INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE’S TOP GOAL SCORERS OF

2015by Yogesh Joshee

10. ELANO BLUMER

Career Highlights Winner, FIFA Confederations Cup 2009; Copa America 2007

(Brazil) Winner, Ukrainian Premier League 2004/05 & 2005/06 (Shaktar

Donetsk) Golden Boot winner in Compeonato Paulista 2011 with Santos

MATCHES 13 GOALS 4 ASSISTS 4 MINUTES PLAYED 901

Elano Blumer started out as talented midfielder at Santos, helping take the team all the way to the Brazilian Series A title. When he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk, he won back-to-back league titles. At Manchester City, he registered 14 goals and 11 assists in 62 Premier League appearances. He was part of the squads that won Copa America [2007] and FIFA Confederations Cup [2009], and he was the top-scorer in Hero ISL 2014 with 8 goals.

9. NICOLAS LEANDRO

VELEZ

Career Highlights Winner, 2014 S League (Warriors FC)

Winner, S Leagur Young Player of the Year Award in 2014 Winner, Singapore Charity Shield Award in 2015

MATCHES 14 GOALS 5 ASSISTS 1 MINUTES PLAYED 806

Argentinian player, Nicolas Leandro Velez, learned the sport at the acclaimed River Plate youth academy spending the earlier part of his career playing with with Atlético Huracán (Argentina), Atlético Sanluqueño (Spain) and Warriors FC (Singapore) before joining the Highlanders.

8. ARATA IZUMI

Career Highlights First foreign-born to ever play for India when he debuted in 2013

Captained Pune FC in the 2014 Federation Cup

MATCHES 9 GOALS 5 ASSISTS 1 MINUTES PLAYED 536 Arata Izumi was born in Japan, but his career started in Singapore in 2005 with Albirex Nigata. He returned to Japan for some time to join Mitsubishi Motors Muzushima FC in the 2006 J-League, but his dream was always to play for India. He came to India to play for East Bengal in 2006, and when he moved to Mahindra United in 2007 and later joined Pune FC, he achieved the role of captain. In August of 2012, he recieved Indian citizenship and made his debut for India in 2013. Izumi also has an Indian name: Neelkanth Khambholja.

7. JEJE LALPEKHLUA

Career Highlights FPAI Young Player of the Year in 2011

Scored four goals in ISL 2014, the most by any Indian Winner, I-League 2014-15 (Mohun Bagan)

MATCHES 8 GOALS 5 ASSISTS 2 MINUTES PLAYED 625

In Jeje Lalpekhlua’s first season of the Hero ISL in 2014, he scored four goals, the most by any Indian. In 2007 he was signed for Pune FC before spending 2010-11 with the Indian Arrows where he scored 13 goals in 15 games. Back in Pune FC the following season and later Dempo, he finally moved to Mohun Bagan where he won the Hero I-League in his first year with the Mariners.

6. CHRIS DAGNALL

Career Highlights Leyton Orient top scorer 2014/15 season with 11 goals and 6 assists

Scored 4 goals in 11 FA Cup appearances

MATCHES 13 GOALS 6 ASSISTS 2 MINUTES PLAYED 1034

Chris Dagnall was born in Liverpool and started his career playing in 414 club appearances for clubs such as Rochdale, Scunthorpe, and Barnsley. He scored 4 goals in 11 appearances in the FA Cup for various teams, and his top scores include 11 goals and 6 assist in 38 matches for Leyton Orient.

5. ANTONIO GERMAN

Career Highlights Scored 2 goals in 16 Football League Championship for QPR

MATCHES 9 GOALS 6 ASSISTS 3 MINUTES PLAYED 544

Antonio German learned the sport through the Queens Park Rangers youth setup before playing on loan with several lower tier English football teams. He scored 2 goals in 16 Football League Championship matches for QPR.

4. SUNIL CHHETRI

Career Highlights 3 x Winner, I-League 2013/14 (Bengaluru FC); 2012/13

(Churchill Brothers); 2009/10 (Dempo SC) Winner, AFC Challenge Cup 2008 (India)

2 x Winner, Nehru Cup 2009, 2012 (India)

MATCHES 11 GOALS 7 ASSISTS 1 MINUTES PLAYED 990

Sunil Chhetri has become a household name in India and is one of a handful of Indian players to have played professionally outside the country, including playing in Major League Soccer for the Kansas City Wizards and Sporting Clube de Portugal B team. He is India’s all-time leading scorer with 47 international goals in 81 international matches.

3. REINALDO DA CRUZ

OLIVEIRA

Career Highlights Member of PSG Champions League side (2004/05)

Won the Korean FA Cup with Suwon Bluewings (2010)

MATCHES 10 GOALS 7 ASSISTS 4 MINUTES PLAYED 775

Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira is an experienced player who has been involved in the sport since 1997 playing for various teams. He was a part of PSG’s Champions League squad in 2004/05. He was with Brazilian club EC Internacional when FC Goa decided to bring him onto the Indian Super League.

2. IAIN HUME

Career Highlights Goal for Leicester vs Watford in 2007-2008 in the Championship

was voted goal of the season Top scorer for Leicester City in the 2007-2008 Championship

Most Valuable Player, ISL 2014

MATCHES 14 GOALS 10 ASSISTS 4 MINUTES PLAYED 1251 Scottish-born Canadian international striker, Iain Hume, started the sport in the youth ranks at Tranmere Rovers and made his way up to the senior setup. In the 2004–05 campaign he finished top scorer for Tranmere with 16 goals. He then moved to Leicester City and then Barnsley. He was instrumental in getting Kerala Blasters FC to the finals of last year’s Hero ISL with 5 goals and 3 assists earning him the Hero Player of the Tournament.

1. JOHN STIVEN MENDOZA VALENCIA

Career Highlights Winner, Super League Colombia 2014 (Deportivo Cali)

Finished fourth in the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup Colombia Semi-finalist ISL 2014 (Chennaiyin FC)

MATCHES 13 GOALS 11 ASSISTS 2 MINUTES PLAYED 949 Columbian forward, John Stiven Mendoza Valencia tops the list. Mendoza rose through the ranks of local clubs like Deportivo Cali, Envigado FC, América de Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo and was part of the Colombian squad which finished fourth in the 2009 Under-17 FIFA World Cup. After joining Chennaiyin FC last season, he had scored four goals in nine matches before an injury cut his season short.