2014 Kerala Blasters FC season

Kerala Blasters
2014 season
General Manager Viren D'Silva
Head Coach David James
Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
ISL 4th
Finals Runners-up
Top goalscorer League: Iain Hume (4)
All: Iain Hume (5)
Highest home attendance 61,323 vs. Chennaiyin
(30 November)
Lowest home attendance 34,657 vs. Delhi Dynamos
(9 November)
Average home league attendance 49,111[1]
Home colours
Away colours

The 2014 season was the first ever season of competitive football played by the Kerala Blasters. The team managed to secure qualification for the Indian Super League finals on 9 December 2014, after finishing the regular season in fourth position. They managed to make it to the final, but were defeated by Atlético de Kolkata through a stoppage time goal.

The Kerala Blasters signed on former England international, David James, as their first ever coach in August. The team also drafted in India internationals such as Mehtab Hossain, Sandip Nandy, Chinadorai Sabeeth, Renedy Singh, Ishfaq Ahmed, and Nirmal Chettri. The Kerala Blasters also selected an international foreign player, Canadian international Iain Hume before signing on former Scottish internationals Jamie McAllister and Stephen Pearson outside the draft.

After starting the season with five straight away games, the Blasters found themselves with only four points. Once the team started playing home games they gained 11 points from the next five games. Another 4 points from their final four games were enough for the team to qualify for the finals. The finals started off very well for the Kerala Blasters as they defeated Chennaiyin 3–0 away from home in the first leg of the semi-finals. Despite giving up that lead in the second-leg, an extra-time goal from Stephen Pearson ensured that the Kerala Blasters qualified for the final. In the final, the club were defeated 1–0 by Atlético de Kolkata through a last-minute strike by Mohammed Rafique.

Background

In early 2014, it was announced that the All India Football Federation, the national federation for football in India, and IMG–Reliance would be accepting bids for ownership of eight of the nine selected cities for the inaugural Indian Super League (ISL), a franchise tournament modelled along the lines of the Indian Premier League for cricket.[2] On 13 April 2014 it was announced that the rights to the Kerala franchise were won by former India cricket captain, Sachin Tendulkar, and serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and educationalist, Prasad V Potluri.[3] Then, on 27 May 2014, the team's official name was unveiled as the 'Kerala Blasters FC' which is based on the nickname of co-owner Sachin Tendular, the master blaster.

Construction of the team for the first season started on 22 July when the Kerala Blasters, along with the other seven franchises, took part in the domestic draft to select the first fourteen Indian players in each team.[4] India international Mehtab Hossain was the first draft pick made by Kerala Blasters and thus the first player in Kerala Blasters history.[5] At the end of the draft, the Blasters were composed of fourteen players, including Hossain: Avinabo Bag, Sandip Nandy, Chinadorai Sabeeth, Luis Barreto, Milagres Gonsalves, Ramandeep Singh, Renedy Singh, [shazin sadhik]], Ishfaq Ahmed, Gurwinder Singh, Nirmal Chettri, Sushanth Mathew, and Godwin Franco.[6]

On 13 August 2014, former England international goalkeeper, David James, was announced as the first head coach of the Kerala Blasters and the first marquee player in team history, thus coming in as a player-head coach.[7] Then, on 21 August 2014, the team participated in the international draft in which each team selected seven foreign players to join their team.[8] Former Newcastle United forward Michael Chopra was the first foreign player drafted by the Kerala Blasters.[9]

Signings

Other signings

No. Position Player Last club Date Ref
70 GK England David James Iceland ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar 13 August 2014 [10]
3 DF Scotland Jamie McAllister England Yeovil Town 23 August 2014 [11]
18 MF Nigeria Penn Orji India Mohammedan 1 September 2014 [12]
27 FW Australia Andrew Barisic Hong Kong South China 1 September 2014 [12]
25 MF Scotland Stephen Pearson England Bristol City 1 September 2014 [13]
32 DF Republic of Ireland Colin Falvey United States Charleston Battery 4 September 2014 [14]
29 DF India Saumik Dey India East Bengal 7 September 2014 [15]
13 MF India Duleep Menon India Central Excise 27 September 2014 [16]

Pre-season

Indian Super League

The Kerala Blasters began their first ever season away from home against NorthEast United on 13 October. A goal from Koke lead to the Blasters losing that match 1–0 to open the season.[17] Their second match was no better as the Kerala Blasters lost their second match of the season to Chennaiyin 2–1. Despite Canadian international Iain Hume scoring the first goal in Blasters history, Chennaiyin managed to grab the victory through goals from Elano and Bernard Mendy.[18] The winless streak continued for the Kerala Blasters as they headed into their third match against Atlético de Kolkata. An equalizer from Iain Hume meant that the Blasters managed to draw the match 1–1 and thus earn their first ever point.[19] The draw helped propel the momentum for the Kerala Blasters as they ended their first month of competitive football with their first ever victory against Pune City. The Blasters fell behind in the match early through a David Trezeguet goal in the 15th minute but Chinadorai Sabeeth managed to level the score in the 41st minute, becoming the first Indian player to score for the team ever. It was then Penn Orji who scored the winning goal in the 65th minute as the Kerala Blasters won 2–1.[20]

