Kochi: Pray, play well, and score goals. Pray again after winning the game. This should be the drill of Kerala Blasters who take the field for their last league match against FC Pune City in the ISL at their home ground on Tuesday.
The first of the prayers will be for Delhi Dynamos to lose the game against Chennaiyin FC starting at 4.30 pm. They should also pray that even if Delhi do not lose, they should not emerge victorious. Following this they must put up a stellar show at the Kaloor stadium at 7 pm, score goals and get the betetr of Pune City FC. That will take Kerala’s points tally to 19.
If Delhi wins the first match that will have Kerala praying again, this time for Atletico de Kolkata, who take the field against FC Goa on Wednesday, to lose. If Delhi and Kerala win their respective games on Tuesday, their points tally will be 20 and 19. If Kolkata, who have 18 points, beat Goa they will have 21 points. Then Kolkata and Delhi with 20 points will play the semis. Completing the semifinal line-up along with them will be Chennaiyin and Goa. However, if Delhi and Blasters emerge winners today and Kolkata lose tomorrow, the latter will go out of the tournament.
If Kolkata who showed brilliant early promise in the league bow out with 18 points, Blasters at fourth place will ensure semis along with Chennai, Goa and Delhi. But all prayers will be in vain if they do not win today.
When the usual question of Blasters’ strikers not scoring goals was posed to the team’s marquee star, coach and goalie David James, he shielded it with, ‘The defenders will score goals. After all defenders can also score, can’t they?’ As no one except Ramandeep Singh is injured, the possibilities of the team’s playing styles are endless. Score goals and win is the only way out for Blasters.