Kerala Blasters held Jamshedpur FC to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the semifinals and became the first team to reach the Indian Super League finals this season. A goal from Adrian Luna in the first half was a major dampener as the Men of Steel continued their persistent pressure on the defenders to find openings in the Kerala Blasters defence.
Owen Coyle’s men pulled one back through Pronay Halder in the second half. Although the ball touched Daniel Chima Chukwu’s hand in the buildup, Halder did his part in poking it past Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. The goal stood and Jamshedpur FC had an opportunity to fight in the remainder of the second half. But their persistent efforts throughout the second half were thwarted by a resolute Kerala defence.
Luna had a sensational outing for the Blasters as he won the ‘hero of the match’ award and guide his team to the final for the third time. “I’m very happy and very proud of my team. After a long wait, finally, we reached the finals. Hopefully, we can win,” said the Uruguayan magician at the post match presentation.
Luna who has been exceptional this season for the Blasters feels that he does not care much about which team they will face in the Indian Super League finals. ”I don’t care. It’s a final, if you want to win the trophy you have to play against the best teams and we are ready for it,” the midfielder added.
This has been a norm for the Yellow Army this season, they show their credentials on the pitch and remain very grounded during press conferences, media interactions and interviews. Just like Luna, Ivan Vukomanovic has led this attitude and the humbleness oozes around every single player on the roster.
The Serbian highlights how it is a great feeling to reach the finals after a very successful season. He shares how bubble life has been difficult for his men but still they kept on fighting and eventually they reached the finals.
“It’s a great feeling to qualify for the finals. Again it’s a great achievement for us. We are very happy for everybody in the club and especially for the fans. These boys worked very hard for this. They’re working and fighting so hard for a draw the whole season, in this difficult bubble circumstances. We are really happy tonight with this qualification. Hope to enjoy this week till the end and see what will happen,” Vukomanovic said after the match.
It will be interesting to see how Kerala Blasters will fare against either Hyderabad FC or ATK Mohun Bagan in the finals. The Yellow Army will be expecting Vukomanovic’s men to break the jinx and lift the ISL trophy this time.
