Kerala Blasters players during a training session. Kochi: There is nary an inch for another defeat. Nothing short of a win will do either. As Kerala Blasters and North East United boot up for the 49th match of the Indian Super League in Kochi today, both teams are free of any calculations. Both are out there with just one thing in mind – victory. A mere two matches remain for both teams. Scoring maximum points is the only means of reaching the semifinals.
Finding the net a must
Kerala cannot proceed without scoring goals. Kerala, which played 12 matches so far, failed to score a goal in 6 of them. The most number of goals they scored in a match is 2. They are unable to go beyond that. However, there are no further opportunities for Kerala without scoring goals. They have to garner the six possible points from the remaining two matches.
What do they fear?
Kerala supporters have begun to ask who the team fears when facing the goal post. The reason is that Kerala Blasters as a team have enshrined themselves in the supporters’ hearts. Malayalis have yet to take out their nature of blaming everything on the Blasters yet. After every match the refrain is that the frontline lets go off chances at scoring a goal.
The only objective in the next two matches is a win, even if it is by one goal – this is what Kerala’s marquee player David James said at the press meet before the match. But can Kerala romp home victorious scoring just one goal? North East represents young blood in the ISL. They are the youngest team in terms of average age. Therefore their fighting spirit is more. It is this young blood that gives Coach Ricky Herbert the confidence theirs is the team with the best ISL future.
Last minute glitches
Kerala tends to slacken towards the final moments. It is the same lackadaisical attitude that made them concede a goal to Chennai at the 87th minute. Even though Kerala won the match against Kolkata, it witnessed some alarming performances that shook the Kerala goal post during injury time. Replays later revealed the ball crossing the goal line, but Kerala narrowly escaped as the referee refuted the goal. It was again during injury time in the first half that a goal was conceded in the first match against North East United.
Keralite to guard goalpost for NE
T.P. Rehanesh from Kozhikode will don he gloves to guard the goalpost for North East United. An injury to first choice goalie Greek Alexandro Tzorvas paved the way for Rehanesh to man the net. Rehanesh, who rose up to the expectations of Coach Herbert, topped the list of best goalkeepers till the other day. Rehanesh saved 31 of the 41 shots at goal that he faced. He thereby pocketed all the four clean sheets. Herbert is certain that North East’s net will be safe in the hands of Rehanesh in Kochi too.
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