Goal.com

Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey dives into the book of knowledge and shares what amused him from the Indian top tier this term...

The I-League season 2011-12 has been an up and down rollercoaster ride for some teams, an absolute disaster for one and produced a nail-biting cold war between India's two football hubs - Goa and Kolkata.

Football fans are essential to spur any domestic football league around the globe, and Indian fans have been voicing their opinions out loud on social networking sites, football sites and of course stadiums! Goal.com attempts to give those fans some interesting trivia and facts about their favourite teams and rivals:


The Department of Gorgeous Goals!

GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!
GOALS	377 @ 2.73 per game
DEMPO	43 @ 2.15 per game
PAILAN	8 @ 0.44 per game
East Bengal 8-1 HAL Bangalore

In a total of 138 matches played till Matchday 20 of the I-League, 377 goals were scored, at an average of 2.73 goals scored per game!

Dempo SC top the goal scoring charts with 43 goals at an average of 2.15 goals per game.

Pailan Arrows flop the goal scoring charts with just eight goals at an average of 0.44 goals per game.

The opening goal of the season was scored by C.K. Vineeth for Chirag United Kerala against HAL on 22 October 2011.

Most goals scored in a match by a single team: Eight goals by East Bengal versus HAL Bangalore in a 8-1 demolition at the Bangalore Football Stadium on 23 November 2011.

Fastest goal of the season: Three minutes - Anthony Pereira for Dempo SC against Shillong Lajong on 23 November 2011.

Widest winning margin: Seven goals (Again, East Bengal 8-1 HAL!)

Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: Three goals by Shillong Lajong in an exciting, yet disappointing thriller against Sporting Clube de Goa. (Sporting Clube de Goa 4-3 Shillong Lajong on 31 October 2011).

Most goals scored in a match by a single player: Four goals by Tolgay Ozbey of East Bengal against HAL Bangalore in the 8-1 thrashing.


As of 12 February 2012, the I-League is four goals short of reaching the 1900 goals scored mark since its inception in 2007.

HAL Bangalore possess the I-League's worst defensive unit having conceded 45 goals.

Salgaocar SC possess the I-League's best defensive unit having conceded just 15 goals.

Most hat-tricks scored: Two hat-tricks by Odafa Okolie of Mohun Bagan. First against Pailan Arrows on 23 October 2011 and second, against Churchill Brothers on 15 January 2012.

Top Scorer: Ranti Martins of Dempo SC having scored 23 goals.

Top Assists: Freiman Peixoto of Sporting Clube de Goa with five assists.


Home 'and away' from home...

THE TOP AND THE FLOP
SALGAOCAR SC
PLAYED AT HOME WON DRAWN LOST	10 7 1 2
HAL BANGALORE
PLAYED AT HOME WON DRAWN LOST	10 0 1 9
Longest unbeaten run: 11 games

Defending Champions Salgaocar SC have the most impressive home form at the Fatorda Stadium having won seven, drawn one and lost two.

HAL Bangalore have the worst home record with zero wins, one draw and nine losses!

Dempo SC possess the league's best travelling unit having eight wins, zero draws and one loss away from home.

Pailan Arrows happen to be the worst travellers away from home with zero wins, one draw and six losses.

HAL and Pailan Arrows are the only two teams of the I-League that have not yet registered a home win.

Pailan Arrows have not yet registered a win this season (home or away). But they top the charts for most number of draws at home (seven draws).

Highest reported attendance: 90,000 at the Salt Lake Stadium for the Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal on 20 November 2011.

Special mention: Shillong Lajong recorded an impressive 25,000 fans at the Nehru Stadium in Shillong on 28 January 2012 when Pune FC visited.

Longest unbeaten run: 11 games by Salgaocar SC and Pune FC. Salgaocar must be given credit as their unbeaten streak included more wins.

Biggest home win: Dempo 5-0 Mohun Bagan

Biggest away win: HAL 1-8 East Bengal

Longest losing streak: 9 games by HAL Bangalore.


Did You Know?

WHAT COULD HAPPEN

IF NO TEAM WOULD BE RELEGATED THIS SEASON?* THE I-LEAGUE DEVOID ITS CONNECTIONS WITH AIFF? A KOLKATA TEAM DOES NOT WIN THE TITLE THIS SEASON?

*Pailan Arrows cannot be relegated

IMG Reliance and the I-League have joined hands with the polio eradication campaign India Unite to End Polio Now.

12 of the 14 I-League teams met at a recent conference in Mumbai to discuss their potential plans to make I-League a separate legal entity, devoid of most of the connections with the AIFF Executive Committee.

Pailan Arrows, India's very own developmental football team, cannot be relegated as per the rules.

The fear of I-League becoming an all 'west vs east' competition is looming large as currently the only two south Indian teams (Chirag Kerala and HAL Bangalore) occupy the relegation zone.

No team from Kolkata has ever won the I-League since it started in 2007.

If Dempo win the title this year, it will be the third time they do so since 2007.

Air India and HAL BANGALORE are the only Public Sector owned clubs in the I-League.

There are 18 Nigerian players in the league.

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