As the second season of the Indian Super League sneaks past the halfway mark of the round robin stage, it is a good time to take an in-depth look at how the eight teams have fared. As opposed to the first season where most franchises were still trying to find their feet, the second season has seen the teams go in with a much more streamlined approach. Has it worked? A look at some of the more important numbers in ISL 2015 may give us those answers.
The statistics below are based on the 32 matches played this season till November 8.
More goals
Let's start with the goalscoring charts. In all, 121 goals were scored in 56 games last season, which translates to 2.16 goals per game. This year, 80 goals have already been scored from 32 games at a rate of 2.5 a game.
While Indians only scored 23 of those goals in 2014 – a measly percentage of 19% of the total – they have already matched that figure this season, with the percentage up to a more commendable 29%. Also notable is the presence of an Indian at the top of the charts: Sunil Chhetri is flying the Indian flag high with six strikes so far. The Indian involvement does not end there, as Mohammad Rafi has also chipped in with four goals for the Kerala Blasters.
Overall, there have been 38 individual goalscorers, with 12 different Indians scoring goals. There have been three individual hat-tricks overall: Chennaiyin's John Stiven Mendoza vs Goa, Chhetri vs NorthEast and Iain Hume vs Mumbai. While Mumbai and Delhi have had the best winning streaks at three games each, Kerala's four consecutive defeats is the worst losing streak this year,.
Overall, teams also seem to be more free-scoring this season. Only Delhi Dynamos (seven goals from eight games) have scored at a rate of less than one goal per game. Last season, four teams – Kerala Blasters (9), FC Pune City (12), Mumbai City FC (12) and NorthEast United FC (11) had scored less than a goal a game from their 14 round robin games.
Mumbai have been the most prolific scorers with 12 goals from 60 shots on target. Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United have had a shooting accuracy of less than 50%. While Kerala have managed to get 53 out of 110 shots on target, NorthEast United have only had 45 shots on target from 101 attempts.
Passing percentages
With the criterion being a minimum of five shots on target, Florent Malouda, Lenny Rodrigues, Jamie Gavilan and CK Vineeth have had a shooting accuracy of 0%. The passing statistics (minimum 150 passes completed) however, show that Manuele Blasi, John Arne Riise and Cristian Bustos in particular have impressive passing accuracies of higher than 90%. Pratesh Shirodkar of Mumbai City FC is the highest Indian on the list with an accuracy of 88.44%.
While no team has a passing accuracy of more than 80%, Delhi have the highest pass completion ratio with 77.37% passes completed. The assists charts spring no surprise as the likes of Elano from Chennaiyin FC and Malouda have four assists apiece, while Hume, Mumbai's Sony Norde, Goa's Joffre, North East's Sanju Pradhan and Pune's Nicky Shorey have three assists each to their name.
Field of influence
Chhetri and Elano have also been their team’s most influential players, directly having a hand (scoring or assisting) in seven goals each. After a slow start, Kolkata's Hume has also sprung into life, scoring or assisting six of Atletico de Kolkata's ten goals.
Safe pair of hands
Clean sheets have come at a premium because of the increase in the number of goals scored. In terms of clean sheets, another Indian is at the top: Rehenesh TP, who has kept three clean sheets in three matches for NorthEast United. He has also made 25 saves in the process. Meanwhile, Goa's Elinton Andrade has made the most saves per match at a rate of 4.19.
Defensive duties
Defenders have also found the going tough as the play has been more open this season. However, some like Mehtab Hossain have stood out. The Kerala man has made the most tackles this season at 44. Souvik Chakraborty and Hans Mulder have also contributed to making Delhi the toughest tackling unit in the league so far.
One area in which Indians have lagged considerably is aerial duels. While North East's Cedric Hengbart leads this category with 27 duels won, Pune's Gouramangi Singh is the only Indianin the top ten and the only Indian to win more than half of that number, with 16 duels won. Delhi's Robin Singh (16th with 13 aerial duels won) and Kolkata's Arnab Mondal (20th with 11 aerial duels won) are the only other Indians in the top 20.
Hengbart also leads the interceptions section, averaging two interceptions a match. Bernard Mendy and Augusto have also done a good job for Chennaiyin in this regard. Even though Delhi have only scored seven goals, they have also let in the least amount of goals (seven) to stand second in the table. Although Atletico are the only other team to have let in less than ten goals, they have not kept any clean sheets.
Blowing hot and cold
Chennaiyin FC have shown poor discipline, picking up two red cards and 23 yellow cards in their eight games. Harmjot Khabra has especially been poor, picking up three yellow cards in six matches, two of those coming in the same match, resulting in one of his two red cards. Whereas Kerala have only picked up eight yellow cards, they are the only other team to have picked up two red cards. Delhi Dynamos, by virtue of being the league’s highest tacklers, have also racked up the most fouls.
