Indian Super League 2014 Results: Updated Table, Scores and Fixtures for Week 3
The inaugural Indian Super League season is still in its early stages, but heading into Week 3, several teams are already separating themselves from the pack with an eye on a play-off berth.
Atletico de Kolkata are one of two teams yet to lose and comfortably sit at the top of the standings, but with more fixtures under their belt than any of their rivals, such a strong position is perhaps to be expected.
Kerala Blasters FC and FC Goa have had a miserable start to the season and will need to significantly increase their level of play to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages, which kick off in mid-December.
Only the top four teams will have the opportunity to play for the ISL title, and while there's still plenty of football to be played, the time to go on a run and lay the foundations for play-off success is now.
Updated ISL Table
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| 1 | Atletico de Kolkata | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 11 |
| 2 | Chennaiyin | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 |
| 3 | NorthEast United | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 8 |
| 4 | Delhi Dynamos | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 |
| 5 | Mumbai City | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 6 |
| 6 | Kerala Blasters | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 |
| 7 | FC Goa | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 4 |
| 8 | Pune City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 4 |
Courtesy of IndianSuperLeague.com
Week 3 Schedule
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| Date | Time (IST) | Time (GMT) | Match | Venue |
| Nov 1 | 7 p.m. | 1.30 p.m. | FC Goa Vs. Delhi Dynamos FC | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa |
| Nov 2 | 7 p.m. | 1.30 p.m. | Mumbai City FC Vs. Kerala Blasters FC | D.Y. Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai |
| Nov 3 | 7 p.m. | 1.30 p.m. | FC Pune City Vs. North East United FC | Shivaji Sports Complex, Pune |
| Nov 4 | 7 p.m. | 1.30 p.m. | Chennaiyin FC Vs. Atletico De Kolkata | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai |
Courtesy of IndianSuperLeague.com
Nov. 2: Nicolas Anelka on Target in Mumbai City Victory
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Mumbai City 1-0 Kerala Blasters
A piece of genial inspiration from Nicolas Anelka helped Mumbai City to a 1-0 win against Kerala Blasters. The 35-year-old netted with a superb free-kick just before the break to give Peter Reid's team their second win of the inaugural Indian Super League.
It was the least Mumbai deserved from the game, as they were by far the better of the two teams on display. The home side squandered a host of chances after Anelka had given them the lead, but Kerala were unable to capitalise on their profligacy in front of goal.
Reid will have been delighted with the manner which his side performed here after being humbled 5-1 by Chennaiyin FC in their last league outing. In that clash they were open and accommodating to the attacking talents of Chennaiyin, but here they were much dynamic both with and without the ball.
Nonetheless, it was a moment of quality from Anelka that eventually proved to be the difference between the two teams. With Mumbai failing to garner any kind of rhythm in the first period, they were given a chance to sneak in front just before the break when they were awarded a free-kick 30 yards out. And the Frenchman stepped up to insouciantly curl the ball beyond Kerala 'keeper Sandip Nandy.
101 Great Goals have footage of the goal here.
That strike gave the home side a real lift going into the break and it showed in the second period, in which Mumbai should have put the game to bed. Credit must go to Nandy though, who made some excellent saves, including a stunning double stop to deny Anelka late on.
It was the Frenchman's first goal since the Quenelle controversy and after a turbulent time in his career, it was wonderful to see Anelka showcasing he has still has plenty to offer with his on-field qualities. Reid will be desperate for the former Chelsea forward to continue making the headlines for the right reasons as the season rolls on.
Nov. 1: FC Goa's Maiden Victory Ends Delhi Dynamos' Unbeaten Start
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FC Goa's rising form continued with the club claiming their first-ever Indian Super League win thanks to a 90th-minute winner from substitute Tolgay Ozbey, beating Delhi Dynamos 2-1.
It was a tough victory to earn, too, as an unbeaten Dynamos side looked as though they meant business from the beginning, opening the scoreline through Mads Junker with only seven minutes gone.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium's home crowd were given some cause for comfort less than 20 minutes from full time, however, as Jewel Raja headed in to level for the hosts.
And Goa would leave all the drama until late in the fixture, when their mounting assault on the visitors' goal finally bore fruit.
Ozbey was found with a looped pass over the Delhi defence, chesting down and rounding the opposition goalkeeper to show a calm and calculated finished in added time.
Speaking after the defeat, scorer Junker told the official Indian Super League website: “We have a tight schedule so you’re definitely going to have more injuries. That’s why the coach uses so many new players, there’s also a lot of travelling so it’s part of the fun and part of the experience."
There may not have been many among the Delhi support who saw the fun side of this result, their side having lost for the first time this season and hoping it's not the beginning of a trend.
This was the Dynamos' second away trip of the campaign, and manager Harm van Veldhoven highlighted the difficulty in taking points from away fixtures in the same report, saying: “We’ve been playing really well at home and we created many chances against Chennai and Pune. In this match I think Mads (Junker) had two chances and scored one. It’s always harder to score in an away game."
Oct. 30: Kerala Blasters Grab First ISL Win
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Kerala Blasters 2-1 Pune City
David Trezeguet opened the score for the hosts with an absolutely sensational volley, but visitors Kerala Blasters battled back and deservedly won 2-1 on Thursday, recording their first ever Indian Super League win.
