ISL: Delhi Dynamos - 5 takeaways from the 2014 season
Delhi Dynamos’ marquee signing Alessandro Del Piero didn’t have a great first season in the ISLThe highly competitive Indian Super League has moved into the semi-finals with four teams. Sadly, the Delhi Dynamos, who couldn't make it to the top four, now have time to think about their early exit.Harm Van Veldhoven came in with an attacking intent but collective failures to keep the momentum going let the team down. The side with the league’s brand ambassador in Alessandro Del Piero couldn’t get their act together in time and the opportunity was grabbed by other sides around them in the table.We analyze Delhi Dynamos FC’s season in the inaugural campaign of the highly popular Indian Super League.
#1 Players who impressed
In a season with games in quick succession, Harm Van Veldhoven rotated his side on a regular basis. Del Piero’s gameplay required more proficient runners in and around the box. His presence in the team didn’t produce the kind of results envisioned by the proponents of this North Indian outfit, which meant that someone else had to step up to be the playmaker.
This opportunity was grabbed by a 20-year-old Brazillian – Gustavo dos Santos. His ability and composure on the ball worked perfectly for Harm’s side to create clear-cut chances, even against compact defences. With a return of 5 goals and 2 assists from 13 appearances, Dos Santos showed the tenacity to make something out of nothing in the attacking third.
Del Piero was rested for a few games after Harm realized the Italian’s lack of chemistry with his teammates and Hans Mulder became the new skipper. The former Real Zaragoza midfielder was rock solid in midfield and scored a string of important goals in the last few games of the campaign. His never-say-die attitude was a much-needed boost for the Delhi Dynamos.
Mid season injuries to Wim Raymaekers called for leadership in defence and Anwar Ali stood up with a string of disciplined performances and constantly covered well for Wim’s replacement – Stijn Houben. He complemented the excellency of Kristof Van Hout ’s goalkeeping in a high scoring league where it wasn’t easy to keep a clean sheet. The Belgian custodian was forced to make a lot of one-on-one blocks and he mostly came out on top.