Bengaluru FC 1-2 Kerala Blasters: BFC Player Ratings as Blues suffer defeat in campaign opener | ISL 2023-24
Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC kicked off the 10th edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on September 21. The hosts ran away victors with a comfortable 2-1 win on the night.
Kerala and Bengaluru met in the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, which ended in drama and controversy. After the game went to extra time, Sunil Chhetri chipped in a free kick in the 97th minute while the Blasters' goalkeeper Prabsukhan Gill was still setting up the defensive wall.
The referee awarded the goal and the Kerala head coach Ivan Vukomanovic walked off the pitch, along with his entire team - a move that has drawn contrasting opinions since.
However, this time, Kerala Blasters were able to complete their revenge. Looking like the better side from the get-go, the Blasters took the lead with a lucky own goal by Veendorp in the 52nd minute.
Adrian Luna added a second after a stray touch by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the 69th minute. Bengaluru tried to get themselves back in the game and Curtis Main scored in the 90th minute for the visitors. However, it was only a consolation as the Blues kicked off their ISL campaign with a loss.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for the Bengaluru FC players from the game.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu [4/10]
If the own goal wasn't his fault, the second goal definitely was. The custodian didn't have much to do otherwise in a game that was often cagey. However, his 69th-minute error has to be one of the worst moments in his ISL career, as he passed the ball to Luna a couple yards away from goal.
Jessel Carneiro [6/10]
Jessel Carneiro looked promising going forward and was a threat down the left flank in the first half. However, he failed to catch up with the speedy Daisuke Sakai, who went past him with ease on multiple occasions.
Slavko Damjanović [6/10]
The former Mohun Bagan man had a decent game under a lot of pressure from the Kerala Blasters attack.
Aleksander Jovanović [6/10]
His defensive partner, Jovanović, also had a similar game. Both the goals conceded were unlucky for the defensive line.
Roshan Singh [6/10]
Roshan slotted into a more defensive role as the third centre-back, rather than his usual fullback or wingback. He did well to adapt to his new position and provided support to the young Bhutia on his right.
Namgyal Bhutia [5/10]
Namgyal Bhutia had an underwhelming performance, failing to impact the Bengaluru FC attack and containing Mohammed Aimen, who had a promising game.
Rohit Kumar [5/10]
Rohit Kumar had a match to forget. The midfield trio of Rohit-Suresh-Veendorp could not provide much creativity and constantly fell short of tackling the wily Adrian Luna.
Suresh Wangjam [6/10]
The midfielder was his usual energetic self, constantly getting himself into duels. However, the lack of a creative outlet beside him stifled the fluidity in the team.
Keziah Veendorp [5/10]
Veendorp actually didn't have that bad a game but the own goal is not the best way to begin your ISL career. He showed composure on the ball and was burly in defence, with a passing accuracy of 94 percent.
Ryan Williams [6/10]
Ryan Williams showed flashes of quality with some good turns and flicks when he came back to help the midfield. However, he could not find any chances to score, partly due to the lack of a creator, and partly due to Kerala's resolute defending.
Sivasakthi Narayanan [6/10]
Sivasakthi was the only attacking spark for Bengaluru in the game. The talented forward let loose a rasping effort in the 59th minute which was well caught by Sachin Suresh under the KBFC bar.
Substitutes:
Parag Srivas [6/10]
Parag Srivas provided solidity in the middle of the park after coming on in the 65th minute.
Javi Hernandez [6/10]
A lot was riding on Javi when he came on but he failed to produce any defining moment for the Blues.
Curtis Main [8/10]
The 'Main' man came up with the goods after his introduction to the game with a well-taken left-footed finish in the 90th minute. He seemed very active in and around the penalty box but his efforts weren't enough to salvage a point for Bengaluru.
Harsh Patre [6/10]
Patre replaced Sivasakthi and managed only three touches in his 20 minutes on the pitch.
Monirul Molla [7/10]
Monirul proved to be a livewire down Bengaluru's left flank and it was his darting run and cross that was turned in by Main in the dying minutes. The 18-year-old will be one to keep your eyes on for the rest of the season.