Goa’s Youness Bengelloun and Grégory Arnolin clash with Chennaiyin’s Bernard Mendy (L to R) in a league match.Around 100 foreign players from various nations are plying their trade in the Hero Indian Super League, lending it diversity and flavour. The players come from a broad swathe of nations which includes the well-known European powerhouses like Spain, France, Italy, England and Germany besides North & South America (Haiti, Canada, Brazil, Colombia etc.), a few African nations and representatives from Asia (mainly South Korea) and Australia-New Zealand.A look at the four teams in the double leg semi-finals shows the French legion in rather prominent light, with nine of them savouring the action in the knockout stages, the most from any single foreign nation. Interestingly, seven out of these nine Frenchmen are defenders! Top seeded Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa both have three French footballers each in their teams. The next highest represented foreign nation in the semis is Spain with seven players.Mikaël Silvestre & Bernard Mendy for Chennaiyin, and Grégory Arnolin & Youness Bengelloun for Goa, have given their teams the defensive stability that has seen them come this far. Former internationals Silvestre and Mendy have both played at the highest levels in Europe and have brought to bear their years of experience for the benefit of their teams. Mendy, who has scored a spectacular goal in the league phase, is also noted for his adventurous forays up the pitch. Ex-Nancy goalkeeper Gennaro Bracigliano has also lent stability to the Chennai cause. They will have to put their best foot forward to overhaul the 0-3 deficit when they take on Kerala Blasters FC in the second leg of their semi-final in Chennai on Tuesday.For Kerala Blasters, central defender and occasional skipper Cédric Hengbart has played his part in the march to the semis, along with defensive midfielder Raphaël Romey with his team conceding the least goals in the league stage (11) and also keeping the most clean sheets (6). Unfortunately, Hengbart is injured and will miss the rest of the tournament.Goa’s tough tackling central defensive duo of Arnolin and Bengelloun have played a stellar role in reinforcing Goa’s status as one of the most attacking teams, scoring four goals between them, and building up the attacks from the back. French midfield legend Robert Pirès may of late be confined to the bench but the former Gunner’s vision and playmaking ability is still top notch. Maybe, Pirès will get a chance to take the field and help Zico’s men put it past Atlético de Kolkata in the second leg semi-final in Goa on Wednesday. Both sides played out a 0-0 draw in Kolkata in the first leg.Defender Sylvain Monsoreau who plays for Atlético de Kolkata, has featured only twice in the competition but has shown that he is more than up to the task when called upon by Antonio Lopéz Habas. With the Kolkata side being plagued by injuries, perhaps Monsoreau might get a chance to strut his stuff on Wednesday, or, on the weekend, if the easterners go all the way.
