ISL 2019-20 Team of the Week 8: ATK, FC Goa players maintain monopoly

The recently concluded week saw several inspiring display to end the year on an entertaining note.

The ISL 2019-20 season delivered some enthralling encounters to celebrate the holiday cheer in its last week of action in 2019. Before moving into the new year, a battle between top sides saw ATK record their first-ever win over Bengaluru FC in a Christmas special.

FC Goa prevailed after a seven-goal thriller against Chennaiyin FC, while Mumbai City FC moved into the top-four for the first time this season. The week brought joy and bitter disappointments for the teams involved, but certain players displayed memorable performances.

While the foreign players came up with clutch winners on certain encounters, some Indian players amplified their rock-solid reputation with some brave performances. So let’s look at the ISL 2019-20 team of the week 8 in the following.

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Goalkeeper: Amrinder Singh (Mumbai City FC)

By his standards, Amrinder Singh had a quiet game against Hyderabad FC. But he was alert in goal, making some timely clearances and punches to fend off pressure. He made an instinctive save late on to preserve his side’s lead, helping his side safely through the finish line.

Right-Back: Prabir Das (ATK)

Prabir Das is making a beeline for the Indian national team and continued shining his prospect with another stellar display against Bengaluru FC. He kept a close check on nullifying Nishu Kumar’s threat, making two tackles. But Das was especially menacing going forward, attempting five crosses and thoroughly causing Bengaluru FC problems with his surging forward runs.

ISL 2019-20 Team of Week 8

Centre-Back: Mislav Komorski (NorthEast United)

NorthEast United put in a commendable defensive showing after a long time in the ISL 2019-20 season to frustrate Kerala Blasters and the catalyst for their strength was Mislav Komorski. The strong centre-back was a pillar in the Highlanders backline, reading the game well into making necessary challenges. Komorski made 11 clearances and three interceptions, while also keeping Bartholomew Ogbeche relatively quiet throughout the game.

Centre-Back: Sumit Rathi (ATK)

Young Sumit Rathi had the biggest challenge of his career facing off against Indian national team regulars Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh on Christmas day, but he thrived under the pressure. Rathi put in an efficient shift in defence, making eight clearances to fend off trouble. He nullified Udanta’s threat with his sturdy work, helping ATK to a precious clean-sheet against the defending champions.

Left-Back: Subhashish Bose (Mumbai City FC)

Subhashish Bose seems to be getting better as the ISL 2019-20 season progresses and put in another commendable performance against Hyderabad FC. The hard-working defender was an ever-bearing presence on the left, putting in four clearances, three interceptions to stop whatever supply came through his side. He didn’t allow the visitors to threaten through his wing, holding out their attackers to grind out a solid win.

Right-Wing: Modou Sougou (Mumbai City FC)

The Sougou magic is back for Mumbai City FC. Days after his exclusive interview with Khel Now, the Senegalese striker returned to his best form. By showing signs of last season’s ruthlessness, he was excellent in the final third. He made some clinical finishes to score a magnificent brace, inspiring the Islanders to a necessary win and regaining his reputation as a deadly individual.

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Watch: ISL 2019-20 Week 8 Top 10 Goals

Centre-Midfield: Ahmed Jahouh (FC Goa)

Lady luck finally decided to reward Ahmed Jahouh for his persistence against Chennaiyin FC, as he scored his first-ever ISL goal finishing off a move in style. But it just wasn’t about the goal. Jahouh was like a freight-train in midfield, bullying his opposition into submission and ushering Goa forward. He recorded 12 tackles, four clearances and three tackles in a monstrous defensive showing to perfectly balance with his attacking heroics and sum up an excellent night.

Centre-Midfield: Anirudh Thapa (Chennaiyin FC)

In a crazy seven-goal thriller against FC Goa, Thapa held his own to act as a tenacious figure for Chennaiyin FC. He worked extremely hard to stitch things together for his side, creating two goal-scoring chances and striking a shot wide. He got his fortunate assist when his header fell for Crivellaro to score a wondrous finish. Thapa was efficient defensively as well, making four interceptions and two tackles to drive Chennaiyin FC forward and cap off  a stellar performance.

Left-Wing: Brandon Fernandes (FC Goa)

Brandon Fernandes fairytale season continued in the last week of ISL 2019-20 season, as he put on another efficient performance at Chennaiyin FC to power FC Goa to a thrilling win. Fernandes expertly scored a goal, pouncing on a lapse in concentration to coolly swerve the ball into the net. He continued creating things for Goa, while also making three tackles in another industrious effort. If he keeps this amazing form up, it won’t take much time before he’s recognized as the league’s best Indian player.

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Centre-Forward: David Williams (ATK)

While all the eyes were on Roy Krishna on Christmas, David Williams turned his performance up to steal the spoils. The prolific Australian tuned up his unpredictable stance in the final third, troubling Bengaluru FC with his movement and link-up play. He created three chances for ATK, but showcased his excellent goal-scoring instincts pouncing on Jayesh Rane’s ball to send it past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Williams deservedly won Hero of the Match award for helping ATK move past Bengaluru in the table.

Centre-Forward: Aridane Santana (Odisha FC)

Odisha FC are creeping up as playoff dark-horses and reason for their resurgence is Aridane Santana’s brilliance. The Spaniard was like fox around the penalty area, biding his time to pounce. Santana took his first instinctively capitalizing on a scuffle to perfectly finish off a scrappy move, but his emphatic volley for the second goal proved how good he really is. The 32-year-old striker's goal-scoring heroics won him the Hero of the Match award and gave Odisha FC a big win, taking them a step closer to the top-four place.