Odisha FC’s momentum came to a halt as they were defeated 2-1 by Kerala Blasters, who earned their first three points of the season. Here are the three key talking points from the game.
Hero of Assists
Adrian Luna was voted the hero of the match, for providing both assists that Kerala Blasters scored from. The 29-year-old found Alvaro Jimenez’s perfectly timed run from the halfway line to open the scoring.
He would then unselfishly play in substitute Prasanth, who scored his first goal in the ISL. As a result, the Uruguayan was the spark for Kerala Blasters that led to their win.
Kerala on the Front Foot
Their loss against ATK on the opening day, and subsequent draws against Bengaluru and NorthEast may have asked questions about Kerala Blasters’ credibility to put away games.
The celebrations after @prasanth2406 sealed the victory for @KeralaBlasters were sweet! #KBFCOFC #HeroISL #LetsFootball #ISLMoments https://t.co/tPKYCTkMwn pic.twitter.com/yHnCwVvjhT
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) December 5, 2021
But a win against an in-form Odisha FC clearly shows that they have what it takes to compete for the top four. With five points from four games, they are very much in contention for a spot in the playoffs at this stage.
Trouble Finding the Goal for Odisha FC
Nikhil Raj scored a late consolation goal for Odisha, taking away the clean sheet from their opponents. Aridai Cabrera and Javi Hernandez both tried their best to break down the Kerala Blasters defense. However, their finishing left a lot to be desired.
The designated away team had seven shots off target, in comparison to three for Kerala. The forward players must be more clinical in front of goal, and take their chances when they come. Otherwise, they can end up losing games where they had a good chance to win, like this one.
But, Odisha FC will be confident that they can improve on their mistakes this time around and resume the strong start to the season. They take on NorthEast United in their next game while Kerala Blasters face off against East Bengal.
