KOCHI: The Kerala Blasters’ fans, who had thronged the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for Friday’s ISL opener against ATK, were a heartbroken lot at the end of the encounter as the home favourites put on a listless showing to finish with a tepid draw. Some members of the Yellow Brigade, as the army of Blasters’ fans have come to be known, were at a loss to come to terms with their team’s colourless performance.
“ We expected the Blasters’ players will unleash a thrilling game. But they were unable dominate at any point of the game. Even the U-17 FIFA World Cup held here a few months ago proved a more thrilling experience for us,” said Maneesh, a Kerala Blasters’ fan.
though the Blasters began their campaign with an attacking move by midfielder Arata Izumi in the third minute, the team failed to sustain the momentum during the remainder of the game. “ On Friday, the experienced players like Iain Hume, C K Vineeth and Pekuson were simply not in their elements. This left us shattered since at no point of the game did the blasters showcase their attacking skills,” said Manohar, a school football coach.