Kochi: Kerala Blasters take the field against Delhi Dynamos on Saturday seeking their second successive win on home turf. The boost in self-confidence provided by the win against Goa and the return of striker Ian Hume are factors in their favour.
Challenges, however, are in the form of Delhi team’s declaration that they can’t take any more losses and the likely presence of world class star Alessandro Del Piero in the ground from the word go. The kick-off is at 7 pm at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Kaloor.
Blasters are in sixth place, having earned seven points from two wins and one draw from six games. Delhi Dynamos who have six points resulting from one win and three draws from six matches are placed seventh. The three points which a win can fetch will be beneficial to both teams.
Blasters did not undergo any worthwhile practice, while Dynamos trained for nearly two hours on Saturday.
Importance of first goal
Delhi Dynamos will be badly shaken if the Blasters score first. Instead if it is Delhi that finds the goal first, Blasters will try all out to get even, backed by the home crowd. However, as the two teams are a lot similar in strengths and shortcomings, even a single goal margin can be crucial.
Blasters’ primary objective will be to score first, or in other words, score in the first half itself. If Iain Hume’s and C.S. Sabeeth’s shots pack the ammunition necessary for that, it will send the crowd in the galleries go berserk. It is true that the two teams lack in the finish aspect, meaning a goalless draw is also a strong possibility.
The perfect team man for Blasters is Stephen Pierson. The last game saw the Goans in a spot whenever this subdued midfielder gave them the charge. Delhi have in their ranks one of India’s best midfielders to mark Pierson – Steven Dias. Giving him company will be Bruno Herrero and Souvik Chakraborthy.
Dynamos is a team that plots its moves from behind, blocking which will be the agenda of Blasters’ strikers and midfielders.
Also crucial will be how the Dynamos defenders tackle the duo of Hume and Sabeeth. Belgian Wim Raymaekers is the strongman in their defence.
The best way to breach the Dynamos’ defence is through swift counterattacks. Hume has the speed required to do that.
On the other side, Del Piero is gearing up to celebrate his 4oth birthday in style with a few goals. Dynamos have reached a state of mind where they see Del Piero as the sole saviour.
Guarding the gates of the Blasters’ fortress are Cedric Hengbart, Colin Falvey, Sandesh Jhingan, Avinabo Bag and Raphael Romey. The reality is that Del Piero is not in the best of form. Even if Del Piero’s form pales, Blasters cannot quite ignore striker Mads Junker and midfielder Pavel Elias who are always on the lookout to score goals. Ignoring them could prove fatal for Blasters.