The excitement of the Indian Super League (ISL) has reached to new level after a thrilling match week which showcased a lot of thunderous goals and a brilliant attacking spectacle, having late drama in the matches.
The second match week of the season had an amazing goal-scoring spree which offered 21 goals in the six matches across 12 clubs, marking a huge average of 3.5 goals per match.
The saga of the late goals in the matches also continued this week as there were seven goals post the 80-minute mark, which turned the result of the match on three occasions.
However, it wasn’t a great week for high-profile teams and former champions like Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC, and FC Goa.
Here, Read is looking at the top-performing players of the second week who make it to the Team Of The Week in Matchweek two in ISL:
Goalkeeper
Laxmikant Kattimani – FC Goa
Kattimani was one of the best players on the field for FC Goa in their second match week game against Mohammedan SC. The experienced goalkeeper kept his team in the match with his outstanding performance.
He was under a severe attack from the forwards of Mohammedan but he stood tall and made as many six saves in the match, which proved to be crucial as Goa won a point from the match with an injury-time goal.
Defenders
Roshan Singh – Bengaluru FC
The young left-back Roshan Singh had a very good outing in the match against depleted Hyderabad FC where he showed leadership on the left flank commanding the wing play in both attacking and defensive roles.
He also won the crucial penalty in the final 10 minutes by using his footwork to get past two defenders and force them to make an illegal tackle.
Dippendu Biswas – Mohun Bagan SG
The 21-year-old center-back had an amazing outing against the dangerous-looking Northeast United FC. He made some crucial tackles outside his penalty box to stop the forwards of North East United.
He had four successful tackles in the match and also had a top-class headed goal from the edge of the box on a looping ball to the far side of the goalkeeper to level the scoreline back at 1-1.
Milos Drincic – Kerala Blasters FC
Milos Drincic led the defense of Kerala Blasters in a tough home game against the attacking side of East Bengal FC. He also had the best passing percentage in the match among the players who played more than 50 minutes.
On the other hand, he played a crucial role in stopping marquee forwards like Daimontakos and Cleiton Silva by winning most of the duels and a couple of important interceptions.
Rahul Bheke – Bengaluru FC
Rahul Bheke has a great start to his ISL season and has proved to be one of the best defenders in the league so far. He managed to stop the young wingers of the Hyderabad FC, after inducing four perfect tackles.
He also scored an outstanding goal this week by making a good run inside the box to the far side of the goalpost on a corner kick and hitting a grounded shot in the back of the net.
Midfielders
Nihal Sudesh – Punjab FC
The young midfielder from Punjab FC scored the first ISL goal for his new club Punjab FC with a brilliant curling finish on the far side of the goalkeeper to take the lead in the match.
He was a dangerous man for Punjab FC from the right wing and made a couple of great quick runs. He could have scored a brace in the match but unluckily hit the woodwork.
Mohammed Aimen – Kerala Blasters FC
Another youngster who impressed in the midfield this week was Mohammed Aimen, who came in as the substitute in the second half but still left his mark on the match with a crucial assist.
His accurate tackle in the 88th minute resulted in an assist for his striker, Peprah who scored the winner and earned the crucial there points from this home match against East Bengal FC.
Alexis Gomez – Mohammedan SC
The Argentine, LAexis Gomez has a wonderful start to his ISL career, playing for the debutants Mohammedan SC. He also becomes the first-ever goal-scorer for the club in the ISL history.
He is one of those players who made it to the team of the week for the second straight week, after having a strong impact on both the matches for his club.
Edgar Mendez – Bengaluru FC
The Spaniard Edgar Mendez has been the key member in the success of Bengaluru FC in the first two weeks. He makes very sharp off-the-ball runs in the penalty box to create the space for his attackers.
One of his such runs has resulted in a goal against Hyderabad FC where he made an assist with a looping cross from near the pack line of the penalty box to the on-running Sunil Chhetri.
Forwards
Sunil Chhetri – Bengaluru FC
The star man of Indian football, Sunil Chhetri, has once again shown his class and scored a brace against Hyderabad FC, despite playing for just 33 minutes as he came in as a substitute in the second half.
He first stored a goal penalty kick after comfortably beating the goalkeeper and then he doubled that up in injury time with his trademark headed goal after leaving behind his marker easily.
Franca – Mohammedan SC
The Brazilian striker showed great attacking skills in the match against FC Goa by using his crazy footwork and trickery. He won a superb eight out of then duels in front of Goa’s goal.
In what was an excellent attacking gameplay, he had a few close misses to score a goal. He had four shots on goal but could not find the back of the net but he came close a couple of times including an unlucky block on woodwork.
Eventually, in the second half, he won a penalty for his team, using his swift dribbling skills. That was later converted into a goal by his teammate Alexis Gomez.
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