ISL 2022: Goa and Kerala will compete for a place in the semi-finals
Football
By-Rahul Singh
Goa : Kerala Blasters FC will be aiming to seal their place in the semi-finals of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 but will need to beat FC Goa in their final league match to be played at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolin on Sunday. Kerala are fifth on the table with 33 points and have two points more than fifth-placed Mumbai City FC. He defeated the defending champion Mumbai in his last and important match. If, Kerala wins on Sunday, they will become the fourth team to qualify for the semi-finals. In such a situation, even if Mumbai wins from Hyderabad on Saturday night, it will not matter, because it will come back to fifth place.
A draw from Goa will also propel Kerala into the semi-finals, as it has a better head-to-head record against Mumbai. Kerala has won both the matches against Mumbai this season. If Mumbai loses the match on Saturday or plays a draw, Kerala will automatically qualify. This season has been great for Kerala. This South Indian team has won nine out of 19 matches and is playing a very lucrative football under coach Ivan Vukomaniac.
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“We can’t calculate anything. We have to fight for points and our approach will be the same in this match as well,” said coach Vukomanik. About the season so far, he said, “We all started working together and since then we are on the right track. This is just the beginning and the process needs a long time. It takes time to build. Made some interesting things and the team supported each other. The success we got is the result of this process.”
FC Goa, on the other hand, would like to forget this season as they have collected just 18 points from 19 matches so far. Goa are ranked ninth in the table and after winning their last match, they can end the season in eighth position. This is the second time Goa failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Goa got off to a very poor start this season, losing their first three matches and scoring just seven points from their first six matches. This led to the ouster of Spanish coach Juan Ferrando, who is currently the coach of ATK Mohun Bagan. After Ferrando’s departure, only two wins in the next 15 matches underscore his plight. Coach Derrick Pereira said, “We want to end on a positive note. Our focus is on the match. We want to perform to the best of our abilities and we will do our best.” The last time these two teams met in the first leg of the season, the match was drawn 2-2.
Story first published: Saturday, March 5, 2022, 16:57 [IST]
