Josu Currais proves to be Kerala's silver lining as he picks up the DHL Winning Pass award

Josu (C) won the DHL Winning Pass Award for the Kerala Blasters FC (Image courtesy: ISL)

Since starting his career at Kerala Blasters FC, Josu Currais has been a revelation for the Indian Super League outfit from Kochi. His calm and composed demeanour while passing the ball is a sight to behold for any football lover. And on the night of 15th November, Currais produced his best performance of the season as he notched up two assists in a dominating performance by the Kerala Blasters against NorthEast United.

Playing in Guwahati, at NorthEast United's home ground, it was never going to be an easy task for the men in yellow. Then Chris Dagnall turned all expectations upside down by scoring in just 28 seconds of the start of the match, thereby creating an ISL record for the fastest goal scored so far.

Dagnall scored from Antonio German's low cross, but the key pass was made by Currais to send German through, enabling the latter to power in a first-time cross. Currais bossed the whole of the game with several more contributions throughout the pitch.

In the 21st minute of the match, Josu sent a delightful through ball which was followed by a perfect run by Indian international Cavin Lobo, who finished with aplomb to give the visitors a 2-0 lead with nearly 70 minutes to go in the match.

The last two goals for Kerala Blasters came in the space of two minutes as Currais set up German to claim his second assist of the game in the 75th minute. Dagnall scored his second the very next minute.

It all seemed too easy for the Kerala Blasters, as their midfield dominated the whole game. They were led ably by the young Spaniard, who spread the play around skilfully to keep the Highlanders completely out of the game.

A graduate from the La Masia, Currais shows glimpses of what we observe while watching a Barcelona game. The slick, short passing displayed by the Barcelona players is something that every football fan enjoys, and that very quality is what we can see when we watch Currais play.

He scored the first goal for Kerala Blasters in the ISL, in the 3-1 win against Mumbai City FC on 6th October. He notched up an assist in that game too, ending with three assists in all so far in the season.

After Kerala Blaster's 1-5 home loss against FC Goa, the 22-year-old Currais won the DHL Winning Pass Award – an award given to every team's highest assist-maker in the ISL this season. The award was presented by Mr. R.S. Subramanian, Senior Vice President & Country Manager, DHL Express India.

In place of Currais, KBFC captain Peter Ramage (R) received the DHL Award from Mr. R.S. Subramanian (Image courtesy: ISL)

Most people in the football fraternity focus primarily on the players who score goals, who are celebrated much more than the players with other roles on the pitch. However, focusing on the complete buildup of a goal is how the game should ideally be appreciated; concentrating solely on the outcome is a rather short-sighted way of looking at things.

Every Ronaldo or Messi needs someone to provide that vital pass that gives them the opportunity to score a goal for the team. And each of the players coming up with assists needs to be held in the same respect as those who score goals.

Having the vision and implementing that vision into action is not an easy task, but that is exactly what an assist-maker does. The DHL Winning Pass Award looks to focus on the unsung heroes, who work hard for the team to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Although the Kerala Blasters are out of the reckoning for a semi-final spot, Currais’ impact on their performance was quite clear. The team from Kochi played with much more fluency and beauty when the Spaniard was on the pitch.

In a league where most of the foreign players are in their late 30s, Currais is an exception; he is just 22 years old and has a bright future ahead of him. Even if getting into the Spain national squad is a long way away, he definitely has the quality to feature in one of the top five European leagues.

The youngster will be hoping that some good offers come his way after the end of the ISL.