After keeping their first clean sheet of the season against NorthEast United last week, Kerala Blasters FC will be looking to contain the onslaught of FC Goa when they play each other in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. The match is part of the tournament that takes place in Kochi.
Only two of the five games that the Kerala Blasters have played so far this season have resulted in wins for the team. In each of the victories, a player who came off the bench to replace another scored twice.
On the first day of the tournament, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi scored twice in the win over East Bengal, and Sahal Abdul Samad added two goals against NorthEast United after coming on as a substitute in the second half of that game. If Kaliuzhnyi scores just one more goal, he will take over the top spot on the scoring chart.
The Ukrainian has caught up to Dimitri Petratos of ATKMB and is currently tied with him. When they play FC Goa, the head coach, Ivan Vukomanovic, will most likely use the same lineup that they used against their last opponent.
ISL 2022-23: FC Goa Has Only Dropped One of Their First Four Matches So Far This Season
“The most challenging contests are those played against the teams that are currently in last place in the standings.” If you are unprepared and underestimate your opponent, you will come out on the losing end. According to Vukomanovic, “I was satisfied with how the boys performed in that game.”
“Tomorrow’s match will be against one of the best teams in the league.” Due to the fact that both teams like to keep possession of the ball and are willing to get physical with one another, this match is going to be a very difficult and thrilling competition.
FC Goa has only dropped one of their first four matches so far this season. The Gaurs have the finest defensive record at the moment, allowing just two goals throughout the season. If they win all three of their matches against the Blasters, they will have 12 points, which will put them in second place, just four points behind Hyderabad FC with one game left to play.
FC Goa emerged victorious in the decisive match against Jamshedpur FC, the team that had previously held the title of champion of the Hero ISL 2021–22 shield. The Gaurs were able to maintain their perfect defensive record despite suffering an injury to their center-back Mohamed Fares Arnaout just ten minutes into the match. Anwar Ali was replaced by Glan Martins, a midfielder who also filled in as a temporary defender for the team.
The Blasters Only Have Three Victories to Their Name
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My overall impression of our performance versus JFC was positive. Because of this, we still have a lot of ground to make up, as we failed to capitalise on a few opportunities that were presented to us in both halves of the game.
According to what Pena has said, everything is part of the process. “Now we play a brand new game in a brand new location against a brand new team that has different characteristics.”
The participant carried on, “We will make an effort to adjust, play the way we normally do, and make obtaining all three points our primary objective.” In the Hero ISL, the Blasters have faced off against the opposing team a total of 16 times, and they have lost all of their most recent contests against them.
In contrast to the Gaurs, who have nine victories to their name, the Blasters only have three victories to their name. The score was tied at the end of the previous three games as well as four others.
