ISL 2018-19: 5 Reasons why Bengaluru FC can win the title
Bengaluru FC will look to go one better in the 2018-19 season of the ISL after they were beaten in the final of the tournament last year by Chennaiyin FC. Bengaluru topped the league table last season, only for that to go to nothing after they were well beaten in the final by Chennaiyin.
There is new management at Bengaluru this year, with old assistant coach Carles Cuadrat taking over the reins from Albert Roca, who decided not to extend his stint with the Blues.
The Blues come into the ISL on the back of a disappointing result in the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semifinal, where they were humbled 5-2 on aggregate by Turkmenistan's Altyn Asyr FK, who were better than the Blues in every aspect.
Bengaluru had huge concerns with their defence in that tie, with even the usually reliable Gurpreet Singh Sandhu making a couple of howlers. But Cuadrat will know that his players have more quality than they showed over those 180 minutes, and will hope the ISL starts with a bang when the Blues play the champions at the Kanteerava Stadium in their opening game.
Here we take a look at why Bengaluru are still strong contenders for the title, and why it would be insane to write them off
#5 The Flying Wingers
Last season, Bengaluru had Udanta Singh to fly up and down the wing and provide the firepower for skipper Sunil Chhetri and Miku to score goals. This season, Udanta has two more accomplices in Kean Lewis and Bhutanese star Chencho Gyeltshen to add to the Blues' firepower from the wide positions.
Given the possession-based system that Bengaluru do employ, it is important for them that their wingers are continuously in the game, as they help stretch play and drag opposition defenders out of position. In a possession system, a winger's role is not just to run up the flank and deliver balls into the box.
For the likes of Udanta, it is important for them to be in constant motion, and providing options for the man in possession to play the ball to. With full-backs who like getting forward, in Nishu Kumar and Rahul Bheke, Bengaluru's wingers have the ideal foil to express themselves out on the field.
Chencho was the undisputed star of the I-League last season, and it was an obvious move for Bengaluru to make, especially given off-field circumstances and his immense popularity in his home nation of Bhutan. But Chencho's value on the pitch will also be of immense use to Bengaluru.
Kean Lewis, too, has a point to prove. After a promising start with Mohun Bagan and an explosive season with the Delhi Dynamos in 2016, the Mumbai man's form has tapered off over the last 18 months. With the quality around him in training every day, this is the ideal opportunity for Lewis to reinvent himself.
Last season, Miku and Chhetri got 29 ISL goals between them, and the next highest was Erik Paartalu with three. If Bengaluru's wingers can get 10-15 goals between them for the season, that would add a whole new dimension to a side that is already filled with match-winners.