ISL 2020-21: Sergio Lobera coaxes the best out of Mumbai City FC's Indian contingent to script fairy tale win

You could see the incredulity in Mumbai City FC striker Adam Le Fondre’s face when asked in a post-match interaction whether this particular game, the Indian Super League final, was just about winning and not the performance. Regardless of playing style or philosophy, any purist in the sporting world would take a smash and grab, scrappy win by the odd goal if it meant getting your hands on silverware at the end of it. And that is how Mumbai wrote their names into ISL’s nascent history, winning an error-strewn final 2-1 against ATK Mohun Bagan, to claim their first trophy in Indian football. The final also characterised the Islanders’ season in a way where they looked in control for most parts, then made things difficult for themselves before putting them right again. After City Football Group bought a majority stake in the club last year, Mumbai City began putting the building blocks in place starting with former FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera, whose preferred style of possession-based attacking football drew plaudits from all around. Having guided Goa to the League Winners Shield, Lobera raided his former club for defender Mourtada Fall, holding midfielder Ahmed Jahouh, attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous and wing-back Mandar Rao Dessai, creating a formidable spine for his new team. Add to that the firepower up front of former Premier League striker Le Fondre and the prolific Nigerian Bartholomew Ogbeche, it was no surprise that they were billed as favourites for the 2020-21 season before even a ball was kicked. As expected, the above-mentioned players have made immense contributions to this successful campaign but what has caught the eye is Lobera’s ability to coax the best out of the club’s Indian contingent. The likes of Bipin Singh, Rowllin Borges, Amey Ranawade, Raynier Fernandes and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy have shown remarkable improvement and added consistency to their game to start virtually every other game for the club throughout the season. Bipin will obviously make the headlines, with his last-minute winner in the final and the only hattrick of the season against Odisha FC but Ranawade and Vignesh will feel unlucky to have missed out on a national team call-up for the upcoming friendly matches against Oman and UAE after a breakout season. [caption id=“attachment_9415831” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Mumbai City FC players celebrate after winning the seventh season of the Indian Super League. Sportzpics[/caption] The Islanders got off to the worst possible start, losing their opening game to NorthEast United but they made sure it was just a flash in the pan, going on a 12-game unbeaten run, winning 9 of those, before being beaten by the Highlanders again. This streak included an impressive win against their closest title challengers ATK Mohun Bagan which helped Mumbai establish a five-point cushion. After NEUFC completed the double over the champions, they hit a rocky patch, losing two and drawing one, which allowed Mohun Bagan to overtake them in the league standings. All the pre-season talk of titles and success would have been for naught had Mumbai missed out on that coveted AFC Champions League spot given to the league winners but an uncharacteristic slipup from the Mariners and the 6-1 demolition of Odisha put their destiny back into their own hands. Mohun Bagan deserve immense credit for being really good contenders and keeping the title race alive until the last day but they proved to be no match for a slick Mumbai team who won 2-0 to wrest the top spot back and set up a semi-final against Goa. This was Lobera’s second successive League Winners Shield having led FC Goa to the same last season. His style of play, while easy on the eye, requires a lot of energy, confidence and risk-taking from his players. Playing out from the back is easier said than done with even pass-masters like Jahouh making errors leading to goals. But Lobera is known for sticking to his guns and he has been rewarded his first ISL trophy win. The first leg, which finished 2-2, turned out to be a great advert for attacking football with both teams going at it and the Gaurs surprisingly had more of the ball than their opponents. The second leg was a much cagier affair as no one wanted to make that mistake which would lead to a goal and this led to a penalty shootout. It was as dramatic as we thought it would be when both teams sent out their substitute goalkeepers. After some terrible penalties, great saves and nerve-wracking moments, Mumbai found themselves in their first-ever ISL final. Interestingly, they have become only the third team of the City Football Group club stable to win a top-flight league title after Manchester City and Yokohama F Marinos of the J-League, getting it done before the likes of New York City FC and Melbourne City. The big bosses in Abu Dhabi will feel vindicated after seeing a good return on their investment from just a year ago and will make sure they arm the club well to make an impact on the continental stage next season when Mumbai City play in the group stage of the AFC Champions League. Mumbai’s title win makes them the fourth different team to win the Indian Super League title and within a currently closed league system, that is a good sign of competitive balance. In a season where we saw unfancied Hyderabad FC and NorthEast United have a proper go for the top spots, other teams will take confidence from the fact that the gap with the top teams is there to be closed. With better recruitment, some patience and longevity for the coaching staff, there is good chance that the top 4 of the Indian Super League can become a revolving door. And that is a really good thing.