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Kerala Blasters went on top of the Indian Super League season 5 table at least for the next few hours after their draw against Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday. Mumbai climbed up to eighth after registering their first point of the season.
This was the ninth encounter between the two teams. In the previous eight matches, both teams had won two each while four encounters had ended in a stalemate.
Kerala coach David James named an unchanged line-up. On the other hand, Mumbai coach Jorge Costa made four changes after their frustrating defeat against Jamshedpur FC.
Kerala went ahead in the 24th minute in front of their vociferous fans. Upon receiving Nikola Krcmaveric’s beautiful backheel pass, Semilen Doungel crossed it on the right side. Holicharan Narzary took a single touch before his left-footed shot beat Amrinder Singh and flew home.
However, in the dying moments, 19-year-old Pranjal Bhumij scored a piledriver which ensured his team took home at least a point.
Here are the five talking points of the game:
#1 Mumbai attack depends on Issoko
Mumbai coach Jorge Costa made four changes which strengthened his team’s defence and midfield. But on the attacking front, they lacked the spark. Costa fielded Modou Sougou as the lone striker and deployed Raphael Bastos and Arnold Issoko as wingers.
For a large part of the match, all the attacks of Mumbai were created from the right side and Issoko was at the centre of it. Bastos played for 90 minutes but why his role was curbed is unknown. During some moments, it seemed he lacked mental strength and fitness and was not yet ready to play a full match.
Despite having a beautiful player like Matias Mirabaje, Costa kept him on the bench for 65 minutes. Finally, after his introduction, Mumbai looked stable in their attack and Kerala's defence was losing concentration due to the immense pressure applied by Mumbai, which culminated in a goal.
Issoko was impressive throughout the match, and if he had converted his chances, Mumbai could have won the contest. Like their previous match against Jamshedpur, Mumbai attackers were quiet during the first half, but came back as a confident unit in the second half and created some amazing goal-scoring opportunities.
However, there needs to be a proper plan for Bastos. He created only one chance, which is unexpected from a winger.
#2 Dheeraj shines again
When Pranjal Bhumij took the shot in the 93rd minute, Dheeraj Singh was in perfect position. But the shot curled quite extravagantly and not a single keeper in the world could have saved it.
Dheeraj was disappointed at the end of the match, but he should hold his head high. Life has changed so much for him in the last one year. He was near perfect against Mumbai. His glove-work, timing and positioning were eye-catching as always.
Take the example of the 17th minute, when he came out of his area and headed the ball away in front of an onrushing Sougou. As a goalkeeper, James knows recognises talent and he will surely inspire Dheeraj to shine more on the big stage.
#3 Day of youngsters
Kerala started with seven Indians, which we do not see too often nowadays. Apart from Captain Sandesh Jhingan, all of them were under 25 years of age. After taking charge as the coach, James emphasized on bringing more young talent from across the country and this shows exactly what his mission is.
Mohammad Rakip was threatening right from the start from his left-back position. So was Lalruattahara as a right-back. His challenge was even bigger as he was facing Issoko, who is much bigger than him in terms of physique.
After an impressive debut, Sahal Samad was in his usual mood today. He made five tackles and also took a shot on goal. Semilen Doungel, who spent three early years in East Bengal, provided an assist which was duly converted by Narzary, another young talent from Manipur.
#4 Jhingan, Goian outstanding
Kerala could have tasted defeat if Jhingan was not there at the heart of their defence. The Kerala defender, who broke Iain Hume's record of having participated in the most matches in the ISL (60), played his heart out. Two of his headers from corners just missed the target. His tackle on Issoko denied Mumbai a sure goalscoring opportunity.
Mumbai again depended on their star player Lucian Goian. The Romanian, battling against his age, tried to keep the defence intact. He made four clearances and nine tackles in the match. Now it’s time for his partner Subhasish to take the load off him.
#5 One and only Manjappada
After much controversy, football returned to Kochi again. The yellow wall and their vociferous noise right from the start once again proved why no opposition wants to play in Kochi. The fans were singing and banging dhols right through the match. They had to leave in disappointment though as a last minute equalizer prevented their team from earning a win.
Two months ago, the whole state was devastated. Floods had ruined everything but their love and passion for football. So a full house in their first match of the season was not unexpected.
Kerala also paid tribute to their fans. They wore a special jersey in remembrance of the fishermen, who helped to save many lives during the flood.
