Season 2 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has had its fair share of drama, magical footwork and nail-biting endings. The standout of Season 2, however, after 27 games has been the goal fests featuring a total of five goals or more scored in a single match. Last year, the league witnessed four such games spanning the whole season. In 2015, however, we’ve already seen four matches like that in less than 30 days of the Hero ISL going live.What this has resulted in is that Hero ISL 2015 has seen the net bulge on 71 occasions thus far which is 10 more than at the same stage last season. And in a way, this phenomenon is a reflection of the clubs upping their game significantly. Also, this can be put down simply to the number of hat-tricks scored already. If one were to take away the hat-tricks scored so far – by Stiven Mendoza (Chennaiyin FC), Sunil Chhetri (Mumbai City FC) and Iain Hume (Atlético de Kolkata) – then the total tally of goals for the season would stand at 62 after 27 games which is closer to the total of 61 from Season 1 after the opening 27 fixtures.There have been four hat-tricks scored so far in the history of the Hero Indian Super League, and interestingly three have been scored at the DY Patil Stadium. Lucky ground? Perhaps! Chennaiyin FC’s Stiven Mendoza is the only player to have scored a hat-trick away from the turf in Navi Mumbai. But this doesn’t mean that Mumbai City FC’s home ground is a place where hat-tricks are just waiting to happen. In fact, on the contrary this phenomenon can be put down to Mumbai City FC - the team and not their stadium.Mumbai City FC have witnessed three hat-tricks in games involving them, two of which were in their favour and one against. If there are high-scoring fixtures in the league, the probability of Mumbai being a part of them in some capacity or another is high. Last season’s highest scoring fixture of 5-1 when they were on the wrong side of the final score is a testament to that.No surprises then that they were involved in the highest scoring game of 2015 as well. This time, it was them who ended up as 5-1 victors against NorthEast United FC. Mumbai’s marquee player-cum-coach Nicolas Anelka will be looking to buck this trend and avoid a repeat of their 4-1 capitulation at home to reigning champions Atlético de Kolkata on Sunday where last year’s Hero of the leagueTournament , Iain Hume netted his first professional treble.Needless to say, Anelka like Marco Materazzi (Hhead Ccoach of Chennaiyin FC) and Antonio Habas (Hhead Ccoach of Atlético de Kolkata) wouldn’t want to settle with the tag of the biggest entertainers of the league since unlike Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, the top two teams after Matchday 27 are FC Pune City and Delhi Dynamos FC who have conceded eight and five goals respectively; and are teams built around defensive solidity rather than the free-flowing style of the hat-trick scoring teams.And history is in keeping with this tactical approach to the Hero ISL. Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa will tell you that. Despite being last year’s top scoring teams after the league phase with 24 and 21 goals respectively, they missed out on making the finals to stand a chance of winning the prestigious trophy and becoming the first champions.Some fascinating contests so far and some more in store! We’ll have to wait and watch though if these goal fests will eventually lead to the ultimate prize.
