Preview: Kerala Blasters FC vs. FC Goa

by FC Admin November 29, 2015

“The penultimate match in the league round awaits the Gaurs who will want to seal their semifinals berth with a positive result against the Blasters”

Kochi, 28 November 2015: FC Goa are set to play Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, on Sunday evening, as the Goans eye a confirmed spot in the top four in the Indian Super League (ISL) season 2.

The traveling side who next face Delhi Dynamos FC, currently with 19 points from 12 games, played their last home fixture on Wednesday wherein FC Goa drew a point in the 1-1 draw against NorthEast United FC after Reinaldo scored his fourth goal of the season.

Zico will want to ensure his side’s qualification to the semifinals of the ISL 2015 with nothing less than a win than having to depend on the results of other teams.

“Kerala had a great game against us in Goa and we will not underestimate them. Though we lost against Kolkata and Chennai, Kerala gave us the toughest game in the first phase,” mentioned FC Goa’s assistant coach Fernando Vannucci.

“After our practice today (Saturday) we will decide who will play. We can’t afford to rest anybody as we have not qualified yet. We will go full strength,” he added.

Kerala Blasters FC were the finalists in the inaugural edition of the ISL. However, this year, they find themselves at the bottom of the standings with two games to go in the league phase of the competition.

With 12 points from as many matches, the Yellow Brigade under Terry Phelan have only but an outside to make it to the next round for which they also depend on the result of the teams above them.

Coming on the back of a 1-1 draw away to Mumbai City FC on Thursday and traveling back to Kerala on the same day the Goan team arrived Kochi, Phelan is still hopeful to make it to the play-offs.

“We still have great hope that we can win the last two games and the other results will go our way. We have played some good football, created chances but we haven’t put the ball in the back of the net. We need to go into the game tomorrow with confidence,” he said.

The match will kick off at 7 PM IST.