#4 Mumbai City FC 5 - 0 Kerala Blasters
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Kerala Blasters FC, except for the second season, are known to have watershed defences. The team, well led by a thinking Steve Coppell, had Aaron Hughes, Cedric Hengbart and Sandesh Jhingan in their back-line. Regarded as one of the strongest ever back-lines in Indian football ever, it was the wizardry of one certain Uruguayan which broke it and delivered a free-flowing performance.
You don't win the Golden Ball at a FIFA World Cup like that. Diego Forlan has everything. At 37 years of age, one look at him and you know he's a true professional. The former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker was in the mood that night. And thus, Kerala had to suffer.
19th November at Mumbai, it was a night for audiences. For football lovers who wanted to see what class is, and the Uruguayan showed them just that. Scoring as early as in the 4th minute, Forlan had sent the message loud and clear. Two more goals in the 14th and 62nd minute and the game was over for the visitors. Sony Norde and Lucian Goain added to the agony, scoring the other two goals in the second half.
Till this match was played, both Mumbai and Kerala had only conceded 8 goals each, and Forlan's heroics set the banter higher for the home side. Kerala did make the finals eventually, but this defeat surely would've hurt them hard. Also, it gave Mumbai City FC a positive record: the only team to score a hat-trick in every edition of the ISL. Andre Moritz did it, Sunil Chhetri did it and the record was maintained by one of the finest attackers in modern football.
