ISL 2015 team preview: Defending champs, Atletico de Kolkata back in the hunt with upgraded attack

What they did last season..

It was the 90th minute of the match and 36,000 fans watched on with bated breath as Jakub Podany ran in to take Atletico de Kolkata's (Atletico) third corner. As the ball floated in, Mohammad Rafique met it with a powerful header and the ball zipped past goalie, David James into the left corner of the net.

History was made! 23-year-old Mohammad Rafique's late winner crowned Atletico as the first champion of the Indian Super League.

Perhaps, it was apt that the first winner of the tournament came from a city which had such a rich history and passion about the game. A city which was always divided by the rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan came together, albeit for a brief period and celebrated in unison.

Yet, even in success, there is a strong need for retrospection. It was not a cosy ride to the title for the men in red and white.

Atletico de Kolkata's tie-up with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid provided them with the perfect foundation, both in building a fan base and the wherewithal to set up a team from the scratch. This of course brought in a lot of expectations with it, and Antonio Habas' men seemed to be on course to fulfil those expectations after their opening match of the tournament.

Goals from Fikru (followed by a majestic summersault), Borja Fernandez and Arnal Llibert provided Atletico with a commanding 3-0 win over Mumbai City FC.

This was the start of a fantastic run which would see them grab the top spot in the league table for quite a while. They seemed to be the most organized team in the league at that point and were expected to remain at the top of the table. But this run was brought to a sudden halt when they suffered an embarrassing 1-3 defeat at the hands of FC Pune City, in their home ground.

Atletico found it hard to win matches, and score goals after that game. In fact, they won only one of their last 10 matches in the league and struggled to qualify for the semi-finals. Two key players, Cavin Lobo and Denzil Franco picked up injuries, while their marquee player Luis Garcia struggled with his fitness. The team was too reliant on Fikru to score the goals, and they struggled when the Ethiopian failed to find the back of the net.

It was perhaps their defensive prowess and consistent performances from the likes of Arnab Mondal, Josemi, Ofentse Nato and Borja Fernandez, that got them over the line in the end.

In the semi-final they faced FC Goa and it was a match between two teams with contrasting styles of play. A rugged, defensively organized, counter-attacking team went up against a team that played open, attacking and possession based football. And, it was the former that came out on the top.

Both the legs ended goalless as the match turned into a drab affair. Goa dominated both the legs, but found it impossible to find the elusive goal. The tie went to a penalty shootout where both Andre Santos and Amiri failed to convert their spot kick – with a bit of luck Atletico were through to the final.

New signings

Atlectico have retained the players who formed the spine of the team last season. The midfield pairing of Borja Fernandez and Ofentse Nato has extended its stay, along with former Liverpool defender Josemi. Arnab Mondal, arguably their best player last season, will once again partner the Spaniard at the center of the defence.

In the player auction, Atletico broke the bank to sign Bengaluru FC defender Rino Anto. The 27-year-old is a fine addition to the squad, and he comes in as a replacement for Kingshuk Debnath.

Denzil Franco, who has been retained in the squad this season, suffered a serious injury during the first edition of the ISL. This forced Habas to start with Kingshuk as the right back, which unsettled the defence. Baljit Sahni was at times played on the right wing in order to provide a bit of defensive cover to Kingshuk. But now, in Denzil Franco and Rino Anto, Habas has two wonderful options for that role.

While the spine of the midfield, the pairing of Borja Fernandez and Ofentse Nato, remain the same, Atletico will field a completely new attack this season. The likes of Jofre, Fikru and Luis Garcia have all left the club and they have been suitably replaced in the transfer market.

The addition of Syed Rahim Nabi to the squad could prove to be an astute move. The 29-year-old, who played the last ISL with Mumbai City FC, is a versatile footballer who can play at a numerous positions across the defence, midfield and attack. His presence will provide Habas with a lot of tactical options during the game.

Mohammed Rafi, who failed to impress last season, has been replaced by another former Mumbai City FC footballer – Sushil Kumar Singh. Another veteran, Clifford Miranda, who produced some wonderful performances for FC Goa last season, has been bought to fill the boots of Sanju Pradhan, who has joined NorthEast United. The Indian international is immensely experienced and is a fantastic crosser of the ball. With Helder Postiga up front, Miranda’s delivery from the wings can be crucial for Atletico.

Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, who made eight appearances for Atletico last season, has been released from the squad and has been replaced by exciting young talent Nadong Bhutia. But, the 21-year-old is unlikely to be the first choice goalkeeper with Juan Calatayud being signed from Hungarian club Videoton FC. The Spaniard has played in the La Liga with clubs like Malaga and Racing Santander, and he will replace Apoula Edel as the new number one.

It was clearly evident that Antonio Habas wanted more options in midfield, especially on the wings, and he went ahead and signed a host of wide players. Former South African U23 international Sameehg Doutie, Spanish winger Javi Lara, former Osasuna and Levante winger Valmiro Rocha and former Getafe and Valencia midfielder Jaime Gavilan have all been added to the squad. Nearly all of them are equally adept at playing in any of the three attacking positions behind the striker.

All these additions aside, the biggest arrivals this season are that of Iain Hume and Portuguese International Helder Postiga. Postiga will be the youngest marquee player to play this season of ISL and the Portuguese striker has the experience of playing at the top echelons of European and International football for a long, long time.

Iain Hume on the other hand was one of the best players of the inaugural ISL and perhaps the biggest reason why Kerala Blasters reached the final of the tournament. The Canadian international scored five goals and provided three assists, and Habas will hope that he can bring the same creativity to his team. Apart from his quality in the final third, Hume is a tireless worker and will run to the ground for his side. His possible partnership with Postiga is perhaps the most exciting, at least on paper, in the ISL at the moment.

Player to watch-out for

Iain Hume (31-year-old)

While most of the focus will be on Helder Postiga, Iain Hume could prove to be the most crucial signing for them. Atletico struggled to score goals in the second half of the tournament last season, and it almost dragged them out of the qualification spot in the league table. Hume brings with him a lot of goal threat and the touch of creativity they missed at times last season. If the Canadian manages to pull all the strings in the final third, like he did for Kerala Blasters last season, Atletico fans are in for a treat.

What the team needs to improve upon

Antonio Habas used a very defensive 4-2-3-1 formation last season. The defenders dropped deep so that the opponents didn’t have too much space to run behind, while Nato and Borja sat in front of the back-four and protected them. They didn’t have too much of the possession and relied on counter attacks to score goals.

While the above tactics worked for them in some matches, they struggled to create chances, or dominate games, in most of them. FC Goa nearly punished them in the semi-final, only for Edel to make some fantastic saves. Atletico needs to play a bit more freely this time. They have a midfield which can dominate most of the opponents.

As Habas said in a recent interview, it is important to find the balance: "I am happy with how Postiga is shaping up, but for me it is about the team and not individuals. You have to collectively play well as a team to win the trophy again.

"We need to create a good balance between attack and defence."

Their attack was a bit one dimensional as well. They mostly relied on Fikru’s physicality to hold the ball and create chances. Now with Postiga and Hume upfront, they have a more versatile attack, and certainly better wingers out wide. The fans would love to see a more attacking brand of football and Habas now has the squad to do so.

Possible starting line-up

Prediction: Finalist

Atletico won the ISL last season thanks to their water tight defence. They have managed to retain the same core at the back, and have even improved it with the addition of Anto.

Habas has also managed to solve their problems in attack with some wonderful additions to the squad, making them a much more balanced side now. This has put them in a strong position to defend their title in the upcoming season. Atletico can certainly be expected to reach the final of ISL 2015.