Chennaiyin FC, Delhi Dynamos, FC Goa or Atletico de Kolkata. Who will have the last laugh at the end of the Indian Super League this season? We have exactly ten days from now to decide that. Yes, the now-or-never moment has come.
The first leg of the ISL 2015 semi-finals will be under way tomorrow and the importance of the results cannot be undermined, when going into the second leg of matches next week.
The national capital is to host the first of the four semifinal games, and the last one will be taking place at Kolkata. Delhi Dynamos will take on FC Goa tomorrow at the JLN Stadium in Delhi in the first semi-final first leg game, while Chennaiyin FC will take on Atletico de Kolkata on 12 December in the other semi-final first leg game.
The Balewadi Stadium in Pune will be the venue for the game. It was decided just days back by the ISL organisers that the game will be shifted to Pune as the worrying flood situation in Chennai still has not let up. Incidentally, Chennaiyin FC also played their final game of the league season in Pune as well.
FC Goa finished atop the league table after 14 games with 25 points, while Atletico de Kolkata came second with 23 points. Both Chennaiyin FC and Delhi Dynamos are locked at 22 points after the end of 14 games, but Chennai bagged the third spot owing to a better goal difference.
The Brazilian flair is not going to be missed a bit in the match between Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa tomorrow as two Samba greats -- Roberto Carlos (Delhi Dynamos) and Zico (FC Goa) will be pitted against each other, and it remains to be seen which Brazilian uses his mind more to get an edge over their opponent.
One thing is for sure, the fans will not have any reason to not make it to the stadium tomorrow, as they know the importance of the Friday night blockbuster. "Our fans so far have been very supportive for us and this being the last match at our home ground, I would request all Delhi Dynamos fans to come all out. Let's fill the stadium up and make Delhi loud and proud," Prashant Agarwal, DDFC President said in a statement.
Indian singer Shweta Pandit will be performing during the half-time tomorrow.
TV listings: Star Sports 2/HD 2, Star Sports 3/HD 3 [English feed] (India), Star Gold (UK), US (Fox Sports).
Here is the schedule for the ISL 2015 semifinals first leg fixtures:
Date | Home side | Away side | Time | Venue | |
11 December (Friday)Semi-Final 1 (1st leg) | Delhi Dynamos | v | FC Goa | 7 pm IST | JLN Stadium, Delhi |
12 December (Saturday)Semi Final 2 (1st leg) | Chennaiyin FC | v | Atletico de Kolkata | 7 pm IST | Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune |