Follow pitch-side reporter Leeza Mangaldas as she takes you behind the scenes this Hero ISL season. New posts every week exclusively on indiansuperleague.com.

Match Week 8: Expect the unexpected

What makes watching live sport so exhilarating, so emotional, such an effective mirror of the drama of life itself is that it is, like life, unpredictable.

This week was full of surprises - with virtually every match came something unexpected: from unusual obstacles in connectivity to new managerial appointments; from shock results to unfortunate suspensions. And in case you missed any of it, I’m here to fill you in.

A midnight match in Kolkata

At the start of the week, FC Goa’s journey to Kolkata was postponed not once, not twice, but thrice — all due to entirely random instances of airplane and runway issues that were beyond anyone’s control.

First, the plane the team had chartered had encountered a technical problem on Tuesday, 2nd January, when they were initially meant to depart, and then once again on Wednesday morning, when they made a second attempt.

Then, just as the issue was resolved, in the early afternoon, a MiG-29K aircraft operated by a trainee pilot as confirmed by the Indian Navy, crashed off the runway while taking off; and while the pilot was fortunately ejected to safety, operations at Goa airport were suspended till the runway was cleared - so FC Goa’s departure was then further delayed.

They were finally able to take off that evening.

When the team finally arrived in Kolkata it was after 9:00 PM, and they headed straight to the stadium from the airport.

It was a real test of character for both teams, and I applaud FC Goa for their resilience and ATK for their patience - they dealt with the situation with a tremendous sense of professionalism and sportsmanship.

As several players from both sides explained pre-match, rather than dwelling on the delay, they all wanted to just get on with it and play.

It ended 1-1, both teams taking a point each from the match, which finished after midnight, a first for all of us.

Jan 3: At Kerala, an old boss becomes the new boss

The same day as Kolkata v Goa, Kerala Blasters made a major announcement: the departure of Renee Meulensteen, and the return of David James, former England and Liverpool goalkeeper, to take over the reins. He had been the Blasters’ head coach and marquee player in the 2014 season, and he’s now back for a second stint as coach.

James’ first match in charge was the next day against Pune, which, like the previous night’s match, resulted in a 1-1 draw.

Despite their current place in the standings, Jamo seemed high on confidence about Kerala’s chances of making the top 4 though - because in their post-match chat, when my colleague Anant Tyagi brought to his attention that Kerala have only three home games left, he was quick to correct the number, saying “four actually - including the playoffs”.

Jan 4: NorthEast United bring in a former Chelsea manager

Thursday also brought another big announcement: NorthEast United FC had invited former Chelsea and West Ham manager Avram Grant, a close friend of owner John Abraham, to Guwahati as advisor to the team, with the hope that he could help turn around their season.

I arrived in Guwahati from Kolkata that afternoon, with a day to spare before the NorthEast v Goa match, pleased to get a rest day amidst all the travel.

I met several of the NEU players at the gym that evening and at breakfast in the morning, since we all stay at the same hotel in Guwahati.

I bumped into Rowllin Borges at the gym

Having been winless in five matches, they sounded desperate with hope, determined to get a positive result.

Would Grant bring a new energy to the mix?

Jan 5: Jamshedpur score 2 goals from open play

On Friday, after a relaxing day spent primarily at the spa and by the pool, I watched Jamshedpur v Mumbai with much excitement - it was after all, the first time we’ve seen four goals scored in a single match in Jamshedpur.

They may have first conceded a goal, but JFC managed two goals from open play in a single half thanks to Izu Azuka, after having scored only two goals in total so far this season across seven games, that too from set pieces only.

Izu Bazooka!

It was by far their most impressive attacking display yet, but a strong Mumbai team equalised, making the match the third draw of the week.

Jan 6: Chennai head coach gets a 3-match suspension

Saturday brought bad news for Chennaiyin FC: head coach John Gregory is to miss his team’s next three games for perceived misconduct against match officials in their last match on December 28 in Jamshedpur.

JFC’s Kervens Belfort missed the penalty that day though, and Chennai, for whom Jeje had scored a penalty already shortly before, ended up coming out the winners - but Gregory had already been sent off the pitch.

In follow-up, after a review of the proceedings, on Saturday, a three-match ban and fine was announced by the AIFF disciplinary committee.

Jan 6: Under Avram Grant, NorthEast United defeat Goa
After what had seemed like a dismal losing streak, the Highlanders were under a lot of pressure to deliver a positive result this week.

The Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati is usually full to the brim with NorthEast United fans, given the popularity of the sport in the region. But on Saturday, the stadium had barely a few thousand fans show up.

While the presence of Avram Grant had certainly created a buzz, and the fans were hoping they would see the squad reinvigorated, they weren’t yet convinced they’d see a win - “he may have been a former Chelsea boss, but he’s not a magician,” a dejected fan said to me pre-match.

Many believed that the opposition, FC Goa, given its rollicking four and five goal wins early on in the season, would wreak havoc, and they didn’t want to see their team lose again.

But NorthEast United shocked everyone by bringing Goa down. Thanks to a goal each from Marcinho and Len Doungel, they won 2-1, looking full of intent all through.

For Avram Grant to win his first match in charge was hugely satisfying; for the team, for the owners, and most of all for the home fans - it was much needed.

As Grant said to me post-match, “Players come and go, coaches come and go, but the supporters are always the supporters and so they’re the most important part for the club.”

Now what will be key is for the team to build on this result, and win consistently.

Goa on the other hand has been winless in three matches and will be hoping their team didn’t peak too early - their hitmen Coro and Lanza are now on every defender’s radar, and as a result, after the early days of banging goals in for fun, they’ve seemed to struggle to fire as frequently in the last few encounters.

But every team has its crests and troughs, and Goa will be eager to return to its rampaging ways.

Jan 7: Delhi manage a last gasp equaliser against Chennai and a Sunil Chhetri goal means BFC beats ATK

Sunday was Jeje’s birthday, and while he scored a brace against Delhi, his team managed to pick up only a point, thanks to the last gasp equaliser from Delhi super sub Guyon Fernandez.

Having lost all their previous six matches, it was one of Delhi’s better results this season. But with just a point added, the Dynamos remain at the bottom of the table, while Chennaiyin FC rose up the ladder to top position.

Chennai, however, could enjoy that spot for only a few hours because in our last match of the week, which was the second of the two Super Sunday matches: Bengaluru v ATK, a solitary Sunil Chhetri goal won BFC the game.

After a week so full of surprises, a Bengaluru FC win with Sunil Chhetri scoring felt almost reassuring in the familiarity of its premise. As the French saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 😉

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Please share your ideas for future posts with me on Instagram or Twitter at @leezamangaldas.