Top 10 pictures of the ISL final

The final of the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) saw Atletico de Kolkata emerge victorious over Kerala Blasters.Mohammed Rafique scored the only goal of the match as the side from Kolkata lifted the trophy at the end of a thrilling final.The match was played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and fans of both the teams gathered in huge numbers to cheer their team to the final.The ISL final was truly a spectacle for players, coaches, owners and fans alike.Here are the top 10 pictures of the spectacular final:

#1 The start

Iain Hume and Josemi captained Kerala Blasters FC and Atletico de Kolkata, respectively. The two captains shook hands before the match started and gathered for the coin toss from referee Ravshan Irmatov to mark the start of the final match of the tournament that took Indian football by storm.

#2 Kerala Blasters fans

Kerala Blasters FC were playing in Mumbai, nearly 1000 kilometers away from home. The Kerala fans were not deterred, however and turned up in huge numbers to support their favourite team.

#3 Atletico de Kolkata fans

One can not talk about Indian football without mentioning the craze in Kolkata. This was clearly evident in the ISL final at the DY Patil Stadium as the fans of the team from Kolkata vociferously supported their team throughout the match to make it seem to the players as if they are playing at home.

#4 Aggression

No team wanted to give the other an inch of space and the final was quite an aggressive affair. Here, Arnal Llibert of Kolkata is fouled by Soumik Dey of Kerala.

#5 Golden header

The goal that separated the two sides at the end of the match was scored by Mohammed Rafique. Here is the snap of the moment which sealed the tie for Kolkata. What a golden header that was!

#6 Goal celebration

A goal always makes a team happy, but if it is the winner in a cup final and if it comes in stoppage time, there is added euphoria around it. Here, the Atletico de Kolkata players are seen celebrating Mohammed Rafique’s match-winner.

#7 Dejected Kerala Blasters

Losing a match hurts and Kerala Blasters were left dejected and stunned after Atletico de Kolkata beat them with a stoppage-time goal.

Kerala Blasters’ Sushant Mathew’s reaction shows exactly how it feels losing a final in such dramatic fashion.

#8 Delighted Coach and Owner

Coach Antonio Lopez Habas and co-owner Sourav Ganguly – The men who led the team from Kolkata to victory in the inaugural edition pose with the trophy.

#9 The winners

The moment that every player was looking forward to was lifting the ISL trophy at the end of the campaign. 2 months after the tournament began among much fanfare, Atletico de Kolkata were crowned champions of the inaugural edition of the ISL. The jubilation is clearly visible on every face in this picture as the Kolkatan players were presented with the much coveted trophy.

#10 Rivals on the pitch, friends off it

At one time, they were the world’s most feared opening batsmen in world cricket, but now Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were pitted against each other as their teams faced off in the finals.

Ganguly’s team, Atletico de Kolkata, emerged victorious but these two owners epitomized the spirit of the beautiful game and this picture captures it perfectly.