Follow former Hero ISL star Arata Izumi as he gives you a player’s perspective on all things ISL over the course of the 2018-19 season. New posts every week exclusively on indiansuperleague.com. Connect with Arata on Instagram @arataizumi or Twitter @neel0731

The Elite XI: My team of the Week

Another exciting week in the Hero Indian Super League! I didn’t quite expect it, but I thought that the second match week was even better than the first. There were some really nail-biting games over the course of the past few days- most notably NorthEast United FC’s spectacular victory over Chennaiyin FC. Quite a few players caught my eye this week and choosing a final eleven turned out to be quite an effort but here’s my team of the week. 

DEFENCE

To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with some of the goalkeeping performances I saw this week. Most of the keepers made poor decisions, which ultimately cost their teams. If I had to pick one, it would be Francisco Dorronsoro of Delhi Dynamos FC. The Spaniard made some crucial saves against Kerala Blasters and ATK, and I thought he was the most consistent custodian in the last round of fixtures.

Aiborlang Khongjee was impressive for ATK and his positioning while defending in a few situations impressed me a lot. He didn’t try and do anything spectacular and stuck to the job assigned to him. That’s a mark of a good defender. Another ATK defender who impressed was Gerson Vieira. I thought he was brilliant against Jamshedpur, making some crucial blocks and stopping the likes of Tim Cahill from making a mark on the match.

Jamshedpur FC’s Tiri has been the best centre back so far. He has a knack of anticipating opposition attacks, which gives him the ability to position himself accordingly to snuff out the danger. His ability on the ball sets him apart from the rest of the defenders in the league. To complete the back four, my pick would be Yumnam Raju. The left back had an exceptional game against ATK. He works tirelessly for his team and also showed the ability to carry the ball forward and create chances.

MIDFIELD

One player that deserves a special mention is Rowllin Borges. I thought he was unfortunate with the own goal, but he showed great character to come back and score the winner in a tense match. Also, let’s not forget his magnificent assist for Bartholomew Ogbeche.

Mario Arques makes it into my team for the second week in a row. He is the complete midfielder. Against ATK he showed his creative prowess, aggression and his ability to control the game. If Jamshedpur can keep Arques and Tiri fit, I believe they have a strong chance of making it to the semi-finals.

Rene Mihelic also had a good outing for Delhi this week. Although the team was not at their best, Mihelic’s creativity on the field shone through.

ATTACK

The first name on my team for this week must be Bartholomew Ogbeche. It wasn’t just his hat-trick which won me over. The way he rallied his team against Chennaiyin after going 2-0 down was incredible to watch. NorthEast United FC look like a formidable outfit this season and if their captain can maintain his form, they will go a long way.

To partner Ogbeche up front, my choice would be my former teammate CK Vineeth. He was a livewire against Delhi and contributed with a trademark poacher’s finish. However, I strongly feel he should have been awarded a penalty during the latter stages of the match.

Chennaiyin might not have got the desired result against the Highlanders, but Thoi Singh had a really good game. I felt he made some good runs and took up great positions which resulted in both his goals. He completes my front three.

COACH

I went with Eelco Scahttorie last week, and my decision for this week’s best coach remains the same. NorthEast have a really good group of players and there is clear chemistry between the midfielders and forwards. Their style of play is really attractive, and this is down to the work put in by the coach.

Do you agree with My Team of the Week?

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