Kerala Blasters Hold 4-4 Draw Against Goa

Kerala Blasters FC was cornered into a compromise by FC Goa with a 4-4 draw at the end of the Blasters’ run this season in the Indian Super League. The match in Fatorda on Sunday, despite the dissatisfying results, was no less entertaining, with Goa’s Airam Cabrera making a hat-trick this far in the season. The Kerala Blasters, despite their qualification for the ISL semifinals, had to keep up with the opponent team in the mid-game twist during the match due to Cabrera’s hat-trick but managed to even it out with the draw.

Besides Airam Cabrera, Aibanbha Dohling made up the other score for Goa, and for Kerala Blasters, Vincy Barreto and Alvaro Vazquez scored on half of the goals, and Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s brace accounted for the other half. Goa has nineteen points in their belt at the end of their campaign as they sit in ninth place and the Blasters at the fourth with 34 points in the ISL rankings.

Kerala Blasters End Indian Super League Run With a Draw

The Kerala Blasters took control of the game in the opening half. Chencho Gyeltshen and Sahal Samad dominated the forward, seeking opportunities for a lead until Sahal snatched the ball from the Goa defence when the keeper Hrithik Tiwari sent the ball to Anwar Ali. After Sahal intercepted the ball, he sent a perfect cross to Pereyra, who struck gold by the 10th minute, putting the Kerala Blasters in the lead. 

The Blasters doubled their score in the first half due to a penalty when Tiwari tripped Chencho inside the box after the Bhutanese forward snatched the ball from Anwar Ali, who was again at fault. Diaz sent the ball home despite Tiwari’s attempts to save. The score marked Diaz’s brace and his fourth goal from the last three matches.

Goa brought in new sets of players in the second half, and it seemed to alleviate the problem they had in the first half. Airam Cabrera’s first goal was thanks to Ivan Gonzalez, and Cabrera sent the ball into the Blasters’ net. 

His second goal was because of a penalty when Givson brought down Mka Winkle Chothe, and Cabrera found the equaliser easily by the hour mark. 

The lead, however, was by Aibanbha Dohling, thanks to a long shot from Anwar. Dohling was not marked by any of the Blasters’ defence, and he sent the shot into the net, much to the Blasters keeper Prabhsukhan Gill’s chagrin.

Airam Cabrera hat-trick

The last shot that formed Cabrera’s hat-trick was made with the assistance of Devendra Murgaonkar, but later into the game, substitutes Barreto and Vazquez squandered Goa’s lead with a goal each. The game ended with a 4-4 draw, marking both teams’ final run this ISL season before the semifinals.

Jeremy Nero

Nero Fulgar has been writing professionally for the past five years, delving into technical and creative content, as well as literary works. He has a degree in creative writing from U.P. Visayas and has published several works in the Philippines and Singapore. Other than writing, he has dabbled into editing and publishing fiction novels before moving on into writing-centred professions. Based in Dumaguete City, Philippines, he continues to write about everything that interests him, which includes igames, sports, politics, pop culture, art, and literature to name a few. You can reach Jeremy at [email protected]