by Abhishek Gujral

What a season it's been! The mighty have fallen, and the underdogs have shone - much to the shock of one and all. Dempo Sports Club, take a bow. A breathtaking finale to the season saw the Goan club complete the grand cup and league double - only the second team after Mohun Bagan to do so.
Lets have a look at how all the teams performed in the just concluded 9th National Football League:

1. DEMPO SPORTS CLUB - Not much one can say really except congratulate them for a memorable season. Completing the double is no mean feat, and one must wonder if the balance of power in Indian football is finally shifting? Nigerian hitman Ranty Martins Soleye was a key man, notching up an impressive 15 goals in the bargain. However the find of the season has to be Clifford Miranda. The wily left-winger proved his class on a consistent basis throughout the season - this youngster is surely one to watch out for. Skipper Stanley Colaco too is worth a mention - his commanding defensive displays were praiseworthy. Hard working forward RC Prakash too did his bit. However, all said and done, the biggest question in my mind is that the champion club of Indian football failed miserably in the AFC Cup, losing all their matches. Does this prove we are that far of the mark? I think not - Dempo was pitted against West Asian teams - admittedly much stronger than those of South and South East Asia, and were unlucky to lose by the solitary goal on more than one occasion.

2. SPORTING CLUBE DE GOA - An absolutely incredible turnaround by this recently promoted side. After the unfortunate bus accident in Calcutta, which left several of their players injured, one really feared the worst for them. However, they bounced back in amazing fashion, and the primary reason for that can be summed up in one word - Dudu. The Nigerian flamboyant striker topped the scoring charts with 21 goals, and along with compatriot Chidi Edeh, showed the way. Tiny winger Joseph Pereira too was in good form, as were midfielders Adebayo Adewusi and Bibiano Fernandes. Coach Clifford Chukwuma can feel very proud - a truly memorable season for the club.

3. EAST BENGAL CLUB - Well, the mighty have fallen, and how. The defending champions failed to perform when it mattered most and ended up a poor third in the end. What will hurt even more I suspect is the 0-5 humiliation in Jordan. The side never recovered from the injury to Brazilian midfield anchor man Douglas da Silva, and the other foreigners - the much hyped "Paquito" Juliano Martins and Earnest Jeremiah too were not quite at their best. Alvito D'Cunha had a fantastic season, as did Climax Lawrence. Syed Rahim Nabi too looked useful in his new role of wing back. The club will soon need to focus on the Fed Cup, which assumes paramount importance now, if they want to qualify for the AFC Cup. Make no mistake, the tigers are wounded, and they will be back.

4. MAHINDRA UNITED - Yet another season when the richest club in the country failed to meet expectations. The Jeepmen have underperformed for quite some time now, and nothing less than the title will do next season. A tall order one feels, although they do boast of some of the finest names in Indian football. The season overall was disappointing for their key man - influential midfield playmaker Shanmugam Venkatesh. Brazilian forward Flavio looked useful, but never too threatening. Jatin Singh Bisht and Khalid Jamil were average at best. One silver lining for the club is the emergence of rookie left back Debabrata Roy, who is surely one to keep an eye on.

5. FRANSA FOOTBALL CLUB - Mickey Pacheco's boys have definitely over-performed, and have every reason to be pleased with their final position. Among the contenders for relegation at the start of the season, Fransa have shown that they can mix it with he best. Veteran midfielder Jules Alberto Dias has rolled back the years with some good performances. The team does not really have too many stars, and rely more on teamwork, as well as the likes of dependable goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey and forward Benjamin Ansah.

6. SALGAOCAR SPORTS CLUB - Savio Medeira's boys will not be too happy with the mid-table anonymity they find themselves in. Considered a title contender in the not too distant past, the club has not really done justice to it's potential. Former Udinese man Felix Ibrebru was the inspirational figure once again, scoring 13 goals in the bargain. Brazilian forward Fabio dos Passos failed to impress, with a solitary goal to his credit. The club really needs to pull up its socks if it needs to make an impact next season.

7. JAGAJIT COTTON AND TEXTILE MILLS - Sukhi has got his boys playing some neat football, but to do well the club really needs to get in some better players. The foreigners, in particular, were just not up to the mark. Nigerian striker Alexander Jebba was poor at best, with only 2 goals to show for his efforts. However, dependable defender KV Dhanesh did not disappoint. The club boasts of final facilities for its players, and with the ambitious Sameer Thapar at the helm, the club has only one way to move - forward.

8. MOHUN BAGAN ATHLETIC CLUB - There is not really much one can say is there. It's extremely sad that one of India's leading clubs has to celebrate when they avoid relegation. What is even more surprising is that the club had a quality squad this season - be it classy midfielders such as Noel Wilson and Renedy Singh, talented strikers such as Ashim Biswas and Sunil Chetri, or solid defenders such as "Du" Eduardo Chacon Coelho Lacerda and Nigerian international Ajibade Babalade. What went wrong is really anybody's guess. Outspoken coach Amal Dutta seems to have steered them clear of relegation this season, but the club undoubtedly has some serious thinking to do. Apart from Noel Wilson, who was a model of consistency, all the other players need to do take a long hard look at themselves. Will Bagan ever recover from the departure of one Jose Ramirez Barreto? Time will tell.

9. CHURCHILL BROTHERS SPORTS CLUB - An absolutely disastrous season for this well-known Goan club. Whether they do manage to avoid relegation now depends on the AIFF - but make no mistake, the players save two have been appalling. Ghanian star striker Yakubu once again shone with 12 goals, while Brazilian Marcos Pereira scored 10 times. However, the rest of the squad failed to impress. One wonders what lies ahead for the Coca Cola sponsored side.

10. VASCO SPORTS CLUB - Yet another Goan side with a nightmarish season. The famous club has been poor right through the season, winning just 5 games. It's extremely sad to see the likes of Vasco languishing among the bottom few - this side is capable of much more. Brazilian midfielder Sidney Rodrigues top scored with 9 goals, with fellow Brazilian Fabio Xavier Soares chipping in with 3 goals. However that was never going to be enough, and Derrick Pereira's boys struggled right through.

11. STATE BANK OF TRAVANCORE - Seeing the enthusiastic fan following SBT enjoyed, one wished they could have done more to please the football starved fans of Kerela. It was sadly not to be. SBT are the only side in the NFL without any foreigners, and in the end it showed. Forwards Abdul Hakkim and Mohammed Rafi scored 5 goals each, while tiny striker Asif Saheer scored thrice. In the end, the only NFL representative from South India just did not have enough quality. One must mention the performances of rookie goalkeeper Jean Christian though, who shone in patches.

12. TOLLYGUNGE AGRAGAMI - It was always going to be a matter of time wasn't it? Tollygunge have miraculously managed to survive in the NFL year after year, but their luck finally ran out. The inclusion of ex-East Bengal star Suley Musah did little to help their cause, for the Ghanaian was injured and way below his best. Captain Kabijit Khotel did his best as did teenage striker Surajit Bose, who scored 5 goals. However, the Calcutta side just could not cope, and now must regroup and look to fight their way back.