HALFTIME REPORT: At midway mark, ISL-2 is fitter, but less glamorous; few points of concern

THE FIRST LEG of the Indian Super League regular season came to an exciting close with Match 28 -- an encounter between Delhi Dynamos and NorthEast United. After all eight franchises have played seven matches each, one look at the points table reveals how tight things are. At this point, no one can be ruled out from a semi-final berth. And it's impossible to take a guess at who will end up where once the regular season is over.

The top 6 teams are separated only by 3 points. There have been a number of memorable performances, and turnarounds in a team's fortunes. Those who started well have fell to multiple hiccups down the road and those who commenced with back to back defeats have reversed their fortunes with some hard-earned victories. We have seen some high scoring games, and at the same time there have been matches where well-fought contests produced few goals.

A number of things -- good, bad and hopeful -- have defined this inaugural phase of the tournament. The myth of the marquee, veteran "emerging players", the highest penalty ratio, home runs, are few of the aspects that have defined the first half of the league, as teams now gear up to enter a crucial phase from which the final four will emerge. TFG's Dark Horses continue to remain dangerous, the Top Contenders are steadily rolling ahead, while -- surprise, surprise -- the Below Par teams have outshone their opponent in quite a few games.

The 10 points which TFG has analysed below bring to fore the important factors that will mark the success of ISL's second edition.