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Kerala Blasters FC booked their spot in the ISL 2021-22 final after beating Jamshedpur FC 2-1 on aggregate across the two-legged semi-final. The win sparked wild celebrations from the Blasters' faithful as the club reached a final after six years.
The Blasters were the better side in the first leg as well as the second leg, outplaying their opponents. Adrian Luna scored a stunning goal to give the Blasters the lead in the first half of the second leg on Tuesday. But the team failed to extend it despite creating multiple chances.
Pronay Halder brought Jamshedpur FC back into the match in the second half after he sent the ball into the net. However, the Red Miners couldn't add to the scoreline, and were thereby knocked out of the tournament.
With Kerala Blasters emerging victorious in this battle let’s take a look at the top four things we learned from this match:
Kerala Blasters reach their 3rd ISL final
Times have been dark for Kerala Blasters FC in recent years, but they have finally redeemed themselves this season. The Men in Yellow played the ISL final in 2014, losing to ATK back then. They met ATK in the ISL final in 2016 again, losing in a penalty shoot-out.
The Blasters failed to reach the playoffs since then, until now.
Ivan Vukamanovic's transformation of Kerala Blasters FC was successful as his men reached the playoffs. However, they faced a tough opponent in Jamshedpur FC. Sahal Abdul Samad's goal in the first leg and Adrian Luna's goal in the second leg was enough to take the team into the finals.
Offside goal drama hurts Jamshedpur FC
After Adrian Luna scored in the 18th minute, Jamshedpur FC played the chasing game for the entirety of the match. Owen Coyle's men thought they had reduced the deficit in the 37th minute, only to be left disappointed a few minutes later.
Daniel Chima Chukwu scored for the Red Miners, giving them a much-needed boost. That is when the referee, after a discussion with the linesman, ruled out the goal for offside.
This turned out to be a big decision in the match. An additional goal could have proved to be the difference between a loss and a win for the Red Miners.
Adrian Luna proves his class once again
Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna was the first foreign recruit for Kerala Blasters before the season. Needless to say, he has played a huge role in turning around the fortunes of the club.
Luna was pivotal in the league stage of the competition, scoring five goals and providing seven assists. He became a fan-favourite in no time as he enticed fans with his brilliant dribbling and goal-scoring.
In the second leg against Jamshedpur FC, the midfielder scored a beautiful goal. He dribbled past the defender to send a curling shot from the edge of the box. The ball flew past TP Rehenesh as Kerala Blasters gained an important lead in the match.
Unimpressive Jamshedpur FC pay the price
Jamshedpur FC were the deserving champions of the ISL League Shield this season. Their consistent performances across 20 matches sealed their place at the top of the table.
With the kind of momentum they were in, the Red Miners were expected to pose a big challenge for Kerala Blasters FC in the semifinals. However, their performance was rather unimpressive, to say the least.
They were dominated by their opponents in both legs of the semifinal. The league winners suffered due to woeful finishing which saw them miss multiple opportunities to score. Kerala Blasters were the better side by a mile in the second leg. They kept on creating pressure on Jamshedpur FC and came close to scoring on a number of occasions.
With Jamshedpur FC out of the tournament, Mumbai City FC remains the only team to have won the double in one season of the ISL.
