Kerala Blasters become the group B Champions of 2nd division I-League
From Indian Super League
teams' perspective, the second-division league came to a conclusion on Sunday
with the final round of group stage games.
Kerala Blasters were one of the seven ISL teams
to send their reserve teams for participation and the Yellow Army finished the
campaign as the best ISL team in the league.
With 21 points from 10 games, Blasters topped
Group B that also had FC Goa's reserve side in it. While FC Goa did the double
on Kerala Blasters in the 2017-18 season of ISL, the reserve side reversed the
outcome in second-division.
Goa were beaten 0-2 at the Benaulim Ground and
succumbed to a 1-2 loss in Kochi. Blasters continued to register wins at
crucial intervals and a 1-0 win against table-toppers Ozone FC in Bengaluru on
the final matchday placed them at the top of Group B. Fellow ISL side FC Goa
finished fifth in Group B with nine points.
Pune City and Delhi Dynamos were outperformed
by Real Kashmir and Hindustan FC in Group A. ISL defending champions Chennaiyin
FC managed just two wins in ten games and finished bottom of Group C, just
below Jamshedpur FC. Bengaluru FC put up a brave fight until the final few
rounds and finished second in the group, six points behind leaders TRAU
FC.
Blasters' second-division campaign that kicked
off with a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Ozone FC in March was not without
criticism. Renjith TA, who is the head coach of the U-18s, took charge of the
reserve squad when the second-division began but technical director Thangboi
Singto's inputs have been crucial as well.
Fans were initially unhappy about the
involvement of North-East players in the squad but that soon changed.
In fact, 10 Kerala-born players featured in the
starting lineup for their opening game against Ozone FC. The numbers varied as
the season progressed but not all sections of supporters can be pleased.
Blasters 'B' struck a good balance between the
local talent and others available. And Kerala-born midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad
has benefitted the most. The 21-year-old, who twice made it to the senior team
in the 2017-18 ISL under David James, ended up as the club top-scorer with
seven goals to his name.
Sahal, alongside Shillong Lajong product
Shaiborlang Kharpan, has scored goals for fun since the conclusion of ISL
season in March and is set to play a bigger role in the first team next season.
The attack has produced 25 goals in the competition which is only one less
than the highest scorers TRAU FC.
