Sports
It's only fitting that the inaugural final will be contested between teams hailing from hotbeds of Indian football
Updated : Sep 29, 2017, 06:45 PM IST
After two-and-a-half months of enthralling football, the stage is set for the grand finale of the Indian Super League (ISL) to be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
It is only fitting that the finalists belong to hotbeds of football in thee parts: West Bengal and Kerala. That said, Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters FC should consider themselves fortunate to have made it to the final.
Team Kolkata
This team started its training programme in Madrid. No wonder they were pre-tournament favourites. Their see-saw ride saw them lose that status midway through the tournament. They started with a bang, beating Mumbai City FC 3-0 in the league opener at the Salt Lake Stadium. But their loss to FC Pune City, in the eighth round, saw them drop a few places. After hitting a rough patch, they never seemed to regain confidence. They ended with just four wins in 14 games. They drew seven games and were criticised for playing a goalless 220 minutes (over two legs) in the semifinal against FC Goa.
Star player out
They were heavily dependent on star striker Fikru Teferra. But unfortunately, Kolkata will have to do without the man who scored the league's first goal. He is down with a hamstring injury.
Team Kerala
This team, which is co-owned by Sachin Tendulkar, had a rocky road to the semis. With just five wins from 14 matches, they finished fourth in the league stage. Even though their defence didn't let in too many goals, they lacked the attacking finesse up front. So they took everyone by surprise with their semifinal win against table-toppers Chennaiyin FC. Not that they had it easy, though.
After winning their home game with a convincing 3-0 margin, they had a nightmarish time in the return leg. Down to 10 men in the 28th minute, they squandered the aggregate lead and looked set to thrown out of the competition. Thankfully, Stephen Pearson scored in extra-time to save Kerala the blushes.
Watch out for
Kerala's attacking intent
After their 3-0 win against Chennai FC, all eyes will be on their attacking gameplay. Iain Hume will spearhead the cause and will be joined with former Newcastle player Michael Chopra. Don't forget their semifinal hero Pearson.
Kolkata's midfield
They may not be known for their goal-scoring abilities, but one cannot ignore their brilliance in the midfield. With Borja Fernandez, marquee player Luis Garcia and Punjab-born Rakesh Masih in the mix, Kolkata can pack a punch.
The final
In this cricket-crazy country, it comes as no surprise that Twitter and other social networking sites are abuzz with people calling the final a Sachin Tendulkar vs Sourav Ganguly affair. But for football lovers, no matter what the outcome of the game may be, it should be a celebration. Celebration of the fact that finally people are standing in a queue half-an-hour beforehand to watch a football match.