ISL weekly wrap: Two-day match, referee gaffes and a Sunil Chhetri screamer

The first week of 2018 saw a match being delayed by more than two hours, referees making some incredible gaffes and four draws, among others.

The match between ATK and FC Goa was delayed by more than two and a half hours. (Source: ISL)

The opening week of ISL in 2018 has already given us a few talking points. ATK vs FC Goa, the first match of the new year, started more than two and half hours after the scheduled kick-off time. There were more managers suspended because of ‘misbehaving’ with referees. Of the six matches played in the first week of 2018, four were draws and at the end of it all, there was a stunner of a goal. Let’s get right down to it.

The midnight match: A football match being a two-day affair is unheard of but that is what happened on January 3 in Kolkata. ATK and FC Goa were supposed to play the first match of the new year at the scheduled kick-off time of 8 PM. FC Goa were supposed to arrive in Kolkata the evening before the match but their aircraft developed a snag because of which they could not fly out of Goa. Another plane had to be flown in from New Delhi to transport the Goa contingent. That particular aircraft could not take flight until evening of match-day because of an Air Force plane catching fire. The team finally arrived and played the match after a short warm-up session which they undertook in casuals as their kits had not arrived. By the time the match finished, it was 12:45 AM. A majority of the fans, though, stayed put and left only after the match ended.

Referees vs Managers: The ISL suspended Chennaiyin FC coach John Gregory for “his offensive remarks to a referee” during a match against Jamshedpur FC. He is the third manager to have received punishment for misbehaviour towards referees. This season has seen some extraordinary goalkeeping errors but the referees have not stayed far behind. The match officials have botched up penalties, offsides, free-kicks and even red cards. It was later revealed that indigenous referees earn much less than their foreign counterparts who come with FIFA certificates. Apart from this, the Indian referees also officiate matches of the I-League that is running parallel to the ISL. The league is now looking at the option of bringing in foreign referees as they did last season.

Wins and draws

This stunning long-ranger from the boot of skipper @chetrisunil11 sent @bengalurufc to the top of the table!

Can this also be the Fans’ Goal of the Week? Vote here: https://t.co/NAhnSUDE4r #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/6uogEd7Bna

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) 8 January 2018

Only NorthEast United and Bengaluru FC came out with wins this week. The first draw of the week was the aforementioned match between FC Goa and ATK. Despite playing the match hours after arriving in the city, FC Goa managed to hold ATK to a draw. ATK’s chances of getting a shot at defending their title look bleaker with each passing week. They are currently seventh in the league, five points adrift of the fourth spot. There four goals each in the matches between Chennaiyin FC and Delhi Dynamos and Jamshedpur and Mumbai City FC. Very little has gone the Dynamos’ way this season and they showed some character in their match as they cancelled out the two goals scored by birthday boy Jeje Lalpekhlua. Fittingly, it was Sunil Chhetri who provided the highlight of the week as he slammed home the winner for Bengaluru FC against ATK from well outside the box. It maybe early in the year, but that was a goal for the ages.