In the inaugural match of the Indian Super League's (ISL) 10th season, Bengaluru FC faced a disappointing 1-2 loss against Kerala Blasters FC on Thursday. Despite a late goal from their new recruit Curtis Main in the 90th minute, Bengaluru couldn't turn the tide in their favour. The match saw Kerala Blasters taking the initiative, while Bengaluru introduced four debutants in their starting lineup.
Making their first appearance for Bengaluru FC were Slavko Damjanovic, Jessel Carneiro, Keziah Veendorp, and Ryan Williams. With Sunil Chhetri away on national duty at the Asian Games, the captaincy was handed over to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
The first half's highlight was Naorem Roshan Singh's ambitious attempt from distance in the 35th minute, which nearly caught Kerala's goalkeeper Sachin Suresh off balance. However, Suresh managed to deflect it resulting in a corner. Both squads entered the break with the scoreboard reading 0-0.
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As the second half commenced, Kerala Blasters regained their momentum. Peprah nearly found the net in the 52nd minute, but Gurpreet was up to the task. However, the subsequent corner saw Kerala taking the lead, courtesy of a header from Veendorp that went past Gurpreet. Seeking a change in fortunes, Bengaluru's manager, Grayson, made a triple substitution in the 65th minute, bringing on Curtis Main, Javi Hernandez, and Parag Shrivas in place of Aleksandar Jovanovic, Keziah Veendorp, and Namgyal Bhutia.
Bengaluru's woes deepened when a blunder from Gurpreet led to Kerala's second goal. After misjudging a pass from Damjanovic, Gurpreet's heavy touch allowed Luna to capitalise, slotting the ball into an unguarded net, making it 2-0. Later, in the 77th minute, Bengaluru made further changes, introducing Monirul Molla and Harsh Patre for Sivasakthi Narayanan and Rohit Kumar. Bengaluru's glimmer of hope was rekindled when Main found the back of the net, hinting at a potential comeback.
But the same was not to be, as the Kerala Blasters, without their head coach Ivan Vukomanovic in the dugout, triumphed over their South Indian rivals.
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