The standard of football in the second edition of ISL has been very good and no single team has really run away with the honours.
The Goan Network
MARGAO
Atletico de Kolkata, Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa have made it to the semi-finals of ISL season 2. However, what is really interesting is the fact that all other five teams have a chance to occupy the remaining one slot to be in the top four. It sounds crazy though.
Some teams may just have to rely on math, but nevertheless it still shows the depth of the tournament and its fierce competitive angle.
The standard of football has been very good and no single team has really run away with the honours. But when you look at the other teams, you ought to change the mind every moment. This situation is a positive development for football in India.
As the tournament heads towards the play-offs, the pressure mounts. True character is reflected in such situations. Every match throws up a do-or-die situation. Every match has to be treated as virtually a knock-out one.
Even as pressure comes back to envelope you, it's essential the players stay away from it. One needs to relax and not think much about the 7 pm clash. The more you think, plan and reflect, it can invariably boomerang.
The situation is very conducive for Indian players as well. They just need to keep an eye on the marquee players to learn. Roberto Carlos, Elano Blumer, Adrian Mutu, Helder Postiga, Lucio, Anelka or Siamao Sarbosa among others, have been in such situations so many times in their career. That too at the Wolrd Cup, the Euro Cup the Champion League or may be the EPL, the La Liga, EPL or another Premier League in Europe.
Indian footballers need to learn from them. They need to educate themselves, building up the play-off clash, staying focussed without getting tense.
