ISL 2017: Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC clash on New Year's Eve to be postponed?
What's the story?
The Kerala Blasters could be all set to postpone their ISL 2017 encounter at home against Bengaluru FC, which is scheduled to take place on New Year's Eve i.e. December 31.
A source close to the club has told Sportskeeda that the team management have received a request from the Kerala Police to push the match forward, who stated that it will difficult for them to provide personnel for the venue on New Year's Eve as security levels are to be raised across the state for the day.
In case you didn't know
The match between the Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC is lined up to take place on December 31 in Kochi and promises to be a real cracker, given the rivalry that has been building up between the two sides.
The heart of the matter
The source added that the management is considering the request and the final decision will ultimately lie in the hands of the ISL organizers.
The Blasters have had a slow start to the season so far, playing out three draws in three games, which includes two goalless ones. They played out stalemates against ATK and Jamshedpur FC in their first two games and in the third, they drew 1-1 against Mumbai City FC after conceding late in the second half.
The Bengaluru side, on the other hand, have six points from their three games. They won their first two encounters - 2-0 against Mumbai City FC and 4-1 against Delhi Dynamos, before losing out 4-3 to FC Goa away from home.
What's next?
The Kerala side face off against FC Goa on December 9, while the Blues go up against NorthEast United FC on December 8. As far as the match on New Year's Eve is concerned, an official announcement is expected in the coming days.
Author's take
While the concerns raised by the Kerala police are genuine, the ISL authorities should discuss the matter with all the stakeholders involved and arrive at the right conclusion.