ISL Analysis | Kerala churn out a dramatic draw in Chennai
ISL
Kerala Blasters came back from the death to snatch a late, late equalizer at the Marina Arena through CK Vineeth as the Southern derby ended 1-1 on a dramatic note. Chennaiyin FC will kick themselves for their callous defending as they failed to retain the lead after going ahead in the 89th minute.
Has Kerala Blasters finally got their structure right?
Kerala didn’t start the campaign in the best of ways with three draws against Atletico de Kolkata, Jamshedpur FC, and Mumbai City FC and followed it up with a 5-2 hammering by FC Goa. The perception of a compact
However, Rene Meulensteen came up with a solid response against NorthEast United, when Wes Brown’s influence was first felt. The former Manchester United player was deployed in the two-man midfield but was used as an extra
Maintaining a
ISL’s refereeing standards go lower every game
The fourth edition of ISL has surely started on a negative note as it has come to limelight more for its poor officiating rather than the quality of football. The IPL has organized workshops for referees ahead of the new season and it is highÂ
Not only have terrible refereeing decisions seen matches going all haywire and outcomes completely against the flow of play, but we but we have also come across field officials who were simply unable to maintain discipline on the field, with a game seeing as many as 43 fouls last week. Chennai and Kerala looked like it would end as a stalemate after the first-half with neither of the sides looking dangerous in the attacking third.
With 90 minutes almost over, both the sides had almost settled for it mentally when the referee pulled out a massive blunder. Chennai’s Francisco Fernandes had a shot on goal that was well blocked by Sandesh Jhingan with his chest but to everyone’s surprise, the referee awarded a penalty. The
The Showstopper
Sandesh Jhingan had a field day yet again with hardly any ball going past his way inside Kerala’s goal. The defensive leader has been absolutely unshakeable at the back with his forte to producing impeccable tackles in the most fragile of areas in and around the penalty box. Chennai could have just six attempts on goal despite having over 60% possession most of the game and the central defender was the main reason for it.
He made a whopping 14 clearances today decimating innumerable Chennai attacks even before they could mature into a threat. And the fact that he committed just 2 fouls in all of it just shows his ability to time his lunges and read the game. He was the constant link to Wes Brown, who was the
In the second half when the yellow army looked more a threat, Jhingan even went ahead and created two chances that ended
Otamendi or Adam Smith? Who will make more tackles?
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