Mumbai vs Blasters Mumbai <br />27-Nov Kolkata vs Pune Kolkata <br />28-Nov Northeast vs Delhi Guwahati <br />29-Nov Blasters vs Goa Kochi <br />01-Dec Chennaiyin vs Mumbai Chennai <br />02-Dec Northeast vs Pune Guwahati <br />03-Dec Delhi vs Blasters Delhi <br />04-Dec Kolkata vs Mumbai Kolkata <br />05-Dec Pune vs Chennaiyin Pune <br />06-Dec Delhi vs Goa Delhi <br /><br />Semifinal first leg: 11-Dec and 12-Dec<br />Semifinal second leg: 15-Dec and 16-Dec<br />FINAL 20 December Goa<br /><br />All matches start at 7.00 pm <br />Live on Star Sports<br /><br /><br />Delhi Dynamos<br /><br />After failing to impress in the first edition despite having the likes of Alessandro del Piero in their ranks, Delhi Dynamos have once again recruited aggressively in their quest for the title in season two.<br /><br />Brazllian legend and World Cup winner Roberto Carlos has taken over as the new manager cum marquee player, along with former Liverpool wing back John Arne Riise, who will lead the team this season.<br /><br />Dynamos have also signed former French international Florent Malouda, who will look to provide the much needed creative spark in the midfield and the addition of striker Adil Nabi on loan from West Bromwich Albion will serve as a potent threat in the attack.<br />Coach: Roberto Carlos. Marquee player: Roberto Carlos.<br />Key player: Florent Malouda. <br />Last year: Fifth place in the league.<br /><br />Mumbai city fc<br /><br />Following a below par performance in the inaugural season, Mumbai City FC have brought in heavy reinforcements to their side for the second edition.<br /><br />The Ranbir Kapoor co-owned side retained Frenchman Nicolas Anelka as their marquee player and handed him the coaching responsibility as well. They have also retained the services of two key players in midfielder Andre Moritz and centre-back Pavel Cmvos. Subrata Paul will continue to guard the goal while Subhash Singh and Lalrindika Ralte are also among the Indian players who feature for the team again.<br /><br />Ex-Premier League striker Frederic Piquionne will join in the attack along with Indian superstar Sunil Chettri. Mohan Bagan’s Sony Norde has also been roped in to boost the attacking unit.<br /><br />Coach: Nicolas Anelka. Marquee player: Nicolas Anelka<br />Key player: Sunil Chettri. Last year: Seventh in the league.<br /><br />NorthEast United<br /><br />After a disappointing last place finish in the inaugural season of the ISL, NorthEast United will look to change their fortunes in the second season of Indian Super League. Former Venezuelan manager Cesar Farias has been roped in to replace Ricki Herbert as the new coach of the side.<br /><br />The John Abraham co-owned team have signalled their intent by bringing in a new marquee signing in former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid player Simao Sabrosa. <br />Coach: Cesar Farias<br />Marquee player: Simao Sabrosa<br />Last year’s placing: Eighth place in the league.<br /><br />FC Pune City<br /><br />They endured a forgettable inaugural season, finding it difficult to get wins under their belt. But this time around, FC Pune City will look to make amends. Sporting a new-look side, led by the controversial Adrian Mutu, the Pune team could be a force to reckon, especially with the likes of Eugeneson Lygdoh and Jackichand Singh featuring in midfield. <br />Coach: David Platt. Marquee player: Adrian Mutu. Key players: Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Didier Zokora.<br />Last year’s placing: Sixth place in the league.<br /><br />Chennaiyin FC<br /><br />One of the most impressive teams in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League, Chennaiyin FC have learned their lesson the hard way, having crashed out in the knock-out stages despite signing off from the league stages in pole position.<br /><br />The franchise -- co-owned by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Abhishek Bachchan -- will hope for more luck this time around. The team is once again coached by Italian Marco Materazzi who has decided to retain the team’s core from last year with a few additions.<br />The attacking unit has been bolstered by the arrival of Fikru Teffera from Kolkata.<br />Coach: Marco Materazzi.<br />Marquee player: Elano.<br />Key player: Elano, Fikru Teferra.<br />Last year: Losing semifinalist.<br /><br />FC Goa<br /><br />Despite the slow start, FC Goa put up a brilliant show to finish second in the league only to lose to the eventual champions Atletico de Kolkata in the semis. However, the side led by legendary Brazilian Zico will look to challenge for the title this season, having made some valuable additions to the squad.