ISL: NorthEast United FC - 5 takeaways from the 2014 season
NorthEast United FC team owner John Abraham will expect a spirited performance from his team in the forthcoming seasonsNorthEast United FC franchise was formed with a collage of players from 8 different states of the North East region of India. The region known to have immense passion for the game was expected to support the league whole heartedly. The fans did not disappoint the organizers and filled the stadiums in every single home game of the team and showed unconditional support.The team was formed with a blend of several young Indian footballers and many experience and quality foreign players. They roped in World Cup winning defender Joan Capdevila as the marquee signing. The team started well but slowly faded away as the tournament progressed. They were poor in scoring goals and that hampered their cause a lot.After 14 games In the Hero Indian Super League, NorthEast United FC finished last among 8 teams.Here are the 5 takeaways for the team in the 2014 season.
#1 Players who impressed
Northeast United FC gaffer, Ricki Herbert, rotated his players quite frequently in the entire league. He had plenty of youngsters from the various parts of the region and he utilized them quite well. The standout player among the bunch had to be undoubtedly their attacking midfielder Sergio Pardo or Koke, as he is known as. The Spanish midfielder came to the Hero Indian Super League with ample experience of playing top tier football in several European leagues. Koke marshaled the attack force of NorthEast United FC and scored the lion’s share of the team’s total goals count.
Among the Indian bunch of players, Rehenesh T.P is the best performer for the NorthEast United FC team. After the first two matches, Herbert entrusted young Rehenesh with the goalkeeping responsibility. The 21-year-old Shillong Lajong custodian honored his coach’s trust and consistently performed. He was simply outstanding throughout the tournament and pulled off quite a few brilliant saves. Irrespective of having a spare goalkeeper of Alexandros Tzorvas’ standard Rehenesh played 90% of the matches.
Durga Boro too showed his class in this tournament. The local Assamese player came back to national limelight with stellar performances in all the matches. Even though He scored only one goal, Boro consistently played well. His versatility also worked well in his favour. Herbert utilized him in midfield as well as forward and he did fairly well.
Zambian international, Kondwani Mtonga would probably come just after Spaniard Koke on the basis of performance. Mtonga was outstanding throughout the tournament. He played a pivotal role in the team. He scored two goals in the tournament and created plenty of chances. Mtonga used his physical presence in a superb manner and contributed to the team’s game play in a creative manner too.
NorthEast United FC’s Captain Miguel Garcia stood as a pillar in the backyard of the team. Garcia’s performance not only consolidated the team’s defense, but also inspired the whole team to perform well. Irrespective of having someone like Joan Capdevila in their defense, Miguel Garcia was undoubtedly the standout performer among the NorthEast United FC defenders.