The Best Forwards in the ISL

The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional football league in India. It was founded in 2013 with the aim of increasing the level of football in the country and making it more popular. The league currently has eight teams from all over the country, with each team playing 14 games in the regular season.

The ISL is nearing its next season and is continuing to grow in popularity. One of the main reasons for this is the quality of football on display. Some of the best players from around the world have come to India to play in the ISL, including some big names like Diego Forlan, Robbie Keane, and Dimitar Berbatov.

This has led to some scintillating football being played in the league, and it has become known for its attacking style of play. In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the best forwards who have graced the ISL so far.

The best forwards in the ISL

It is often said that forwards win you games and defenders win you titles. This may be true, but it is also important to have a good balance of both in your team. A good forward can make all the difference in a game, and can help their team to pick up vital points.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the best forwards in the ISL. We will be looking at a variety of factors, such as goal record, assists, and overall contribution to their team.

1) Sunil Chhetri 

Sunil Chhetri is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger for Indian club Bengaluru FC and the India national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Indian national team with 67 goals in 104 appearances. He is often considered to be the best footballer India has ever produced.

2) Marcelinho 

Marcelinho is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Ponte Preta, Palmeiras and Vasco da Gama in Brazil. He is a two-time ISL League Winner and was the Hero of the League in the 2016 season. 

3) Coro

Ferran Corominas, popularly known as Coro, spent three exhilarating years with FC Goa. His most famous run began all the way back in 2003 when he joined Espanyol of Spain. In India, Coro established his dominance by becoming the country’s all-time leading goal scorer, with 48 scored goals.

The Spaniard was an instrumental part of FC Goa’s run to the final in the 2017-18 season.

4) Iain Hume

Hume is a Canadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Leicester City, Preston North End and Tranmere Rovers in England. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for Kerala Blasters with 25 goals in 54 appearances.

5) Njazi Kuqi

Njazi Kuqi is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday in England. He was the top goal scorer for Chennaiyin FC in the 2015 season with 10 goals. 

6) Udanta Singh 

Udanta Singh, who came through the ranks at Bengaluru FC and made his debut in 2014 as a teenager, was likely aiming to establish himself as a regular starter for BFC when he signed with the club. 

He unquestionably accomplished this at a very young age. The quick winger made a significant contribution to BFC’s AFC Cup run and has been an important part of the ISL thus far. It appears as if he has a tremendous future ahead of him.

7) Manuel Lanzarote

The Spaniard was one of the most lethal foreigners in his debut season with FC Goa. He scored some spectacular goals and ended the season with 10 goals and 7 assists to his name. His performances earned him a place in the ISL Team of the Season.

Lanzarote is a versatile attacker who can play as a winger, an attacking midfielder or even as a striker. He is known for his dribbling skills and his ability to shoot from long range.

8) Emiliano Alfaro

Alfaro is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for FC Pune City in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Nacional and Racing Club in Uruguay. He was the top goal scorer for Pune City in the 2016 season with 10 goals. 

9) Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan is a Uruguayan professional footballer who played as a striker for Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League. He is a two-time European Golden Shoe winner and was named the best player of the 2010 World Cup. 

Forlan scored 5 goals in 12 appearances for Mumbai City FC.

10) Bartholomew Ogbeche

After he was signed by the Kerala Blasters, it was only a matter of time before he made headlines. He said he’d bring it and, boy, did he ever. Ogbeche has scored 35 times since debuting in the ISL in 2018, which is currently third among all players.

His best season yet came in the 2019-20 campaign where he scored an incredible 15 goals to fire Kerala Blasters to the final.

11) Roy Krishna

The weight of expectation was huge when Krishna came to the ISL with ATK Mohun Bagan after a successful career in the overseas leagues. Krishna is only into his third season in the ISL, and people are already talking about what he may accomplish.

 Krishna has scored 27 goals and provided 7 assists in 54 appearances for ATK Mohun Bagan. He was the top goal scorer for the club in the 2019-20 season with 12 goals.

12) Jeje Lalpekhlua

Long-time Chennaiyin striker Jeje Lalpekhlua is probably one of the best Indian strikers ever to play the game let alone dazzle the ISL. The Mizoram-born striker has been a part of Chennaiyin since the inaugural season back in 2014 and has scored some important goals for the club. In fact, the striker—given his height—was instrumental in Chennaiyin’s success in the 2018 ISL.

He was the top goal scorer for Chennaiyin FC in the 2015 season with 10 goals. 

14) Miku 

Miku is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Getafe and Rayo Vallecano in Spain. He was the top goal scorer for Bengaluru FC in the 2017-18 season with 16 goals. 

15) Marcelo Pereira

Pereira is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for FC Goa in the Indian Super League. He has also played for clubs like Corinthians and Fluminense in Brazil. He was the top goal scorer for FC Goa in the 2018-19 season with 18 goals. 

These are the best forwards in the Indian Super League. These players have all made a significant contribution to their teams and have helped make the ISL one of the most exciting leagues in the world.

Conclusion

Forwards are some of the most important players on a football team. They are responsible for scoring goals and helping to create scoring chances for their team. A good forward can be the difference between winning and losing a game.

While all positions on a football team are important, the forwards are often the most visible and scrutinised players on the field. They are expected to score goals and lead their team to victory. As such, they often face intense pressure from fans and media alike.

This pressure can be tough to handle, but it is also what makes forwards some of the most exciting players to watch. When they are at their best, they can be truly unstoppable. Their skill and power can make for some unforgettable moments on the football pitch.

So, while all positions are important in football, forwards definitely have a special place on the team. They are responsible for some of the most important aspects of the game and their performances can make or break a team’s chances of success.

In conclusion, the Indian Super League has seen some excellent forwards plying their trade in its short history. Players like Sunil Chhetri, Marcelinho and Coro have lit up the league with their goalscoring exploits and will surely go down as legends of the game in India. 

The future looks bright for the ISL as well, with young talents like Daniel Lalhlimpuia and Manvir Singh coming up through the ranks and staking their claim for a place in the starting XI. 

Only time will tell if they can reach the heights of their predecessors, but one thing is for sure – the ISL is in safe hands when it comes to goalscoring.