Kerala Blasters FC is a professional team formed on 27th may 2014 by the cricketing Legend Sachin Tendulkar as one of the initial teams in the Indian Super League. Mr. Prasad V Potluri was initially the co-owner of the team but he sold his shares to Telegu Superstar Chiranjeevi and Akkineni Nagarjuna. After the initial year Kerala Blasters has been a leading crowd puller for the event, recording an average attendance of 47,427.
The team performed exceedingly well in the opening season finishing first on the points table, however it lost the finals against Atlético de Kolkata at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. In the second season the team saw a change of fortune and performed not up to the expectations. This season also saw change in the Head Coach of the team with England U20 head coach Peter Taylor replacing David James. The team could manage only 1 win in the first six games as a result of which Taylor was unceremoniously sacked. Kerala Blasters FC finished the season at the bottom of the points table.
The team might be looking to make amends in this season, trying to improve its position in the points table. The team will be initially looking to make into the top four slots into the points table and then strategize about the future course. We at The SportsRush have identified five key players who can be instrumental in changing the fortunes for Kerala Blasters FC.
1) Aaron William Hughes:
Aaron Hughes is an Irish Footballer who represents the Ireland National team as a defender. Hughes mainly plays centre back but also can be utilized as right back or left back, as well he has displayed his exemplary skills as a midfielder. He has made 455 premier league appearances and has a lot of experience to guide the young Indian Players. He began his career with Newcastle United before he was transferred to Aston Villa.
Hughes will be the Marquee player for Kerala Blaster FC and will bring in the experience that is required to guide the youngsters in the squad. A lot depends on the performance of this player for improving the point’s table position of Kerala Blasters FC in this season
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2) Iain Edward Hume
Hume is a Canadian footballer. He began his career at Tranmere Rovers in 1999 and six years later he moved to Leicester City for an initial £500,000 fee. Three years later he was signed by Barnsley for £1.2 million, where he suffered a serious head injury in a match against Sheffield United. He later played for Preston North End, and was loaned to Doncaster Rovers and Fleetwood Town, where he won League One and the League Two play-offs respectively.
In 2014 he participated in the inaugural season of ISL and played for Kerala Blasters Fc. He was instrumental in the performance of the team and scored 5 goals in sixteen appearances ensuring that the team stood first in the points table. In the subsequent year he played for Atlético de Kolkata. He scored 11 goals in 16 appearances which was instrumental for Atlético success in that season.
Hume has again been signed by Kerala Blasters FC and we at The Sportsrush believe that this move can change fortunes for the team.
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3) Mohammed Rafi
Rafi is an Indian professional footballer from Trikaripur, Kerala, who currently plays for DSK Shivajians as a striker in the I-League. He played for Atletico de Kolkata in the inaugural season.
Rafi was signed by Kerala Blasters FC for the second season of Indian Super League. He scored on his debut, the second goal of the match against North East United and also set up Sanchez Watt’s goal. Rafi based on his extraordinary performance won ISL Emerging Player of the Match award against NorthEast United FC in 2015 Indian Super League.
He was again signed by Kerala Blasters FC for the Third Season of Indian Super League (ISL). Rafi is a key asset which Kerala has retained. For a team to succeed in in ISL strong crop of Indian players is required by a team. By retaining Rafi along with some smart picks of Indian players, the team management has ensured that the team has the correct balance to take on the opposition. Further being a local player, hailing from the state of Kerala it would be easy for him to make connect with the home crowd.
4) Cedric Hengbart
Kerala Blasters FC are going all out to field a formidable side in the upcoming season of ISL. They have roped in star defender Cedric Hengbart to strengthen their defense.
The French defender plied his trade in the Indian Super League in both the previous seasons and will be playing once again in the third season. The 36-year-old was a part of Kerala Blasters in the inaugural season of the Indian football competition. Here he played an integral role in guiding the Kochi-based side to the ISL final.
In the second season he moved to NorthEast United FC and there too he made significant contribution which resulted in the team coming fifth in the tournament.
Hengbart also has experience playing in the UEFA Champions League against the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan which he can share with the Indian counterparts.
Addition of a player of his class would definitely make Kerala Blasters Fc a force to reckon in the upcoming season.
