After a horrendous start to the season that got them only one point in their first three games, Kerala Blasters are in the semifinals. A late season revival, sparked by the arrival of CK Vineeth has ensured that Steve Coppell’s men find themselves playing the Delhi Dynamos over two legs for a chance to play the final at home in front of their adoring fans at Kochi.
Kerala finished second in the group stages and that should have had them playing the second leg at home, but for whatever reason, they will play the first match in Kochi before heading to the capital, where they will hope to take a sizeable lead.
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Interestingly, the Blasters are the only team in the semifinals, who had a negative goal difference in the league stage – although that was hugely hampered by their 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Mumbai City FC.
But in the semifinal, as Diego Forlan said, it is like a different tournament and the position on the table hardly matters. All four teams start on level footing, and all it will take is three good days for any side to be crowned champions.
Here we take a look at the reasons why Kerala will win the tournament.
#1 Recent Form
Kerala have lost only one of their last six games, winning four in the process. Delhi meanwhile have won only two of their last six games, both against the two sides at the bottom of the table – Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa. That is a concern for Gianluca Zambrotta heading into the first leg against a Blasters side full of confidence.
All facets of Kerala’s game seem to have clicked in unison towards the business end of the tournament. Graham Stack has used all his experience between the sticks and along with Aaron Hughes and Cedric Hengbart, he has formed the bedrock of this Kerala side.
Although Kerala did score the least number of goals by any team this season, they found a way to win games. Their big players have stepped up and it has helped Coppell that he has not gone by reputation in picking his lineups.
Pratik Chowdhary had a fabulous run in the side before Rino Anto arrived after his AFC Cup exploits with Bengaluru FC. Coppell must have been tempted to start the local Kerala boy, but he has kept faith with Pratik and the Englishman has been repaid.
Similarly, Michael Chopra and Antonio German have fired blanks for most of this season and Coppell has been rather rigid with not putting them in the starting eleven. The Haitians, Duckens Nazon and Kervens Belfort have done really well for Kerala and there is no reason Coppell had to change that combination.
Coppell has used all his experience and that has ensured Kerala’s amazing recovery to finish second on the table.
#2 CK Vineeth
At the heart of Kerala’s late revival has been one of the state’s very own. Vineeth has scored five goals in the six games that he has played, to turn his team’s season around. This has been a welcome revival for Vineeth after he went through all of Kerala’s disappointing last season not scoring a single goal.
But this is a new, improved, revitalized Vineeth. His confidence was helped hugely by his magnificent performances in Bengaluru FC’s run to the AFC Cup final – he even scored the winner in the quarterfinal against Tampines Rovers. But he has hit another level for Kerala.
Vineeth’s goals have won Kerala seven points on their own as he has scored winners against Goa, Chennaiyin and NorthEast. He also scored Kerala’s only goal in their 1-1 draw with Atletico de Kolkata.
Although Nazon and Belfort have played their part, Kerala’s saviour this season has been Vineeth and for him, it will be extra special to make the final this year. The final will be with his home team and will be held on his home ground.
#3 Solid Defence
Kerala have conceded only 15 goals this season. Their defence has been largely what has got them through to the semis. Kerala scored the least goals by any team in the league, and given that, it was important that they didn’t concede too many.
Their captain, Aaron Hughes’ importance to the side cannot be understated. Kerala have struggled when their marquee player has been away on national duty for Northern Ireland. Him and Cedric Hengbart have used all of the experience to marshal the likes of Sandesh Jhingan and Pratik Chowdhary through games. Hughes has been the leader, but Hengbart has not been left behind.
The Frenchman has been vocal in ensuring that Kerala stay organised. However, it is also important to mention Mehtab Hossain’s contributions. The veteran Indian has sat in front of the back four and relieved the pressure from them, in the process also ensuring that the likes of Nazon and Mahamat Azrack can move forward with a little more freedom.
#4 The Kochi crowd
If Kerala are to win the league, they will have to play two of the three games at home, in front of their adoring fans – the inspiring Manjappada. Attendances in Kochi have regularly touched 60,000 and Coppell’s men will need every bit of the support their fans give them.
It is a huge boost in confidence for the players that the fans turn up in such large numbers and hours in advance of the game. In most games at Kochi this season, the stadium has been filled an hour or two before kickoff making it a wonderful atmosphere for the players to come into.
There is no doubt who the fans will be behind throughout the knockout stages as their team will be in action and very much in with a chance of winning the tournament. The ‘Sea of Yellow’ in Kochi will be louder than it ever has. Kerala have made the semifinal once before and beat Chennaiyin 3-0 in the first leg at home. How they would love a repeat against Zambrotta’s Delhi!
#5 Indian contingent
It would not be wrong to say that this year’s ISL has been the most productive for the Indian players. Hugely talented players like Chennaiyin’s Jerry Lalrinzuala and Delhi’s Kean Lewis have emerged. For Kerala, there were no new talents emerging as such, but the existing crop of Indian players has done its job.
Vineeth, of course, has made a massive impact. But it would be wrong to not acknowledge that Mehtab Hossain, Mohammad Rafi and Sandesh Jhingan have played their roles perfectly too.
None of them are particularly flair players, but they have held their own on the pitch. They have gone about their job unnoticed and that has enabled Coppell to play Stack in goal and not reserve that extra foreigner’s slot to play an outfield player.
