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Many thought of it as poetic justice when it was announced that the ISL franchise hailing from the Kerala, popularly known as the ‘Gods own Country’ would be owned by the God of cricket himself, Sachin Tendulkar. On the 13th of May 2014, zealous football fans of Kerala welcomed this news open heartedly giving birth to Kerala Blasters FC and since then there has been no looking back.
An Indian football fan has to be of a certain age to know about the rich footballing heritage that Kerala possess. The five-time Santhosh trophy winning state has produced national team captains in the past and has been a goldmine of raw young talent. Former National team captains Joe Paul Anchery, V.P Sathyan and forward maestro I.M Vijayan are few of the names that the coastal state of Kerala can boast of.
Kerala Blasters, the first ever runner-up in the Hero Indian Super League, had an exhilarating first season, with Canadian striker Iain Hume and young Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan showcasing standout performances throughout the season.
They will look to go a step further and get their hands on the glistening trophy this time around, putting to bed the haunting memories of just losing out on the ultimate prize in season 1.
Squad
Kerala have considerably strengthened their squad from the first instalment of the Hero ISL. In quest of glory, new boss Peter Taylor has been brought in as many as 6 English players to aid the Blasters.
Goalkeeper Stephen Bywater will bring in tons of experience into the side, having spent the whole of his career with sides like Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday in England. Bywater looks like the right man for the job between the sticks. Domestic players Sandip Nandy and Shilton Paul will be his reinforcement.
A winner of both the European Championships and the World Cup with Spain, there is little doubt that Carlos Marchena is one of the biggest names who will play in the Hero Indian Super League this year. The marquee signing will be partnered in defense by the bright young centre-back, Sandesh Jhingan, who was deservingly selected as the ‘Emerging Player’ from season 1.
Seasoned professionals, Peter Ramage and Bruno Perone will be the other members of the strong foreign defensive contingent at Kerala Blasters. On the domestic front, Kerala have full backs Gurwinder Singh and Saumik Dey keen to impress. Injured fullback, Nirmal Chettri will be the most notable absentee in the backline.
Kerala will have the services of talented domestic players Peter Carvalho and Mehtab Hossain who will be responsible for holding the midfield in shape from the centre. Spaniard, Pulga, a local fan favourite from last year will return for season 2.
The yellow brigade will have to come in terms with a life without their talisman, Iain Hume who left to Atletico De Kolkata after Kerala Blasters failed to retain their top scorer from season 1, much to the disappointment of the fans.
However, they have bolstered their options up front by roping in former Bradford City and Coventry striker Chris Dagnall and the Arsenal under-18 star, Sanchez Watt. This pacey English pair will look to find the back of the net on as many occasions as possible.
Local boy, Mohammed Rafi will be the only Keralite in the squad and will be raring to have go at goal in front of his home fans.
Likely starting XI
Head Coach
On the 8th of May, it was announced that 62-year-old Peter Taylor would be the new man in charge of the Kerala Blasters. The Englishman who enjoyed his playing days on the wing has managed the England National team at the under-20, under 21 and senior team levels.
Taylor has a vast chest of experience managing teams like Leicester City and Hull City in England and the Hero ISL will prove to be a whole new challenge in his long career. It will be interesting to see how he employs his understanding and knowledge of the game in Kerala.
He will be assisted by another Englishman, Trevor Morgan who has hung around with the Kerala outfit from last season. The young Indian players will cherish the opportunity to play under the esteemed manager that Peter Taylor is.
What to expect from the Kerala Blasters
As the only franchise in the league not to go abroad for their pre-season, Kerala Blasters are spending their days prepping for the oncoming season in the southern district of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The players looked like a solid unit, when they reportedly thumped local teams by huge margins, in games played behind closed doors.
It is inevitable that lingering memories of last year’s unsuccessful final at Mumbai against Atletico de Kolkata will still be fresh in the minds of both the players and fans alike. Another blow that coach Peter Taylor will have to deal with, is the loss of Iain Hume to Kolkata, leaving the current strikers, massive boots to fill in.
The fans will certainly back them up to the hill like last season when the poured in large numbers last year. The highest attended game at Kochi had an overall attendance of 61,323 earning the ‘yellow wall’ of Kerala comparisons to the fans at Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
It is hard to say whether Kerala Blasters can reach the heights they reached last season. With significant absentees and a weaker looking squad on paper, the Blasters have a daunting task ahead of them. Having said that, a spirited display can be expected from the Peter Taylor’s men as they will be under huge pressure of thousands of fans with high hopes and huge expectations courtesy of their overwhelming performance last season.
Kerala Blasters will begin their search of supremacy on the 6 of October, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi against North East United.
