ISL 2022: Hyderabad and Kerala to fight for their first title
Football
By-Rahul Singh
Goa : The Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda will be drenched in yellow on Sunday as the two teams playing in this color, Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters FC fight for their maiden title win in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 final match. will clash with each other. This season so far has been very memorable for both Hyderabad and Kerala. On the basis of some great performances, both these teams have reached the final of Hero ISL 2021-22. Hyderabad finished second in the league table with 38 points while Kerala finished the league round in fourth place with 34 points.
After two years, both these teams will have the opportunity to show their strength in front of their throngs of supporters on the stands. Tickets have sold out in record time and fans from Kerala are flocking to Goa in large numbers to see their favorite stars in action. But the discussion is no less for Hyderabad, who reached the final for the first time. Hyderabad head coach Manolo Marquez told reporters on the eve of the mega clash, “We are very happy to be here. It was a tough season. It was mentally challenging to be in the bio-bubble for five months. Our strength is our players. And there are employees. We all work in the same direction.” Under Manolo’s supervision, Hyderabad had missed the semi-finals last season by a close margin as they finished fifth.
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The Spanish coach continued, “We were very close last season (to qualify for the semi-finals), but this time we finished second in the table. The final is the only remaining in which anything can happen tomorrow. We know. We have a tough opponent in front of us, but I’m sure they think the same way about us.” Asked about the return of fans to the stadium, the Spanish coach said, “It’s great (playing in front of the fans). Football is played for the fans. It’s always good for the players and everyone who has fans.” Huh.”
In the two-leg semi-final, Hyderabad defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 3-2 with aggregate goals. Hyderabad won the first match 3-1 while in the second match they lost 0-1. On the other hand, Kerala beat League Shield winners Jamshedpur FC 2-1 on aggregate goals score of 2-1. They won the first match 1-0 while the second match of the semi-final was drawn 1-1. Like Hyderabad, this season has been very good for Bartholomew Ogbeche. He is leading the race for the Golden Boot with 18 goals in his 19 matches. During this season, the Nigerian striker has become the top scorer in ISL history with 53 goals.
On the other hand, the Yellow Army of Kerala has reached Jamshedpur in the final for the third time. Following his win, social media was flooded with celebratory scenes across the state and elsewhere, and Kerala supporters would mark their presence at Fatorda on Sunday. Come back in. We are grateful for that. We are very happy with what we have achieved so far. We look forward to the best results.” On the question of fans coming back into the stands, the Serbian coach said, “We play football for the fans. I think in the last few months it was strange to play without fans. Now it is an additional motivation for all the players. One As a boy, you dream that you are playing in front of your local fans.”
Hyderabad and Kerala Hero have met six times in the ISL so far, with both winning three times each and tied for a tie. Adrian Luna is Kerala’s answer to Ogbeche, as the Uruguayan attacking midfielder has been central to his team’s illustrious journey. Even though Alvaro Vazquez, Marko Leskovic and Hoare Pereira Diaz have also played important roles, Luna has been unparalleled by scoring six goals and contributing 13.
Story first published: Saturday, March 19, 2022, 20:08 [IST]