The team then began what would be a long month of November for the team as they would have to play eight matches. Their first match came on 2 November against Mumbai City in Mumbai. The Blasters fell in the match 1–0 after Nicolas Anelka scored for Mumbai City from a free-kick.[21] The team then returned to Kerala to play their first home game of the season of a three-game home stand against FC Goa on 6 November. After a goalless first half, it was Milagres Gonsalves who came up with the winning goal for the Kerala Blasters in the 64th minute as the Blasters won 1–0.[22] Despite the opening home victory, the Kerala Blasters were unable to do more than achieve 0–0 in their next two matches against the Delhi Dynamos and Mumbai City respectively.[23][24]

After their three-match home stand, the Kerala Blasters returned to the road as the took on the Delhi Dynamos in Delhi. A 61st-minute goal from Penn Orji was enough as the Blasters won the away tie 1–0.[25] Five days later, the Blasters returned home to take on Atlético de Kolkata. Early goals from Iain Hume and Pedro Gusmão helped lead the Kerala Blasters to a 2–1 victory of the Kolkata side.[26] The joy from the victory was short-lived though as the Kerala Blasters ended the month losing two matches in a row. Their first defeat occurred away from home to FC Goa on 26 November. A brace from Miroslav Slepička and another goal from André Santos lead to the Blasters losing 3–0.[27] That defeat was followed with a 1–0 defeat at home to Chennaiyin.[28]

With just two matches left before the finals entering December, the Kerala Blasters knew the two matches would be crucial for their season.[29] Their first match occurred on 4 December against NorthEast United. Despite creating many chances upfront, the Blasters were held to a 0–0 result.[30] That result meant that the final match of the regular season, at home to Pune City, would prove to be the decider between the two sides to see who qualifies for the finals.[31] Due to a free-kick goal from Iain Hume and a fantastic performance from Sandip Nandy in goal, the Kerala Blasters came out victorious 1–0 and thus qualified for the finals.[32]

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
2 Goa 14 6 4 4 21 12 +9 22 2014 Indian Super League Semi-finals
3 Atlético de Kolkata 14 4 7 3 16 13 +3 19
4 Kerala Blasters 14 5 4 5 9 11 −2 19
5 Delhi Dynamos 14 4 6 4 16 14 +2 18
6 Pune City 14 4 4 6 12 17 −5 16
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) play-off match

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
14 5 4 5 9 11  −2 19 3 3 1 4 2  +2 2 1 4 5 9  −4

Indian Super League finals

Semi-finals

The Kerala Blasters entered the finals as the fourth seed from the regular season and thus had to face the first seed, Chennaiyin in the semi-finals.[33] The first leg of the semi-final turned out to be the Blasters' best offensive performance of the season as they came away with the 3–0 advantage. Ishfaq Ahmed scored the first goal for Kerala in the 27th minute before Iain Hume doubled the lead in the 29th minute. The match was set to finish 2–0 before Sushanth Mathew fired home the third goal for the Kerala Blasters.[34] Despite having the advantage, the Blasters found themselves giving it away in Chennai. Strikes from Mikaël Silvestre and Jeje Lalpekhlua, as well as an own goal from Sandesh Jhingan saw the match end 3–0 to Chennaiyin and thus require extra-time to decide the tie. The match looked set to be going to penalties but it was Stephen Pearson who broke the deadlock in the 117th minute and send the Kerala Blasters into the final.[35]

Final

The final of the Indian Super League took place at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai against Atlético de Kolkata. The match remained at 0–0 until the very final minute of second stoppage time when Mohammed Rafique scored for Kolkata and thus take the title away from the Kerala Blasters.[36]

Player statistics

Season stats
# Position Player GP G
2DFFrance Cédric Hengbart130
3DFScotland Jamie McAllister60
4DFIndia Ramandeep Singh00
5DFIndia Nirmal Chettri120
6MFIndia Renedy Singh20
7MFIndia Sushanth Mathew51
8FWEngland Michael Chopra90
9FWBrazil Pedro Gusmão71
10FWCanada Iain Hume165
11MFIndia Ishfaq Ahmed91
12FWIndia Chinadorai Sabeeth81
13MFIndia Duleep Menon00
14MFIndia Mehtab Hossain90
15DFIndia Sandesh Jhingan140
16DFIndia Gurwinder Singh110
18MFNigeria Penn Orji132
21MFIndia Godwin Franco40
22DFFrance Raphaël Romey80
23DFIndia Avinabo Bag50
24GKIndia Sandip Nandy60
25MFScotland Stephen Pearson171
27FWAustralia Andrew Barisic110
29DFIndia Saumik Dey100
30GKIndia Luis Barreto10
32DFRepublic of Ireland Colin Falvey90
44DFBrazil Erwin Spitzner00
70GKEngland David James120
85MFSpain Pulga60
88FWIndia Milagres Gonsalves131

