Sachin Tendulkar confirms presence for Kerala Blasters' first home match
Presence of co- owner Sachin Tendulkar in the stands during the Kerala franchise team’s first match of the ISL campaign will surely give a much needed boast to the team’s confidece. Last year’s runners up will take on an upbeat North East United FC team in Kerala on Tuesday.
Sachin was also present during the opening ceremony on October 3. The Indian cricket maestro confirmed his presence in the stands for Kerala Blasters first match of the season.
Last year, Sachin was present for many of the Kerala Blasters matches. He even posted a photo on Twitter with fans and fellow cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan during his visit in one of the matches last season. He stated that last season's experience was fantastic.
Meanwhile in Kerala, the weather has been cloudy in recent days raining at regular intervals. With thunderstorms forecast for Tuesday, rain might hinder proceedings. However, unlike other ISL teams, Kerala Blasters had their entire pre-season build-up in their home state and are well accustomed to the whims of the weather. This could be an advantage for them.
The 26-member squad is coached by Englishman Peter Taylor, who had outings at the highest level, first as a player and then as a popular coach. However, the team will miss its marquee player Spaniard Carlos Marchena, a 2010 World Cup winner as he was forced to return home with a back injury suffered during practice.
Last season, after losing their opening fixture to the very same side that they play on Tuesday, the team made a strong comeback. They were one of the most dominant sides in the second round although unfortunately they had to lose by a goal scored in the dying minutes of the final against Atletico de Kolkata.
On the other hand, North East United FC finished at the bottom of the table in last year’s competition. The team and its owners expect their new manager Cesar Farias to repeat some of the success of his distinguished career with the Guwahati-based franchise team.
But with close to 50,000 home fans cheering their team, and the weather will make things more difficult for the NEFC team.