Even divine intervention might not have saved Kerala on an unforgettable day for Chennaiyin
Chennai: Players of Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC during the Indian Super League (ISL) match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. (Photo: AP)
Chennai: Chennaiyin FC drowned Kerala Blasters 4-1 in a match played under driving rain here to stay afloat in ISL season two. Saturday was a Slaughterday for Blasters who became a sacrificial lamb to the razor-sharp left-foot of Chennaiyin’s hat-trick hero, Stiven Mendoza. The result kept the home team’s semi-final hopes alive while denting the visitors’ irreparably.
Mendoza, the fleet-footed Colombian forward, helped Chennaiyin snap their wretched record at home this year with a delightful hat-trick, his second of the season. With nine goals, he is on top of the scoring charts. Even more importantly, Mendoza has put his team’s campaign back on track. No praise would be too high for doing so in the absence of Elano, Chennaiyin’s creative fulcrum.
When Mendoza was substituted towards the end, the adoring crowd roared its approval with a raucous standing ovation. Man, did he not milk it? The Colombian provided a timely reminder to his coach Marco Materazzi who had benched him against ATK in the previous round to provide ‘playing time’ to Fikru Teferra. Materazzi would be wiser now; he had, after all, replaced the irreplaceable.
Even divine intervention might not have saved Kerala on an unforgettable day for Chennaiyin. Kerala were lucky to escape with a respectable scoreline because the hosts, who blasted off the blocks like a team in mission, missed a host of chances throughout.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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