Mohammad Rafi and Kervens Belfort opened their goal-scoring accounts for the Kerala Blasters as the Steve Coppell side changed fortunes against FC Goa, defeating them 2-1. Winning in only one out of four games prior to this and conceding 10 goals, the Sachin Tendulkar owned-side needed a different approach and impetus to their game-play, which they brilliantly displayed on the pitch.
Kerala was the better team from the word go, with Kervens Belfort and Mohammad Rafi firing on all cylinders. FC Goa got the first goal of the game in the 24th minute against the tide of play, when Julio Cesar scored a thumping header past Sandip Nandy from a Richarlyson cross.
In the second half, it was all Kerala Blasters. The team started off brilliantly and won the game deservingly. Here, we take a look at the talking points of the highly attacking game.
#1 The return of Kervens Belfort added spark to Kerala Blasters
The 24-year-old Haitian adds a little more spark to the Kerala Blasters FC. Coming back into the starting line-up in the place of Duckens Nazon, Belfort showcased his abilities brilliantly on the pitch. With real speed and agility, Belfort started the game with steely defensive discipline, supporting left-back Josu Currais well. The Haitian grew into the game and looked in a different zone altogether.
Belfort made one of the finest runs seen in this edition of the ISL. In the 10th minute, Belfort picked the ball just near the half-line, turned and dribbled past four FC Goa players and shot, only to be saved by Subhashish Roy Chowdhury. Another layoff to Mohammad Rafi was one of the high points of the game, with the former Atletico de Kolkata striker volleying wide. The brilliant goal in the 84th minute just proved his credentials.
Belfort has started three games for the Blasters this ISL and the team looks different in the attacking half with his presence. Drifting in the center to create more spaces for Josu on the attacking front, Belfort looks a better fit than both Antonio German and Duckens Nazon for the Steve Coppell side.
#2 Kerala Blasters arguably have the best defence in the league
For a team which boasts of a quality troika of Cedric Hengbart, Aaron Hughes and Sandesh Jhingan in the backline, its defensive stability is never under question. With Josu Currais adding enough cover defensively on the left flank, the team can boast of having the best defensive structure in the league.
Kerala Blasters have conceded only four goals this edition of ISL, one more than NorthEast United who have conceded just three (who, at the moment, have the best defensive record in the League). The Blasters side had a nightmarish defence in last season’s ISL, in which they conceded 27 goals, sitting at the bottom of the league but the new coach has solved that problem well.
Except for that erring goal, the Kerala Blasters’ defence has looked really compact, with the much-needed experience, expertise and composure of the foreign duo - Cedric Hengbart and Aaron Hughes. The marquee player has never earned a red card, playing 455 games in the Premier League, and that speaks volumes about his discipline on the pitch.
With Sandesh Jhingan and Josu Currais adorning the defensive flanks, Kerala Blasters have two players who love to bomb forward and deliver crosses into the box. There’s no air of fear in the defensive structure and Sandip Nandy needs to perform better to compensate for his teammates’ hard work in the backline.
#3 Julio Cesar looks better than Rafael Coelho to lead Goa’s line
There’s something different about journeymen, and Julio Cesar proves that. At 36 years of age, the Brazilian can put any mid-20s player to shame with his fitness and work-rate. The former AEK Athens striker, famous for that free-kick against AC Milan, was everywhere on the pitch. Cesar linked up well with Jofre, something which has lacked in Coelho’s presence. The free-kick in the 64th minute was powerful, low and was parried away well by Sandip Nandy.
The striker was caught offside more than half a dozen times, which shows his willingness to make those dangerous off-the-ball runs behind defenders. With a little more drilling on the training pitch and with more understanding of his midfielders’ intents, the former Lokomotiv Moscow can really turn the goal-scoring tables on its head.
With this performance, Rafael Coelho might need to be content with the bench. The striker rose highest for that powerful header past Sandip Nandy, showing his scoring prowess in the air. The rasping attempt in the 54th minute from his left foot showed Zico what he was missing on the field.
#4 Mohammed Rafi got his goal, finally
For a striker, scoring a goal is the ultimate feeling. Ask Mohammad Rafi, for instance. The glee was evident in his eyes after the striker got his first goal of ISL 2016. Rafi had done a lot of hard work in the last three matches for the Blasters in the opposition box and deserved a goal thoroughly.
If Pedro’s 29.6-second goal set the ball rolling against Manchester United on Sunday evening, Rafi did one better. Just after the restart, Mehtab Hossain played a forward ball to Mohammad Rafique, who crossed to Rafi to score in 20 seconds! Probably the fastest goal in the second half of ISL ever, Rafi was well rewarded for his hard work.
The striker has played starring roles for his attacking teammates in the last couple of matches, linking up brilliantly with Michael Chopra and Mohammad Rafique. With the kind of attacking play Kerala is showcasing at the moment, a little better conversion rate from Rafique and Chopra would see Kerala replicating their journey of first season, in which they reached the finals.
#5 Robin Singh was present and absent on the pitch
The striker looked ineffective and absent on the top of the pitch. With Julio Cesar playing at such high tempo and working harder than anyone else on the pitch, it would have been nice if the Indian international had picked a leaf out of the Brazilian’s book and worked a little more on the pitch.
No link-ups, no attempts on or even off target and no headers from a striker who stands at 6 feet-1 inch is a pity. What was even more agonizing was the lack of attempt from the striker. Playing as a target-man might amuse him, but the striker must learn that football is not just a game of waiting in the box for the right ball to come in.
The striker chased shadows to the bench for the Zico-coached side. Zico must understand that running players like Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai would serve the team better. The team looked better after the 75th minute substitution, which sent Robin to the bench and brought Desai on the pitch. With the ineffectiveness of their main target man, FC Goa seemed to be playing with 10 men on the pitch for most of the game.
