ISL 2018-19: Kerala Blasters 1-2 Bengaluru FC – 5 Talking Points

Kerala Blasters have tasted their first defeat of Indian Super League season five after their 1-2 loss to Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday. Kerala, who came to this match after one win and four straight draws, must rue missed chances behind their defeat.

With this win, Bengaluru went on top of the table with 13 points from five matches. They are two points clear of Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC, who are on 11 points each.

The match was interrupted for about half an hour due to the power failure inside the stadium, which delayed the starting of the second half.

Pressure is mounting on Kerala coach David James as the two-time finalists performed much better on their home turf but had to end up on the losing side. The home turf is seemingly a curse for them this season as they have failed to win a single game at Kochi so far.

Bengaluru went ahead in the first quarter of the game thanks to a superb finish from their captain Sunil Chhetri. Kerala didn’t take much time to equalise after Slavisa Stojanovic converted from the spot. However, Bengaluru again took the lead when Xisco Hernandez’s shot was punched away by Kerala goalkeeper Naveen Kumar but the ball deflected off Nikola Krcmarevic’s chest before going into the net.

Let us look at the five talking points from the match:

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#1 Power cut forces the match to be delayed

Before the start of the second half, a certain section of the floodlights stopped working. One side of the pitch became dark and the referee R. Venkatesh decided not to resume the match until everything got sorted.

But it took more than usual time as three of four floodlight towers went off. The players had no option but to go back to the dressing room to restore some more energy. It was not frustrating for the Manjappada either as they took out their mobile phones and flashes were on immediately.

Later on, it was announced that there was shortage of power supply in the towers which forced the match to be delayed by 25 minutes.

#2 Kerala's fortunes remain in darkness

Kerala Blasters are yet to win a game in over a month [Image: ISL]

The lights may have gone off for some time, but the darkness in Kerala’s fortune remained the same. Once again they had to leave the field dejected and frustrated.

But to be honest, that was not the case in the whole match. Kerala were brilliant in the first half and must be ruing after the match that they have not utilised their chances. James’ gamble of introducing Prasanth Karuthadathkuni in the middle worked well. Prasanth constantly kept pressure on Bengaluru defence and even tested Gurpreet in the first half by a superb left-footed shot.

Vineeth was also having a busy day from the right side and he provided a superb pass to Seiminlen Doungel inside the box. The latter unleashed a shot but it was saved brilliantly by Gurpreet. Vineeth was again involved in the second half and missed his chance to score.

Kerala started on attacking note and maintained the same intensity in the first half. Surprisingly in the second, they sat back and were allowing Bengaluru to play in their own half. Kerala went for an all-out attack after conceding the second goal, but it was late.

#3 Two wrong goals awarded

Slavisa Stojanovic converts a penalty which was wrongly awarded [Image: ISL]

A few days ago, Kerala Blasters’ official fan club, the Manjappada officially wrote to the All India Football Federation for the poor refereeing meted out against them.

Against FC Pune City a few days ago, Kerala were clearly denied a goal when Emiliano Alfaro handled the ball to prevent it from going inside. On Monday, Chhetri scored from a clear offside position. Even the Indian captain conceded after the match that he was offside but said the referee’s decision is final.

However, Kerala too got some luck with them when they were awarded the penalty. Nishu Kumar pushed Sahal Samad from the back and it didn’t look there was too much contact between the two players. The referee thought otherwise and didn’t waste time before pointing to the spot, much to the frustration of Albert Serran. Slavisa Stojanovic, who missed a penalty before, got the equaliser and brought Kerala on level terms.

#4 Bengaluru showed their usual self

Bengaluru FC [Image: ISL]

There is hardly any team that can match Bengaluru in terms of complete display. All their three departments complement each other in a match. They attack well, defend well and control the midfield. Their nearest rival may be Jamshedpur FC, who are showing a glimmer of hope of top-four finish.

They have played only five matches, but Bengaluru FC are already on top of the table and two points ahead of their nearest rival Jamshedpur (played two matches more than Bengaluru) and NorthEast United (played the same number of matches).

Last year, Bengaluru took their lead early in the season and went to finish the group stage eight points clear than their nearest rival. There is no reason why they can’t do it this time too.

Carles Cuadrat took over as head coach this season but didn’t tinker the playing style that former coach Albert Roca introduced. Bengaluru kept maximum members of their team and picked some of the talented footballers who could provide more solidity.

Bengaluru showed the same character against Kerala Blasters, though they were a bit quiet in the first half. Against Kerala’s relentless attack, Bengaluru players were sitting deep and using the counter-attacking opportunity. They attacked in the second half but couldn’t utilise every opportunity due to a resolute defence from Kerala players.

They may be thankful to Krcmarevic for the winning goal but it doesn’t take away the effort they put in the whole match.

#5 What’s next for David James?

David James [Image: ISL]

Four successive draws and now a heart-breaking loss at home. Kerala Blasters tasted their last win more than one month ago, against ATK, which was incidentally the opening match of the season. So, what future lies ahead for Kerala Blasters and their coach David James?

The British coach probably used all the weapons in his armoury, but failed to get the expected results. Kerala were denied a win twice after conceding a goal late in the game and now they have lost for the same reason.

Is it tiredness late on in the game that is preventing their desired results or the lack of winning mentality among the players hindering their success? It’s only the coach who could answer these questions. But one thing is given, something needs to be changed and the coach is responsible for it.

We have already seen coaches struggling to set the house in order and James is not an exception. But to do that, the players should come out and be responsive to their coach’s strategy. James has some talented players in his team and he should use them carefully from the next matches. Time is very short and the alarm bells are already ringing.