2021-22 ISL Season Review: Desperate but entertaining outcome for Odisha

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Odisha's most entertaining ISL campaign to the date

A season full of ups and downs finally ended as the Bhubaneswar-based club could not fulfil their dream of hoisting the Odisha flag at the playoff stage of the Indian Super League. As the Juggernauts haven’t made a single ISL semifinal appearance since moving to Odisha from the capital city.

An eleventh placed finish forced the club authorities to bring structural reforms in the management hence Spanish legend David Villa was brought as the head of Global Football Operations while former manager Josep Gombau also joined the technical committee. Spaniard Kiko Ramírez was appointed as the head coach and was also given the authority to rebuild the Kalinga roster.

Despite falling short of semi-final round qualification, a major improvement was seen in the points table stance of Odisha FC as compared to the previous one. They finished seventh on the standings scoring 23 points consisting of six victories and five draws from 20 fixtures. 

Overseas Patrons

Victor Mongil and Hector Rodas were also committed to leadership roles in the roster but the centre-back duo just couldn’t live up to the expectations of Kalinga fans. Javi Hernandez is considered as an ISL legend and the attacking midfielder successfully wrote another chapter to his legacy. The Spaniard was the only Odisha player to get featured in the Top 10 list of highest rated players in Season 8.

The backdrops perfectly describe Jonathas' debut ISL campaign

The backdrops perfectly describe Jonathas’ debut ISL campaign

On the other hand, striker Jonathas who scored eight goals and provided four assists in 16 appearances was the standout overseas performer for the club. The 33-year-old Brazilian was the most influential figure in their attacking unit with the highest goal contribution for his club. 

Youngsters were on the rise!

The Bhubaneswar-based club is well-known for providing a perfect grooming atmosphere for domestic talents. The 24-year-old shot-stopper Arshdeep Singh is also one of those young outlets of Odisha who are rocking the ISL stage. He completed a total of 23 saves in just eight games and overshadowed his competitor Kamaljit Singh who also hails from Punjab.

Sensational teenage talent in the ranks of Odisha

Sensational teenage talent in the ranks of Odisha

The youngest ever AFC Cup goalscorer Thoiba Singh has finally made his mark in India’s top-flight league. The 19-year-old teenage sensation played 18 out of 20 fixtures this season and delivered an incredible individual performance. He played a pivotal role of holding midfielder in the Odisha lineup, fetching 38 blocks, 22 interceptions and 16 clearances and a solitary assist in his breakthrough ISL campaign.

What went wrong?

A major weakness in set-pieces was heavily exploited this season as they scored the lowest and conceded the highest number of goals in the league from this particular aspect.

They were involved in multiple high-scoring games but unfortunately, the Kalinga Warriors ended up on the losing side in most of the instances. Especially with the table-toppers Jamshedpur against whom they conceded nine but could score only a single goal from two fixtures as the Red Steelers emerged victorious on scorelines of 4-0 and 5-1.

Takeaways from the season

Odisha’s attacking prowess was their highlight of the season and it turned them into the offensive powerhouse having scored the most goals among all clubs. The deadly trio of Jonathas, Javi and Cabrera was at its peak and their offensive coordination was a treat to watch.

At one point, their qualification to the semifinal round was looking almost certain but rising competition from other clubs did not let them prevail in the next phase. 

Up for the next

The club authorities need to put more faith in the current system as it might fail to bring glory this season but will be beneficial for the long term. It will be really good if they retain a few foreign faces who brought an elite brand of football to the roster while refreshing the domestic department which needs improvement and new additions, either the renowned faces or the fresh ones.