After over two months and 60 matches of exhilarating football, the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League has got its finalists - Kerala Blasters FC and Atletico de Kolkata.
The final of the glitzy tournament, which has captured the imagination of the football fans in an otherwise cricket-crazy country, will be played in Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on December 20.
Teams co-owned by former Indian cricket captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly will clash in the finale of the ISL.
Ganguly's Atletico de Kolkata pipped FC Goa on penalties in the second semi-final on Wednesday. Following Sunday's goalless first leg, the Goan team, coached by Brazilian great Zico, dominated the second leg at home but could not score in the regulation 90 minutes and extra time. Kolkata won 4-2 on penalties.
On the other hand, Tendulkar's Kerala Blasters FC edged out Chennaiyin FC 4-3 on aggregate after the second leg of the other semi-final.
Both the teams came into the final with contrasting records. Kerala Blasters scored three goals in their first-leg semi-final at home before conceding three away to Chennaiyin FC, only to win, courtesy a sensational late winner in extra time by Stephen Pearson.
Prior to the action-packed semis, Canadian striker Iain Hume scored from a free kick to hand Kerala a dramatic 1-0 win over Pune City FC at home in last round league game to confirm their slot in the playoffs.
Despite a rather uninspiring run in the league stages, both Kerala and Kolkata find themselves contesting for the coveted Cup.
Apart from their tight defence and exemplary home record, luck has also played a big role in Kerala's road to the final.
The Blasters were the first team to qualify for the semifinals despite not possessing a marquee striker. But riding on their immense self-belief and confidence, they outplayed much stronger teams in their journey.
Kerala had a rough start to the tournament, which saw them registering just one victory in their first five away games before beginning their home run on a winning note. The team got its act together during the later stages of the tournament.
The likes of Iain Hume and Stephen Pearson have been consistent game after game. Hume has been one of the star performers in their team scoring nearly half of his team's total goals.
Talking about the Indian players, the likes of Sandesh Jhingan, Milagres Gonsalves, Chinadorai Sabeeth and goalkeeper Sandip Nandy have formed the backbone of the team with their impressive performances.
Going into the final, lack of a good forward line may be an area of concern but defence has been the pillar of this team that led the tournament (along with Goa) in clean sheets (7). Kerala had conceded the least number of goals in the league phase, letting in only 11, though the 3-0 semi-final second-leg loss to Chennai somewhat ruined it.
It won't be wrong to say that they have an inspirational captain in the form of David James, who, in his hey days, was the best custodian in England and the Premier League. Though his career may well be over its expiry date, merely his presence can make a lot of difference.
Comments
0 comment