ISL 2017, Match 1: Kerala Blasters vs ATK, 5 Talking Points about the match
The opening match of ISL 2017 saw two giants of the league take on each other at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Kochi. Kerala Blasters hosted ATK in what was a repeat of last season's final.
The home side started extremely slow off the block, while ATK dominated possession, pushing the Blasters deep into their own half. In the end, both sides cancelled each other out in what was largely a tactical battle between two quality sides.The match ended in a 0-0 deadlock. Here are the major talking points from tonight's encounter.
#1 Usual suspects take their time to ease into the match
Kerala and ATK both have a handful of impact players in their starting eleven. However, stars from both sides found it difficult to impose themselves in the opening minutes of the match. The likes of Berbatov, Ian Hume and CK Vineeth all looked sluggish for the first twenty-odd minutes. Midfielder Arata Izumi also failed to make much of an impact on the game.
At the other end, Eugeneson Lyndgoh could not get on the ball as much as he would have liked for ATK. As a result, neither side could string together a series of passes. The first half had a stop-start feel to it. The second half was hardly different, as the usual suspects failed to make any kind of tangible impact.