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The statistics below are based on the 32 matches played this season till November 8.
More goals
Let's start with the goalscoring charts. In all, 121 goals were scored in 56 games last season, which translates to 2.16 goals per game. This year, 80 goals have already been scored from 32 games at a rate of 2.5 a game.
While Indians only scored 23 of those goals in 2014 – a measly percentage of 19% of the total – they have already matched that figure this season, with the percentage up to a more commendable 29%. Also notable is the presence of an Indian at the top of the charts: Sunil Chhetri is flying the Indian flag high with six strikes so far. The Indian involvement does not end there, as Mohammad Rafi has also chipped in with four goals for the Kerala Blasters.
Overall, there have been 38 individual goalscorers, with 12 different Indians scoring goals. There have been three individual hat-tricks overall: Chennaiyin's John Stiven Mendoza vs Goa, Chhetri vs NorthEast and Iain Hume vs Mumbai. While Mumbai and Delhi have had the best winning streaks at three games each, Kerala's four consecutive defeats is the worst losing streak this year,.
Overall, teams also seem to be more free-scoring this season. Only Delhi Dynamos (seven goals from eight games) have scored at a rate of less than one goal per game. Last season, four teams – Kerala Blasters (9), FC Pune City (12), Mumbai City FC (12) and NorthEast United FC (11) had scored less than a goal a game from their 14 round robin games.
Mumbai have been the most prolific scorers with 12 goals from 60 shots on target. Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United have had a shooting accuracy of less than 50%. While Kerala have managed to get 53 out of 110 shots on target, NorthEast United have only had 45 shots on target from 101 attempts.
Passing percentages
With the criterion being a minimum of five shots on target, Florent Malouda, Lenny Rodrigues, Jamie Gavilan and CK Vineeth have had a shooting accuracy of 0%. The passing statistics (minimum 150 passes completed) however, show that Manuele Blasi, John Arne Riise and Cristian Bustos in particular have impressive passing accuracies of higher than 90%. Pratesh Shirodkar of Mumbai City FC is the highest Indian on the list with an accuracy of 88.44%.
While no team has a passing accuracy of more than 80%, Delhi have the highest pass completion ratio with 77.37% passes completed. The assists charts spring no surprise as the likes of Elano from Chennaiyin FC and Malouda have four assists apiece, while Hume, Mumbai's Sony Norde, Goa's Joffre, North East's Sanju Pradhan and Pune's Nicky Shorey have three assists each to their name.
Field of influence
Chhetri and Elano have also been their team’s most influential players, directly having a hand (scoring or assisting) in seven goals each. After a slow start, Kolkata's Hume has also sprung into life, scoring or assisting six of Atletico de Kolkata's ten goals.
Safe pair of hands
Clean sheets have come at a premium because of the increase in the number of goals scored. In terms of clean sheets, another Indian is at the top: Rehenesh TP, who has kept three clean sheets in three matches for NorthEast United. He has also made 25 saves in the process. Meanwhile, Goa's Elinton Andrade has made the most saves per match at a rate of 4.19.
Defensive duties
Defenders have also found the going tough as the play has been more open this season. However, some like Mehtab Hossain have stood out. The Kerala man has made the most tackles this season at 44. Souvik Chakraborty and Hans Mulder have also contributed to making Delhi the toughest tackling unit in the league so far.
One area in which Indians have lagged considerably is aerial duels. While North East's Cedric Hengbart leads this category with 27 duels won, Pune's Gouramangi Singh is the only Indianin the top ten and the only Indian to win more than half of that number, with 16 duels won. Delhi's Robin Singh (16th with 13 aerial duels won) and Kolkata's Arnab Mondal (20th with 11 aerial duels won) are the only other Indians in the top 20.
Hengbart also leads the interceptions section, averaging two interceptions a match. Bernard Mendy and Augusto have also done a good job for Chennaiyin in this regard. Even though Delhi have only scored seven goals, they have also let in the least amount of goals (seven) to stand second in the table. Although Atletico are the only other team to have let in less than ten goals, they have not kept any clean sheets.
Blowing hot and cold
Chennaiyin FC have shown poor discipline, picking up two red cards and 23 yellow cards in their eight games. Harmjot Khabra has especially been poor, picking up three yellow cards in six matches, two of those coming in the same match, resulting in one of his two red cards. Whereas Kerala have only picked up eight yellow cards, they are the only other team to have picked up two red cards. Delhi Dynamos, by virtue of being the league’s highest tacklers, have also racked up the most fouls.
