"We are chasing our goals and we are slowly accomplishing them. We now play Kerala. We are done with the qualification but they need a result from us; however, don't expect us to facilitate to anyone. We will show the same intensity till the very end."
This is how manager and marquee player Roberto Carlos summed up his team's turnaround after Delhi Dynamos booked their semifinal berth in the second season of the Indian Super League (ISL).
The team owned by DEN Networks finished fifth last year and missed qualification for the semi-finals by a solitary point. After a four-match unbeaten streak at the start of the inaugural season, the Dynamos went on a five-match winless run and finished the season with an another five-match unbeaten run. However, the club, which also had some big names around last year, drew too many games - 6 out of their 14 in the league phase - that proved costly for them.
In contrast, this season the Dynamos have lifted themselves into the semis with two games to spare.
When Delhi lined up for the second season, few believed in them, few gave them a chance but with a new character and smart strategising, the Dynamos have proved the critics wrong.
So, what lies at the heart of Delhi's turnaround? IBNLive takes a look.
Roberto Carlos
When the Brazilian legend and arguably one of the best left-backs to have played the game took charge of the club, there were a few raised eyebrows and rightly so.
Carlos may have been the best in his time but for a 42-year-old to weather the rigours of 90 minutes of football was no joke. In some of the matches, in which Carlos featured, the Real Madrid legend was a poor shadow of his glorious past.
But if Carlos failed in one of his two responsibilities, he excelled in the other - managing the side. Having played at the highest level and in the best of teams, whether national of club football, all his life, Carlos definitely knows a thing or two about character. He has successfully managed his team of highly-rated individuals to their fullest potential and has instilled some character that was missing last year.
Under Carlos, Delhi started playing with added risk in front, a solid defence and collective attacking. Carlos also showed tremendous confidence in the young Indian players like Robin Singh, Souvik Chakraborty, Anas Edathodika and Zodingliana Ralte apart from giving greater freedom to every player.
The Brazilian has surely been Delhi's pillar of strength and is the inspiration behind their improved show.
The Great Wall of Delhi
The Dynamos boast of a defence that has been the best in the league, largely due to the solidarity brought by John Riise and Anas at the heart of Delhi's defensive wall. Riise has taken up the mantle of leading the defensive line in his new role as a centre-back and has found an equally good partner in Anas. And the solid left and right pairing of Adinga and Souvik has given Delhi an enviable back four for ISL season 2.
Apart from their match against Chennaiyin FC, where Delhi's defence was thrashed by Mendoza, Valencia, Pelissari and Jeje, Carlos' team has conceded 2 goals in a match just twice. Against Chennaiyin, the whole defence failed.
Going forward, Carlos, one of the best defenders of his time, will be itching to set things right for his team at the back.
Malouda and Gadze Factor
Former French international Florent Malouda and Ghanian Richard Gadze have been the shining light in attack for Delhi Dynamos. The Malouda-Gadze partnership has reaped huge rewards for the Dynamos. Malouda has assisted in 6 of the 13 goals scored by the Dynamos. The Frenchman plays as a number 10 for Carlos and he has been superb at that position. He has dominated the midfield in almost all of his matches. Gadze, on the other hand, is the top scorer for the team with 4 goals.
Impressive Antonio Doblas
The Dynamos have found a very dependable goalkeeper in Antonio Doblas Santana. After the first 2 matches of the campaign, Carlos brought him in place of Sanjiban Ghosh. Doblas hasn’t looked back since, placed second on the best galkeepers' list with 41 saves to his name. Due to the competitiveness of the league and higher amount of scoring shots, having a good goalkeeper is essential. Keeping a clean sheet every alternate match and averaging almost 5 saves per match, Doblas is the most reliable keeper in the ISL as of now.
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