KOCHI: At the start of the eighth edition of the Indian Super League, few would have predicted a semifinal showdown between Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters. Fewer still would have tipped Jamshedpur to lift the ISL shield ahead of the cash-rich and star-studded teams like Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan.
Friday's semifinal encounter between the two sides is a testimony of the progress that they have made and the rebuilding process undertaken by them in the off-season and behind the scenes.
Last season, Jamshedpur had finished sixth on the table, thirteen points behind league champions Mumbai. As for Blasters, they were languishing at tenth as the two sides experienced thoroughly underwhelming campaigns.
The turnaround this season has been impressive with Jamshedpur topping the table with 43 points which is the highest tally that any team has managed during the league stage in ISL history.
Both the coaches deserve a lot of credit for the steady rise with former Burnley and Chennaiyin FC coach Owen Coyle working his magic at the Red Miners.
The Scottish coach who had led Chennaiyin to the final in the 2019-20 season took his time in building a championship-winning side at Jamshedpur after taking over in 2020.
Coyle's career is replete with stories of scripting remarkable underdog stories. While Burnley has been a regular fixture in the English Premier League these days, it was the 55-year-old who had ended a painful 33-year-wait of the Clarets as he steered them to the English topflight in 2009.
Later at Bolton Wanderers, he furthered his reputation as a coach helping his team punch above their weight by guiding them to the FA Cup semifinal in 2011.
Given his stints at various English clubs, Coyle was a high-profile arrival in the ISL and the veteran coach has delivered by steering Jamshedpur to their first-ever shield, and now their maiden semifinal appearance. The likes of Greg Stewart and Daniel Chukwu have provided the firepower while Peter Hartley has been a rock at the back. Jamshedpur would be hungry for more success as Coyle would be chasing more history.
"Everyone here is delighted to deliver the league shield and we were able to show that we’re the best team in India at the highest level. Obviously, with that comes other opportunities like the AFC Champions League and more possibilities to come. What we want to do is get the fans the double on the trophy and we’ve to play ever so well again because we’re going against very good opponents," said Coyle ahead of the game.
Over at Blasters, the progress has been tangible. Serbian coach Ivan Vukomanovic arrived on Indian shores amidst little fanfare but quickly went around moulding the team into a quality side.
The team started training and preparations well ahead of other sides and Vukomanovic focused on developing the young players at his disposal while making the team a hard-to-beat outfit.
The likes of Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Hormipam Ruivah and Puitea have come of age as they are enjoying breakout campaigns under the Serbian tactician.
Vukomanovic has insisted that the club is not focused on immediate success but winning the ISL cup would go a long way in appeasing the fans who have been hungry for success.
"Now is a new chapter. There is a new fight and it will be a new day. It will be an open fight and I expect nothing but that," said Vukomanovic.
While Jamshedpur hails from the home of the Tata Football Academy which has been a conveyor belt for footballers, Blasters boasts of one of the best fanbases in Asia. The success of these two teams bodes well for Indian football in the big picture.