<br /><br />The arrival of former Inter Milan and Bayern Munich centre-back Lucio as the marquee player will strengthen the defence immensely. Other notable signings include strikers Reinaldo de Oliveira and Victor Simoes, goalkeeper Elinton Andrade, midfielder Leonardo da Silva Moura and youngster Jonatan Lucca. <br />Coach: Zico<br />Marquee player: Lucio<br />Key player: Reinaldo de Oliveira<br />Last year’s placing: Losing semifinalist.<br /><br />Kerala Blasters <br /><br />Their run in the inaugural season was nothing short of thrilling. After managing just a solitary victory in their first five games, Kerala Blasters then put on an impressive show to qualify for the semifinal.<br /><br />Their semifinal tie too was another blockbuster. After a convincing 3-0 win over Chennaiyin FC in their home leg, the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side needed an extra-time goal from Stephen Pearson to see the Blasters through.<br /><br />The final, against Atletico de Kolkata, though ended in a heartbreak for David James’ side. They, however, will be poised to better their mark in the second season.<br />Coach: Peter Taylor<br />Key player: Sandesh Jhingan<br />Last year’s placing: Runners-up.<br /><br />Atletico de Kolkata<br /><br />They say it’s one thing to rise to the top, but to stay there, shows your character. This is something defending champions Atletico de Kolkata will look to achieve when they begin their title defence on Saturday.<br /><br />The Sourav Ganguly co-owned side has made valuable additions to the squad. The new marquee player Helder Postiga and Canadian Iain Hume will replace World Cupper Luis Garcia and Ethiopian Fikru Teferra in the attack. South African Sameehg Doutie is expected to bolster the midfield in the company of Spaniard Borja Fernandez.<br />Coach: Antonio Lopez Habas<br />Marquee player: Helder Postiga<br />Key player: Arnab Mondal<br />Last year’s position: Champions.<br /><br /><br /></div>
<div> The countdown started in a surreal manner. A football-crazy boy dribbling a ball through to the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, pulling a sea of people behind him, to be eventually questioned, ‘kaun kambakt football nahi khelta?’ — a modified version of a dialogue from the Shahrukh Khan-starrer Devdas.<br /><br />Who the hell doesn’t play football? Good question in a country where the game, despite its strong following, is fighting to present a meaningful challenge at the international level. The national team is struggling and the clubs are facing an uncertain future but all those problems will be pushed underneath the carpet for at least a couple of months as the game reinvents itself in a new avatar, beginning Saturday.<br /><br />After the stupendous success in its inaugural season that saw spectators flock the stadiums across the country, the Indian Super League (ISL) is back. And when defending champions Atletico de Kolkata take on Chennaiyin FC in the opening game, the hopes of an improvement in quality is very much alive.<br /><br />The inaugural season saw international stars already past their prime — Alessandro del Piero, Freddie Ljungberg, Luis Garcia and Roberto Pires — bring sparks of entertainment. The second season seems to promise a bit more. With the likes of Roberto Carlos, Hélder Postiga, Adrian Mutu and Carlos Marchena plying their trade for different teams, there seems to be no dearth in quality on the pitch.<br /><br />Moreover, with top Indian players like Sunil Chhetri, Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Rino Anto also involved for the first time, one could look forward to a better fare in the next two months. However, despite the big names and the attendent glitz, the tournament continues to stir debate, thanks to the lack of clarity on which direction the game is headed in the country. <br /><br />“There is no doubt that the ISL has been successful in bringing crowds back to the stadiums,” said Armando Colaco, former coach of the highly successful Dempo Sports Club. “But how can we deny the obvious. For how long can we believe that a three-month long competition is what will take Indian football ahead?” <br /><br />With the cash-rich league — the winners take home Rs 8 crore — casting a shadow on the premier football competition of the country, the I-League, many like Colaco believe that instead of a merger of the two leagues, as proposed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), it would do the domestic league a great favour if the I-League too is taken over by IMG-Reliance, the promoters of the ISL.<br /><br />“They have done a professional job with the ISL. Something that was missing with the I-League. It used to hurt to see 500-600 people turn out for a Dempo vs Salgaocar game in the I-League,” said a former Indian captain. “But with the ISL, things have changed. We have people coming to the stadium for every game. And moreover the players too are benefiting from it. So, if such a model can be adopted by the I-League, things can change for the good,” he added.