ISL: Mohun Bagan wins League Shield Photo: PTI ISL: Mohun Bagan wins League Shield Photo: PTI

Mohun Bagan have etched their name in historycucapg, becoming the first-ever team to successfully defend the League Winners’ Shield. But they are not stopping there. (More Sports News)

After falling short in the ISL final last year with a 1-3 defeat to Mumbai City FC here at the Salt Lake Stadium, the Mariners are determined to complete a historic double by clinching the ISL Cup this time.

Coach Jose Molina is focused on the challenge ahead.

If you’ve heard stories about him, you might imagine a wizard with a hockey stick, with astonishing skills.

Hockey India on Wednesday (August 28) named an 18-member squad led by ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh for the tournament, with Krishan Bahadur Pathak expectedly being promoted to main goalkeeper duties following PR Sreejesh's international retirement.

"We are trying to win the two matches remaining in the season and even preparing for the Cup, because we cannot think the season is finished just yet. We still have a semifinal, hopefully, a final, and maybe even a Super Cup later,” Molina said, as his team gears up for their next match against Mumbai City FC on March 1.

Mohun Bagan's season has been nothing short of extraordinary. With an unassailable 52 points and two games still to play, they have shattered records along the way — first team to surpass 50 points in an ISL season, most wins (16) in a single campaign and a league-record 14 clean sheets, setting a new defensive benchmark.

Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith has been instrumental, keeping the clean sheets,66br double than his nearest competitor Phurba Lachenpa (7). Kaith also became the first goalkeeper in ISL history to reach 50 career clean sheets.

At home, the Mariners have been nearly unbeatable, setting a record with 10 home wins in a single season.

"16 wins — it has been amazing. I am really grateful to everybody and, of course, to the fans. Our goal is to make the fans happy and today they are the happiest fans around the world," Molina hailed.

"The support of the owner and management is really important for the coach. To win a trophy, you need to be a team. It’s not only about having 11 players, everybody has to feel important inside the team,” Molina said after their 1-0 victory against Odisha FC here on Sunday.

Not only have Mohun Bagan been defensively resolute, they have also been the league’s most prolific attacking side with the most goals scored this season (43).

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Their attack has been led by a mix of defenders, midfielders and forwards.

Captain and defensive mainstay Subhasish Bose has set a new standard for goal-scoring defenders, netting six times — eclipsing Mourtada Fall’s previous record of five in 2019-20.

Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh have been effective from the wings, contributing a combined 14 goals, while Lalengmawia Ralte has been the heartbeat of the team at the centre, averaging 47 passes per game at 83 per cent accuracy and making 45 tackles — the third-highest this season.

The top two teams automatically advance to the ISL Cup semifinals, while the third-to-sixth-placed teams play a single-elimination match to determine the remaining semifinalists.

The two-legged semifinals take place over two weeks.cucapg