CLASSIC CONTEST: An epic night for Indian football -- let the rhythm take you

OUTSIDE THE FATORDA STADIUM there is a small field that is not fenced off for sports academy students. That patch of semi-grassy land is open to casual joggers and yoga practitioners. In the afternoons one can often see kids roller-skating on one end of the ground. 

This morning, however, passers by will be greeted with the view of a dozen tents, and a few flags depicting the carricature of a certain wild cattle. As the day progresses, the number of people gathering on this strip of field will slowly build up until it is bustling with people blowing horns, playing music and chatting animatedly. And when the gates of the Fatorda Stadium open up, the entire mass of people will flow like narrow rivers towards its various gates, into its stands.

Beside the field there is a road that leads to the Margao bus stand. The road is covered in blue and orange confetti. Little paper flags flap in the wind, creating a visual illusion where the stylized picture of the Gaur's head appears to be running hard; charging at something. 

A short bike ride away is the Colva beach. The sand is lined up with restaurants featuring thatched roofs and open dining areas serving delicacies ranging from special chilli pork to shark steaks. The restaurants play a variety of music all day, mostly western rock numbers. But these days a locally produced song, "Forca Goa", is repeated a tad too often. Asked why, a restaurant owner smiles and winks,

"It's the rhythm, man. It takes you."

As the sun goes up on the day of the ISL 2015 grand finale, that's how the people of Margao are welcoming the gala event. All day long the whole city will ease into its rhythm, and let it take over.

FC Goa could not have asked for a better setting for their moment of glory. A final at home, in a season where they have topped the table and scored the highest number of goals. They have also been the most consistent side in a tournament that has seen quite a few twists and turns in the two short months that it has been running. And in this journey, the fans in Fatorda have been constantly by their side, cheering on in unwavering faith through win and loss. 

But it was in this very ground that FC Goa received its biggest defeat in 2015; that too against Chennaiyin FC. On 11th October, Stiven Mendoza wreaked havoc at Fatorda, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over the Gaurs. 

To make matter worse there's another worrying stat for Zico: Chennaiyin FC have a 100% winning record at Fatorda. Materazzi's boys beat Goa on this ground last year as well, on the very first time when these two teams faced each other.

But the weight of the occasion makes all history irrelevant. Which is why Materazzi will be more assured by the recent performance his defence has put up rather than his record at Fatorda. After 3 straight defeats in early November (one of which was against Goa, at home) when Chennaiyin FC were briefly at the bottom of the points table, they turned things around in a spectacular fashion and secured their passage to the final with 5 back to back wins, during which they conceded just 2 goals. If Zico's Goa is the highest scorer in ISL, Materazzi's Chennai has conceded the least amount of goals.

But it's not a Goa attack versus Chennai defence game. Stiven Mendoza, the 23 year old Colombian more or less guaranteed to take home the golden boot with 12 goals to his name, has scored 8 times within the last 4 weeks; almost 60% of the goals Chennai has scored during that time. No matter how much Lucio attempts to downplay a focus on this star forward, stopping him will be pivotal for FC Goa. Atletico de Kolkata managed to clip him in the second leg of their semi-final against Chennai and they won that match 2-1.   

Goa, meanwhile, feature a multi-pronged attack where anyone from Reinaldo, Dudu Omagbemi, Thongkhosiem Haokip to Jofre and Romeo Fernandes can contribute with a goal. It's one of the most well-rounded departments in the entire ISL; one built through long-term, mature planning courtesy Zico's 2 years of involvement with them.

Chennaiyin FC, too, bears traces of a similar continuity; a process that has seen the franchise take lessons from last year and improve on them. And this is what makes this contest so exciting for football lovers; it's a clash of two ripe and dynamic footballing philosophies. Unlike last year, the cream has indeed risen to the top in ISL 2015.

So what we're looking at is a final that befits the thriller that ISL 2015 has been. A battle of equals, as both coaches have said. It's a match worth sleeping in a tent for. A clash that deserves a setting like football-crazy Fatorda. 

Hence, for once, the blue and orange confetti will overshadow the Christmas decorations at Margao. The rivers of people will pour into the stadium to form a sea. The stadium's speakers, like the Colva beach restaurants, will play "Forca Goa" way too often. The stadium will become one large party scene, singing and dancing in tandem. Speculating whether or not FC Goa will be able to fulfill the fans' hopes seems almost irrelevant right now. Because this one day is for Indian football to forget all its problems and shortcomings and simply carpe diem, revel in the sheer quality of the culminating contest of ISL 2015.

It's the rhythm, man. Let it take you.