ISL
'Anything can happen in ISL' says Kerala Blasters coach Vukomanovic ahead of the 2022-23 season opener
Kerala Blasters will be taking on East Bengal in the Indian Super League 2022-23 opener on 7th October in Kochi.
Indian football's top division is set to commence on Friday, 7th October when Kerala Blasters welcomes East Bengal in Kochi for the 2022-23 season opener. The main talking point of this match will not be players, coaches, or tactics. It will be a packed stadium.
Preview
"It was awful, really not nice," Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said in the pre-match press conference on the absence of fans last year. "This time, it will be a pleasure to play in front of the fans and give our all for them," he added.
Club captain of the Yellow Army Jessel Carneiro is also excited to play in front of the fans but advises his team to focus on their game. "It's best to play our game and be confident. We will have to remember our training and be positive on the pitch. The crowd will be behind us nonetheless," he said.
"Anything can happen in the ISL. This year too, we might see some surprises and some disappointments," said a realistic Ivan.
Facing last season's runners-up are last season's bottom placed team in East Bengal. With a makeover from top to bottom with new head coach Stephen Constantine at the helm, the Red and Gold Brigade would want to make sure last campaign's performance isn't repeated.
"I can't change what happened in the past, but I can control what happens now. We have worked really hard, but the proof is in the pudding. We'll see how good or bad we are tomorrow. We are not the finished article but I promise you I did not come to East Bengal to finish last," Constantine assured.
One of EB's many club captains for the upcoming season Souvik Chakrabarti was quizzed on his opinion of the team. "To me, we are one of the strongest teams. I don't see things on paper. We gel very well with each other which translates well on the pitch," said the confident player.
When to watch?
Kerala Blasters against East Bengal will be played on 7th October, Friday at 7:30 pm IST.
Where to watch?
The match will be broadcasted by the Star Sports Network on the television.
Live stream
The fixture will also be live streamed on Disney+ Hotstar platform.
