It’s been a…. drab, I guess is the best word, start to the season for both of the teams in today’s match between two sides who could really do with a win. That’s right it’s Kerala Blasters against Jamshedpur, the draw kings. And I don’t mean that in that cool way where that means that you’re really good at drawing a gun in a shootout in the wild west. No, in that really boring way that means what these two teams seem to be really good at is playing football matches that end up having no winners.
Kerala can’t hold it together
Let’s start with the David James led away side then. Kerala must turn it up a notch if they wish to gain a playoff spot, while the 2-0 opening day win over ATK was a good start, they haven’t been able to capitalise on it. Mumbai came to town at the beginning of the month and manage to claw a point with them back home after a 90th-minute equaliser.
Then what do you think happens in the following match against Delhi Dynamos? Do Kerala learn from their mistake and shut up shop in the last ten minutes to prevent another late goal? No of course not, don’t be silly. Andrija Kaludjerovic scored to give Delhi a most welcomed point in the 84th minute.
Jamshedpur run a tighter ship
So Kerala can’t keep a clean sheet inside the last ten minutes of the match. What about Jamshedpur, are they any better?
They also opened their campaign with a 2-0 win, over Mumbai, but have, like Kerala drawn their other matches. Unlike Kerala however, they have played four games instead of three. Today’s game means they will have played three games in eight days compared to Kerala’s one in nine days. Seriously, who schedules these games?
Anywho, let’s return to Jamshedpur’s previously played games. They faced Bengaluru in an exciting 2-2 draw, where they scored in the 81st minute, let in a goal in the 88th minute only to score themselves in the 90th. Then they drew 1-1 with ATK, both goals there coming in the first half before another 1-1 affair followed on Thursday where NorthEast stood on the other side.
Will the schedule be a decider?
I’ve asked this question on several other occasions and so far it hasn’t really been that big a deal, but as mentioned above, Jamshedpur have had a ridiculously crammed schedule compared to Kerala.
With both sides being draw experts, and low scoring affairs for the most part at that, this game should end 1-1 or 2-2 at most. So with that in mind, it will probably end up being a really exciting game with at least one Jamshedpur goal coming in the final ten minutes. Watch this one end 5-5, or knowing my luck, 0-0.