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gannavarapu, Akhilesh (29 January 2015). "Why India is the next big market for MMA". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Indian Super League sees interest from 30 franchise bidders". Business-Standard. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Basu, Saumyajit (13 April 2014). "Stars embrace soccer through Indian Super League". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Mergulhao, Marcus (19 July 2014). "ISL domestic draft to include 40 national players". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Thaly, Dattaraj (13 October 2014). "ISL: Mehtab Hossain key to success of Kerala Blasters". Zee News. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Indian players' draft process ends". The Hindu. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Mergulhao, Marcus (20 August 2014). "David James set to have a blast with Sachin Tendulkar in ISL". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Mergulhao, Marcus (14 August 2014). "ISL: Draft for overseas players on August 21". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Michael Chopra, Bernard Mendy Star Picks in Indian Super League Draft". NDTV Sports. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Mergulhao, Marcus (20 August 2014). "David James set to have a blast with Sachin Tendulkar in ISL". Times of India. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Forsyth, Paul (14 December 2014). "Jamie McAllister on career switch to India". Scotsman. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  12. 1 2 Paul, Abhishek (2 September 2014). "Committed to Kerala Blasters, says David James". India Today. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Motherwell: Stephen Pearson returns to Fir Park". BBC. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Miller, Andrew (4 September 2014). "Charleston Battery's Colin Falvey is loaned to club for India". Post and Courier. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Kerala Blasters sign defenders McAllister, Falvey, Saumik for ISL". IBN Live. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  16. ↑ KH, Krishnakumar (30 September 2014). "Blasters' Talent Spotters Unearth a Local Gem". New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "ISL: NorthEast United FC beat Kerala Blasters 1-0". Times of India. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Chennaiyin FC beat Kerala Blasters 2-1". Times of India. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Kerala Blasters FC earn first point with draw". Indian Super League. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  20. ↑ Jitendran, Nikhil (30 October 2014). "FC Pune City 1-2 Kerala Blasters: James' side picks their first win". Goal.com. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  21. ↑ Netto, Brandon (2 November 2014). "Mumbai City 1-0 Kerala Blasters: It's Anelka show at DY Patil". Goal.com. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "ISL: Kerala Blasters FC Edge Past FC Goa 1-0". NDTV Sports. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  23. ↑ Chandra, Shikharr (9 November 2014). "Kerala Blasters 0-0 Delhi Dynamos: Harm van Veldhoven sent off in a game of missed chances". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC settle for 0-0 draw". Times of India. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "ISL: Delhi Dynamos' Listless Show Continues, Lose 1-0 to Kerala Blasters". NDTV Sports. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "ISL: Atletico de Kolkata denied a point as Kerala Blasters win 2-1". Zee News. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "ISL: FC Goa demolish Kerala Blasters 3-0". Indian Express. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  28. ↑ Netto, Brandon (30 November 2014). "Kerala Blasters FC 0-1 Chennaiyin FC: Materazzi's side books a spot in the semis". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  29. ↑ Jitendran, Nikhil (4 December 2014). "Kerala Blasters - NorthEast United FC Preview: Battle of the low scorers". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  30. ↑ "Kerala Blasters 0-0 NorthEast United: Goal-less in Kochi". Goal.com. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  31. ↑ Jitendran, Nikhil (8 December 2014). "Kerala Blasters - FC Pune City Preview: Qualification hangs in balance". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  32. ↑ "Kerala Blasters 1-0 FC Pune City: Hume sends James' side into the semis". Goal.com. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  33. ↑ Jitendran, Nikhil (12 December 2014). "Kerala Blasters - Chennaiyin FC Preview: Blasters hope to fulminate Blues' final hopes". Goal.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  34. ↑ Shah, Harsh (13 December 2014). "Kerala Blasters 3-0 Chennaiyin FC: Ishfaq stars as Blasters produce a stellar display". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  35. ↑ "ISL: Kerala Blasters FC beat Chennaiyin FC 4-3 on Aggregate to Enter Final". NDTV Sports. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  36. ↑ "Atletico de Kolkata Defeat Kerala Blasters to Win Inaugural Edition of ISL". NDTV Sports. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
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