Panjim- Hyderabad FC will look to get their hands on the first Indian Super League trophy as the Nizams go against the Yellow Army from South, Ivan Vukomanovic’s Kerala Blasters FC in a highly contested affair at the PJN stadium on March 20th.
Hyderabad FC were one of the strongest team in the tournament in both defence and aspect. The team finished second in the table with 38 points from 20 games. In the semifinals of the tournament, Hyderabad FC gained a narrow 3-2 win against ATK Mohun Bagan over two legs. The success of the teams can be resonated with the presence of the brilliant Indian contingent. Players like Chinglensana Singh, Akash Mishra, Rohit Danu and Nikhil Poojary have proved absolutely beneficial with their work rates. The display from these young players have been a joyful sight for the Indian football fan. However the foreigners like Javier Siverio and Bartholomew Ogbeche have been extremely crucial for the team as well. The campaign saw Bartholomew Ogbeche become the top scorer in the Indian Super League with 52 goals.
As for Kerala Blasters FC, their best decision was to stick with Ivan Vukomanovic despite some altered performances in the start of the league. The Yellow Army finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the play off in the final day, with 34 points from 20 games. Despite winning only nine games out of 20, Kerala Blasters established themselves as a strong force. The Yellow Army rendered the ISL shield winners Jamshedpur FC in the semifinals to book their place in the finals. The partnership of the foreign duo Leskovic and Enes Sipovic was highly strong for the team. Adding to that was the sheer brilliance from Skipper Adrian Luna. Luna delivered some of the most amazing set pieces for the team that resulted in about 50% of the goals scored by Kerala Blasters through dead ball situations. The Indian contingent of Kerala Blasters have not been any less impressive with the likes of Sahal Abdul Samad, Hormipam Ruivah and Harmanjot Khabra delivering some of the best performances of the season.
The two teams are ready to face off in a highly strung affair as they are desperate to get their hands on the ISL trophy. The encounter will be telecasted on Disney+ Hotstar and JIO TV from 7.30 onwards and will also be available on Star Sports Network. Apart from, after a wait of two years, FSDL has finally allowed the fans to enter the stadium for the finals. The craze of the even has been so high that the tickets were sold out within two days.