<br /><br />In the rush for bigger stakes, those words seem to be reaching nowhere. While the national team coach Stephen Constantine saw his proposal for a camp ahead of the World Cup qualifier being turned down due to the reluctance of the league to release the players, Indian football legend IM Vijayan said that it was up to the All India Football Federation to find the right balance. “I will hold the AIFF responsible,” said Vijayan. “The national team should undoubtedly be our priority.” <br /><br />Indeed, the onus is on the federation to set up facilities and groom young talent if the game is to go forward, as all the veteran coaches and stars assembled for the ISL readily agree. The scenario, though, doesn’t promise a change in the near future and those questions will nag the Indian football fans as they take their seats for the ISL, eager to bask in the shinier side of the game. Afterall, who doesn’t want to watch a good game of football?<br /><br />INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE SCHEDULE 2015<br /><br />Date Home Team Away Team Venue<br /> 03-Oct Chennaiyin vs Kolkata Chennai <br />04-Oct Goa vs Delhi Goa <br />05-Oct Pune vs Mumbai Pune<br />06-Oct Blasters vs Northeast Kochi <br />07-Oct Goa vs Kolkata Goa <br />08-Oct Delhi vs Chennaiyin Delhi <br />09-Oct Pune vs Northeast Pune <br />10-Oct Blasters vs Mumbai Kochi <br />11-Oct Goa vs Chennaiyin Goa <br />13-Oct Kolkata vs Blasters Kolkata <br />14-Oct Pune vs Delhi Pune <br />15-Oct Northeast vs Goa Guwahati <br />16-Oct Mumbai vs Chennaiyin Mumbai <br />17-Oct Pune vs Kolkata Pune <br />18-Oct Blasters vs Delhi Kochi <br />20-Oct Northeast vs Chennaiyin Guwahati <br />21-Oct Mumbai vs Delhi Mumbai <br />22-Oct Goa vs Blasters Goa <br />23-Oct Northeast vs Kolkata Guwahati <br />24-Oct Chennaiyin vs Pune Chennai <br />25-Oct Mumbai vs Goa Mumbai <br />27-Oct Pune vs Blasters Pune <br />28-Oct Mumbai vs Northeast Mumbai <br />29-Oct Kolkata vs Delhi Kolkata <br />30-Oct Goa vs Pune Goa <br />31-Oct Blasters vs Chennaiyin Kochi <br />01-Nov Mumbai vs Kolkata Mumbai <br />03-Nov Delhi vs Northeast Delhi <br />04-Nov Blasters vs Pune Kochi <br />05-Nov Chennaiyin vs Goa Chennai <br />06-Nov Delhi vs Mumbai Delhi <br /><br />Date Home Team Away Team Venue<br />07-Nov Kolkata vs Northeast Kolkata <br />08-Nov Pune vs Goa Pune <br />10-Nov Blasters vs Kolkata Kochi <br />11-Nov Chennaiyin vs Northeast Chennai <br />13-Nov Mumbai vs Pune Mumbai <br />14-Nov Delhi vs Kolkata Delhi <br />15-Nov Northeast vs Blasters Guwahati <br />17-Nov Goa vs Mumbai Goa <br />18-Nov Kolkata vs Chennaiyin Kolkata <br />19-Nov Delhi vs Pune Delhi <br />20-Nov Northeast vs Mumbai Guwahati <br />21-Nov Chennaiyin vs Blasters Chennai <br />22-Nov Kolkata vs Goa Kolkata <br />24-Nov Chennaiyin vs Delhi Chennai <br />25-Nov Goa vs Northeast Goa <br />26-Nov Mumbai vs Blasters Mumbai <br />27-Nov Kolkata vs Pune Kolkata <br />28-Nov Northeast vs Delhi Guwahati <br />29-Nov Blasters vs Goa Kochi <br />01-Dec Chennaiyin vs Mumbai Chennai <br />02-Dec Northeast vs Pune Guwahati <br />03-Dec Delhi vs Blasters Delhi <br />04-Dec Kolkata vs Mumbai Kolkata <br />05-Dec Pune vs Chennaiyin Pune <br />06-Dec Delhi vs Goa Delhi <br /><br />Semifinal first leg: 11-Dec and 12-Dec<br />Semifinal second leg: 15-Dec and 16-Dec<br />FINAL 20 December Goa<br /><br />All matches start at 7.00 pm <br />Live on Star Sports<br /><br /><br />Delhi Dynamos<br /><br />After failing to impress in the first edition despite having the likes of Alessandro del Piero in their ranks, Delhi Dynamos have once again recruited aggressively in their quest for the title in season two.<br /><br />Brazllian legend and World Cup winner Roberto Carlos has taken over as the new manager cum marquee player, along with former Liverpool wing back John Arne Riise, who will lead the team this season.<br /><br />Dynamos have also signed former French international Florent Malouda, who will look to provide the much needed creative spark in the midfield and the addition of striker Adil Nabi on loan from West Bromwich Albion will serve as a potent threat in the attack.<br />Coach: Roberto Carlos. Marquee player: Roberto Carlos.<br />Key player: Florent Malouda. <br />Last year: Fifth place in the league.<br /><br />Mumbai city fc<br /><br />Following a below par performance in the inaugural season, Mumbai City FC have brought in heavy reinforcements to their side for the second edition.<br /><br />The Ranbir Kapoor co-owned side retained Frenchman Nicolas Anelka as their marquee player and handed him the coaching responsibility as well. They have also retained the services of two key players in midfielder Andre Moritz and centre-back Pavel Cmvos. Subrata Paul will continue to guard the goal while Subhash Singh and Lalrindika Ralte are also among the Indian players who feature for the team again.