Both teams collected cards inside the first three minutes, as the fans in Pune witnessed 90 minutes of hard, aggressive football. Blasters dominated possession from the opening kick-off, determined to pick up their first three-pointer in the ISL's young history.
Instead, it was former Juventus star Trezeguet who opened the score with a sublime volley. Kerala were caught napping when John Goossens took a free-kick before anyone was ready, and Trezeguet showed his lethal finishing instincts, undiminished by age.
Indian Football Fanatics have footage of the goal, which you can watch by clicking here.
Kerala were hardly shell-shocked and immediately pushed for an equaliser, but the hosts defended furiously. Their resolve was finally broken minutes before half-time, when CS Sabeeth reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the box after a corner.
The visitors continued their dominance in the second half, and Pune's situation became bleak when goalkeeper Emanuele Belardi was forced off the pitch with an injury. Midway through the second half, substitute Penn Orji produced a calm finish from the edge of the box, giving reserve stopper Arindam Bhattacharya no chance.
Pune then surged forward for a late equaliser but lacked creativity in the attacking third, losing their second match in four tries.
The result sees Kerala leap over Pune City in the standings, just two points out of play-off contention. FC Goa are now the only winless team remaining in the ISL, and they'll have a chance to change that status when they host Delhi Dynamos on Friday.
Oct. 29: Delhi and NorthEast United Play out Goalless Stalemate
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Delhi Dynamos 0-0 NorthEast United
Delhi Dynamos remained unbeaten but again failed to win as they played out a 0-0 draw with NorthEast United at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday.
It is the Delhi outfit's third draw in the opening four matches—their only win coming last time out as they thrashed Chennaiyin 4-1.
However, Harm van Veldhoven's side importantly remain in fourth spot in the Indian Super league while their Wednesday opponents sit two points further ahead in third.
Delhi certainly had the better chances to find a winner in an entertaining match despite the goalless result. NorthEast's 21-year-old goalkeeper TP Rehenesh was the star of the show for the visitors as he made a string of fantastic saves to keep the hosts out.
He saved very well from an Alessandro del Piero free kick late on in the first half—as the legendary Italian continued to look for his first league goal—which kept the visitors in the game before the break.
In the second half, United looked the better side and James Keene and Durga Boro kept up consistent pressure on the Delhi defence but could not find a scoring outlet.
The hosts then had several opportunities to snatch the win in the dying moments, but again Rehenesh was there to save twice from Dutchman Hans Mulder and the spoils were shared come the final whistle.
Van Veldhoven insists his side have to improve on their opening performances if they want to claim a top-four spot but claims there is plenty of potential in his team, per Firstpost:
"We are a bit disappointed with three draws in four matches but we have to deal with it and move forward. If we want to finish in top four we have to make improvements. Dropping points twice at home was not ideal. My players were running hard and trying their best. But I feel they have not played to their full potential. We have not seen fully what we can play. My players have not done all the things which I would have wanted them do. I don't want to talk about that today. We will discuss tomorrow.
"
Dynamos now have a run of three away games against Goa, Mumbai City and Kerala which will be crucial if they hope to make the knockout stages and play for the ISL title.
Equally, NorthEast United travel to Pune City next up and could establish their position at top end of the table with a convincing victory having taken a good point from Delhi on Wednesday.
Oct. 28: Chennaiyin FC Thrash Mumbai City FC
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Chennaiyin FC 5-1 Mumbai City FC
Nicolas Anelka's Mumbai debut didn't go as planned, as the visitors took a 5-1 beating at the hands of Chennaiyin, who take over the second spot in the ISL standings from NorthEast United with the result.
The hosts came out with intensity and took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes from the penalty spot. John Stiven Mendoza Valencia was brought down inside the box by Manuel Friedrich, and Elano expertly converted the spot kick.
Anelka showed some nice footwork for Mumbai, but the visitors were clearly overwhelmed by the superior movement of Chennaiyin. Valencia should have doubled the lead in the 24th minute, but Subrata Paul produced a spectacular save to deny the forward.
Two minutes later he was beaten again, however, after Elano found Jeje Lalpekhlua with a through ball. The finish was as simple as they come, in large part thanks to dreadful defending from Mumbai.
Chennaiyin pushed for a third to put the match away in the first half, and Valencia got his name on the scoresheet in the 41st minute, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box. He made it 4-0 with a delightful chip minutes later, as the home crowd was delirious headed into half-time.
Mumbai's defence stood stronger in the second half but conceded a fifth at the midway point, as Elano scored his fifth of the competition with a fantastic free-kick. The hosts' clean sheet was wrecked late in the match, however, as Nabi nabbed one for Mumbai off a corner.
Elano rightfully received the Hero of the Match award for his fine performance. With the win, Chennaiyin now sit just two points behind league leaders Kolkata.
Mumbai are two points back from Delhi Dynamos FC, and while Tuesday's loss was no doubt a disappointment, Anelka showed plenty of potential on his debut for the club. Mumbai still look like a potential play-off candidate, as Chennaiyin's fantastic attack has the potential to put five goals past even the best defences.
