Kerala Blasters once again fell short of the closest distance from the trophy
It was Kerala Blasters‘ third appearance in an Indian Super League final and the yellow army could not emerge victorious even once till the date. The Tuskers were unstoppable forces throughout the league stage, making it to the semifinal round after a long wait of six years but still couldn’t fulfil the great dream of Manjappada.
Ever since their 2016 ISL final appearance, many high-profile managers came and resigned but no one could ensure the resurgence of the Kerala side. Finally, the Serbian gaffer Ivan Vukomanović has brought joy to the face of every Keralite around the globe who proudly dons the yellow jersey. The former Bordeaux defender did not have a glorious coaching profile, still, the support and encouragement he got from the Blasters authorities was commendable.
The defending champions Mumbai City were their prime competitors for the last remaining semifinal spot. They faced each other in their second-last fixture of the campaign where the Blasters crushed the Islander’s aim of a successful title defense. Hence the KBFC finished the league stage campaign in the fourth position with 34 points coming from nine wins, seven draws and four losses.
Overseas Patrons
Adrian Luna who arrived in Kerala from Australian top-flight club Melbourne City was given the captain’s armband in his very first season on Indian soil. The Uruguayan midfielder led the Tuskers from the front and contributed six goals and seven assists in 23 appearances.
Marko Lešković was a rock in Kerala’s central defense but the Croatian defender did not get enough support from his foreign companion Enes Sipović who made only eight starts throughout the season. While scoring responsibilities were handed over to the duo of Pereyra Díaz and Álvaro Vázquez who both made contributions of eight goals each in the 2021-22 campaign.
Youngsters were on the rise!
Felicitation of the ‘Great Wall of Kerala’
Kerala Blasters are well-known for creating an appropriate environment for the youngsters as the club also tops the tally of producing most Emerging Player Award winners. When the grand finale concluded, winning coach Manolo Marquez’s first priority was to console the opponent goalkeeper Prabhsukhran Singh Gill.
It shows how much the 21-year-old shot-stopper has impressed everyone in his breakthrough Indian Super League season. He first achieved first-choice status in the Kerala lineup ahead of Albino Gomes and Karanjit and then went on to claim the Golden Gloves for keeping seven clean sheets with a minute per goal conceding ratio of 83.52.
How did it conclude?
Manjappada who travelled all the way from Kerala to Goa
The Tuskers were drawn with table-toppers Jamshedpur FC in the semifinal round as a disadvantage of finishing last among all semifinalists. But it didn’t affect the spirit of the Blasters who stunned the Shield winners on an aggregate scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the yellow side. The second leg was settled down on the levelled scores of 1-1 as the solitary goal from Sahal in the first leg turned out to be decisive.
The Kochi-based club was in a driving seat with a 1-0 lead while entering into the dying minutes of the final. Where they conceded from a beautiful volley of Sahil Tavora and then the heroics of Laxmikant Kattimani during the penalty shootout denied Manjappada’s claim on the trophy.
Takeaways from the season
The biggest takeaway of the Blasters’ campaign was finding a reliable coach like Ivan Vukomanović whose system can be used for a long period. Especially Indian starlets like Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Jessel Carneiro and Harmanjot Khabra who turned into beasts under the watch of Serbian gaffer.
The intent and temperament of Kerala players during the toughest circumstances were commendable and constant throughout the season. Vukomanović is confident that his services will be kept by the Blasters authorities for yet another season as he deserves one more chance to give it all.
Up for the next
Domestic tuskers like Rahul KP, Sahal, Jeakson have become core players of Kerala Blasters who will keep the yellow flag high in future years. Now it’s all up to the manager either he retains almost the same roster or goes for a major shake-up.
The fighting spirit of the Blasters and Manjappada is well-known around the globe as they will back with certain changes to finish things off.