<br /><br />Ex-Premier League striker Frederic Piquionne will join in the attack along with Indian superstar Sunil Chettri. Mohan Bagan’s Sony Norde has also been roped in to boost the attacking unit.<br /><br />Coach: Nicolas Anelka. Marquee player: Nicolas Anelka<br />Key player: Sunil Chettri. Last year: Seventh in the league.<br /><br />NorthEast United<br /><br />After a disappointing last place finish in the inaugural season of the ISL, NorthEast United will look to change their fortunes in the second season of Indian Super League. Former Venezuelan manager Cesar Farias has been roped in to replace Ricki Herbert as the new coach of the side.<br /><br />The John Abraham co-owned team have signalled their intent by bringing in a new marquee signing in former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid player Simao Sabrosa. <br />Coach: Cesar Farias<br />Marquee player: Simao Sabrosa<br />Last year’s placing: Eighth place in the league.<br /><br />FC Pune City<br /><br />They endured a forgettable inaugural season, finding it difficult to get wins under their belt. But this time around, FC Pune City will look to make amends. Sporting a new-look side, led by the controversial Adrian Mutu, the Pune team could be a force to reckon, especially with the likes of Eugeneson Lygdoh and Jackichand Singh featuring in midfield. <br />Coach: David Platt. Marquee player: Adrian Mutu. Key players: Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Didier Zokora.<br />Last year’s placing: Sixth place in the league.<br /><br />Chennaiyin FC<br /><br />One of the most impressive teams in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League, Chennaiyin FC have learned their lesson the hard way, having crashed out in the knock-out stages despite signing off from the league stages in pole position.<br /><br />The franchise -- co-owned by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Abhishek Bachchan -- will hope for more luck this time around. The team is once again coached by Italian Marco Materazzi who has decided to retain the team’s core from last year with a few additions.<br />The attacking unit has been bolstered by the arrival of Fikru Teffera from Kolkata.<br />Coach: Marco Materazzi.<br />Marquee player: Elano.<br />Key player: Elano, Fikru Teferra.<br />Last year: Losing semifinalist.<br /><br />FC Goa<br /><br />Despite the slow start, FC Goa put up a brilliant show to finish second in the league only to lose to the eventual champions Atletico de Kolkata in the semis. However, the side led by legendary Brazilian Zico will look to challenge for the title this season, having made some valuable additions to the squad.<br /><br />The arrival of former Inter Milan and Bayern Munich centre-back Lucio as the marquee player will strengthen the defence immensely. Other notable signings include strikers Reinaldo de Oliveira and Victor Simoes, goalkeeper Elinton Andrade, midfielder Leonardo da Silva Moura and youngster Jonatan Lucca. <br />Coach: Zico<br />Marquee player: Lucio<br />Key player: Reinaldo de Oliveira<br />Last year’s placing: Losing semifinalist.<br /><br />Kerala Blasters <br /><br />Their run in the inaugural season was nothing short of thrilling. After managing just a solitary victory in their first five games, Kerala Blasters then put on an impressive show to qualify for the semifinal.<br /><br />Their semifinal tie too was another blockbuster. After a convincing 3-0 win over Chennaiyin FC in their home leg, the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side needed an extra-time goal from Stephen Pearson to see the Blasters through.<br /><br />The final, against Atletico de Kolkata, though ended in a heartbreak for David James’ side. They, however, will be poised to better their mark in the second season.<br />Coach: Peter Taylor<br />Key player: Sandesh Jhingan<br />Last year’s placing: Runners-up.<br /><br />Atletico de Kolkata<br /><br />They say it’s one thing to rise to the top, but to stay there, shows your character. This is something defending champions Atletico de Kolkata will look to achieve when they begin their title defence on Saturday.<br /><br />The Sourav Ganguly co-owned side has made valuable additions to the squad. The new marquee player Helder Postiga and Canadian Iain Hume will replace World Cupper Luis Garcia and Ethiopian Fikru Teferra in the attack. South African Sameehg Doutie is expected to bolster the midfield in the company of Spaniard Borja Fernandez.<br />Coach: Antonio Lopez Habas<br />Marquee player: Helder Postiga<br />Key player: Arnab Mondal<br />Last year’s position: Champions.<br /><br /><br /></div>
