ISL Week 1: Not your typical match week review

The Hero Indian Super League is back. Pardon me, the Indian Super League - without the "Hero" - is back after a long six-month break. Gameweek 1 concluded with a drowsy draw between Jamshedpur FC and East Bengal, but before that, there had been action galore.

Season opener in Kochi

(Kerala Blasters 2-1 Bengaluru FC)

Kerala Blasters played their season opener in Kochi, and while this is not anything new, what was different this time is that instead of facing Kolkata clubs, it was a southern derby against Bengaluru FC. The game certainly attracted a big crowd and online viewership as there was a score to settle between the two south Indian clubs.

Some might say the score was indeed settled as Bengaluru FC showcased a defensive disaster in the middle of a sea of yellow and blue. The crowd was possibly intimidating! It was good to see Kerala Blasters making excellent use of their home advantage. The only certification needed for this was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu making a howler and then telling his teammates that he was unable to hear their communication as the atmosphere was electrifying.

All that mattered was that Adrian Luna capitalised on it to score the second goal.

However, this game opened a new can of worms as there was an alleged incident of racism against Aibanbha Dohling who hails from India's northeast, from Bengaluru FC's Ryan Williams, who pinched his nose.

Now, moving on to the second matchday. Oh, but that was postponed!

Returning Coaches Derby

(Odisha FC 2-0 Chennaiyin FC)

Owen Coyle and Sergio Lobera are not new names in Indian football. These two mentality monsters have won the biggest possible trophies in the ISL. But in the first game, only one team lived up to expectations. Sergio Lobera's Juggernauts took Owen Coyle's Marina Machans for a not-so-fun ride, and the final score favoured Odisha FC 2-0. Christian Battocchio was the only positive for Chennaiyin FC.

Odisha FC perhaps missed out on a trick by not playing their not-so-old guard Diego Mauricio. Benching him after the fabulous season he had last year was outrageous. Jerry Mawihmingthanga shone as usual, while the fitness of Raphael Crivellaro is a massive concern for Chennaiyin FC.

Mohun Bagan cruises, with or without "ATK"

(Mohun Bagan SG 3-1 Punjab FC)

Mohun Bagan, the defending champions, started from where they left off last season, and it wasn't a good debut for newly promoted Punjab FC in the Indian Super League. Mohun Bagan thumped them 3-1 in a very dominant game. But Luca Majcen, what an addition he could be to the league! A moment of lack of awareness in defence, and he pulled one back for Punjab FC.

As for Mohun Bagan, out of the 7 shots on target, Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Manvir Singh finished three into the net. Their clinical nature begs the question - can Mohun Bagan be the first team to defend the ISL title?

NorthEast United isn't the old NorthEast United

(NorthEast United FC 1-2 Mumbai City FC)

Mumbai City FC won the game, but NorthEast United FC, under their new head coach Pedro Benali, gave them a run for their money. Mumbai City FC, the defending league title winners, had Jorge Pereyra Díaz scoring a brace, while Parthib Gogoi pulled one back for the Highlanders. NorthEast United can be the dark horses this time, with a relatively new squad and even new backroom staff. But can Mumbai City defend the league shield? They've only gotten stronger than last year.

The Highlander Brigade set a new record by unfurling the largest hand painted tiffo in Asia in the game against MCFC.

The Snooze Fest

(East Bengal FC 0-0 Jamshedpur FC)

Then came the snooze fest, also known as East Bengal versus Jamshedpur FC. If missing chances is an art, both teams will share the podium. Jamshedpur probably has the most underrated squad under Scott Cooper, but Elsinho has already shown what he's capable of. He became the first defender to win the Man of the Match award this season.

East Bengal are already much better than what we've seen in the ISL in the last couple of seasons. Can Carles Cuadrat find the spark at the attacking end? That's the big question.

The match official did provide an interesting moment after the boring 90 minutes by brandishing a red card, then changing his mind and turning it into an yellow - which can be chosen as the moment of the match.