Kerala Blasters 0-1 Delhi Dynamos: Five talking points
Dynamos notched their second away win of the seasonThe Indian Super League (ISL) fixture between Kerala Blasters and Delhi Dynamos ended with a win for the away side as Richard Gadze’s solitary goal in the 87th minute, consigned the home side to their second consecutive defeat.It was one of those rare occasions when the 60,000 odd supporters inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi went home with little to rejoice about, as after a string of missed opportunities it was the Ghanian substitute who turned out to be the match winner, inflicting misery on Peter Taylor’s side. The win takes the side from the capital into second place, behind FC Pune City on goal difference. Taylor’s side though stayed sixth, two points behind arch rivals Chennaiyin FC.The fixture saw the debut of Kerala Blasters’s marquee signing Carlos Marchena, who was deployed as a central defensive midfielder, as he looked to provide more solidity to a struggling Blasters defense. But his return was cut short as he limped off the field in the 50th minute raising more doubts about his fitness levels. All images in this slideshow were sourced from the ISL.
#1 Away form key for Delhi Dynamos
There were a lot of questions raised following the appointment of Roberto Carlos as the head coach of Delhi Dynamos considering his lack of experience, but it seems the Brazilian has done well to quash any doubts the supporters might have had.
In his four games incharge, the 42-year old has bagged three wins, two of which came away from home. Last season the side from the capital missed out on the knockout stages by a solitary point and much of it was due to their poor away form. Harm Van Veldhoven the man in charge last season bagged only a mere two wins away from home. A feat already matched by Carlos in his first three away games.
The Brazilian has not shied away from showing his tactical nous against experienced counterparts, and it has been his timely substitutes that have done the trick. Richard Gadze’s introduction against FC Pune City saw him bag the all-important second goal, and it was a similar change in this game as well that sealed three vital points.
The coach’s decision to stick with a more settled lineup week in-week out, has provided more stability and created an understanding between the players, that in a tournament of just two months, plays a vital role.
With roles of each player clearly identified, the squad looks more balanced than last season and the experienced marquee players have certainly provided a telling touch.