Laxmikant Kattimani saved three penalties as Hyderabad FC rose above the noise to win the 2021-22 Hero Indian Super League final in a nerve-racking penalty shootout over Kerala Blasters FC and their sea of yellow supporters in a nerve-racking penalty shootout Of. The packed PJN Stadium in Fatorda on Sunday.
Hyderabad FC became champions for the first time, which justified Manolo Marquez’s vision of a well-rounded team with the right mix of youth and experience, but it took a lottery to decide the winners in an equally contested summit. Extra time ended after -1 as the two teams could not separate in 90 minutes.
ISL 2021-22: House , fixtures , Result , Mark sheet , photos
Rahul KP (68th) opened the scoring for Kerala, with Kattimani failing to hand a long ranger before Sahil Tavora (88th) scored a surprise goal to equalize and take the game to extra time. After the organizations canceled each other for more than 30 minutes, a shootout was to take place to decide the champion.
Marko Leskovic, Nishu Kumar and Jackson Singh saw their efforts brilliantly saved by the 32-year-old veteran goalkeeper Kattimani, even as Nishu went out of his line after saving twice for the first time. was thrown out. For Hyderabad, skipper Joao Victor, Khasa Kamara and Halicharan Narzari found the back of the net as Javier Siverio hit the bar. AYUSH officer scored the only goal for Kerala.
It was heartbreaking for Kerala as they reached the final for the third time, only to finish second best when it mattered the most. Thousands of fans from Kerala, many of whom traveled all the way home by road, were left high and dry as the final hurdle after their team’s spirited performance.
Kerala, with an injury to Sahal Abdul Samad, started on the bright side from the first minute and remained so in the first half except for a Siverio attempt at the end of halftime.
Jorge Diaz could have helped Kerala take an early lead but couldn’t connect well with Argentine forward Hermanjot Khabra Floater, who caught Ashish Rai taking a nap.
Diaz looked in fine form as he ran the Hyderabad defense rag and scored off-the-ball runs that put the opposition defense on tenterhooks. At the half-hour mark, Luna tried his trademark dipping attempt, but Laxmikant Kattimani collected the ball easily in Hyderabad’s goal.
The game got off to a lively start with Kerala dominating proceedings but the pace slowed down a bit after initial exchanges with both the teams. Kerala succeeded in keeping Ogbeche calm, but Luna and Vazquez also struggled to really come to life.
Hyderabad suffered a setback when Joel Chienis was to be replaced by Javier Siverio as the former suffered an injury in the 39th minute, and almost immediately Vazquez found the woodwork when Luna made a delightful inside box for Khabra. Tossed the ball so that he could make it down. And Vazquez is charging to crack the goal for the first time. Hyderabad, breathing a sigh of relief, blew the strike missile through the crossbar.
Just before halftime, Severio forced a brilliant save off Prabhasukhan Gill when the Spaniard received the end of Yasir Mohamed’s free-kick only to pull his header away at the near post.
Hyderabad FC came out all guns blazing in the second period, Joao Victor forced Gill into diving to save it from distance and Ogbeche fired on the bar after scoring with a clever first touch. Against the race of the game, Kerala took the lead.
Vazquez found Rahul in the final third, later found guilty of not closing him while running towards goal with the Hyderabad defenders. Rahul then tried his luck from a distance and Kattimani should have done better as he caught the ball with a weak hand and failed to keep it out of goal.
Gill then held his side in the driver’s seat with a superb save from an Ogbeche free-kick, but Hyderabad’s relentless efforts bore fruit two minutes from full time, with Tavora scoring a shouting after another substitute, when the box A delectable ball from Halicharan Narzari inside is cleared by Kerala. Defense.
In extra time, Ogbeche’s overhead kick went wide in the first half, while the Nigerian’s effort was deflected off the line in the second essay by Marko Leskovic. Kerala coach Ivan Vukomanovic, who replaced Vazquez with Vinci Barreto, raised a few eyebrows, but it looked like the Spaniard had knocked.
read all breaking news , today’s fresh news And Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates Here.