ISL
ISL: Analysing Kerala Blasters' foreign contingent for the Indian Super League 2021-22 season
The yellow army from Kerala has six new foreign players joining their team for the ISL, and the fans will be hoping they turn around the fortunes of the club and lead them to the playoffs.
The new season of the Indian Super League is upon us, and Kerala Blasters will be going to a season with the hope that they can change their fortunes this time around and qualify for the playoffs. All the six foreign players of the Blasters are new signings, and they will play a key role in the team in achieving their targets.
The new head coach Ivan Vukomanovic will be hoping that all the new battery of foreign players power them to great success in this season. Let us look at the foreign contingent of the Blasters ahead of the ISL 2021-22 season.
1. Enes Sipovic
The former Chennaiyn FC central defender switched allegiance to the Kerala-based club from Chennaiyn FC earlier this year, and will the wall in Kerala Blaster's defense. Enes is a strong defender who can win aerial duels, and also build the attack from the back. The expectations from him will be huge, and the fans will be looking to see a stable partnership between Leskovic and Sipovic. The prior experience of playing a full season in the ISL will help Enes adapt faster at KBFC, and the team will be relying on his experience in defense.
2. Marko Leskovic
The 31-year-old Croatian international might just be the partner Enes needed to make the Kerala Blasters defensive wall. Leskovic has played around Europe and even represented the Croatian team in 2014. The defender is tall and has the ability to anticipate attacks thrown at him, can win aerial duels because of his height, and his mighty presence in the defense might be something the opponent striker does not want to see in the games. The entire yellow army will be looking forward to seeing how Leskovic performs in India.
3. Adrian Luna
The Uruguayan can operate as a number ten, attacking midfielder and on either wing, Luna can be described best as a jack of all trades, and the Blasters will be hoping that he can score and assist a lot of goals for the team. He will be the key to connect the Blasters midfield, and their attack, and might just be the signing of the season for them. He also found the net for the Blasters in the Durand Cup, but what he does in the ISL will determine the impact he has on the club.
4. Jorge Pereyra DÃaz
An Argentine number nine for the Blasters, the expectations will be goals and a lot of goals. Jorge has played in South America, and Asia, and carries a vast ton of experience with himself. Ivan Vukomanovic will have to decide a setup where he can accommodate both Jorge Diaz and Alvaro Vasquez because both strikers have a lot of goals in them. This is the kind of challenge a coach loves because of the squad depth at every position. The Blasters have three foreigners (Alvaro, Chenco, and Jorge) who can play as strikers or set up a front three. The strikers will have to compete for the spots, and Jorge would definitely eying that center-forward spot.
5. Alvaro Vasquez
The former Swansea City, Espanol, and Sporting Gijon striker might be the best foreign signing made by the Kerala Blasters. Alvaro has played in the La Liga and the Premier League, and his experience will be key to Kerala Blaster's entire season. The ace striker is known for scoring goals, and he gets the supply he wants, he can lead the club to their first playoffs in five years or even more. The expectations of the fans and the management from a player like will be very high, and no one can wait for him to start playing for the Blasters.
6. Chencho Gyltshen
A former Indian Super League Champion with Bengaluru FC, The Bhutanese Ronaldo Chenhco might just be the cherry on the top for Ivan Vukomanovic. He has already played a lot of football in India, and knows how to make an impact on a team. Chenco can operate as a left-winger or even as a center forward and can play on the right of a front three in a 4-3-3 formation. The player might not be able to make it to the starting line-up but definitely has the power to impact games coming from the bench. He can act as backup for Alvaro and Jorge Diaz.
The whole new foreign contingent for the Blasters is new, and it will be exciting to see where they lead the club? Who do you think will be the four players who make it to the starting line-up?
All the photos have been shared/ taken from the Facebook handle of Kerala Blasters FC, and they own the copyright for the images.
