Kenkare FC displayed an impressive display of grit and determination to win their opening Group B match against Kerala United FC (KUFC) at the Bangalore Football Stadium. After going 1–0 at the start of the second half with a goal from winger Buzair Valiyattu, Kenkare FC registered a 2–1 win over KUFC, thanks to goals from substitute Lester Fernandez and striker Ranjit Singh. The win sends Canakre FC to the top of Group B, while the remaining matches in the group have not yet started.
The match began with both teams advancing into play in the first ten minutes, as KUFC applied a harsh high press to try to win the ball back up the pitch. In the 7th minute, KUFC overtook Munmum Lugun for the first time in what appeared to be a goal as he took a shot from a distance that made the first defense of the game from Kenkre FC goalkeeper Tenzin Samdup.
Kenkare FC made their first crack on goal in the 12th minute, after winning a free-kick in a promising position 20 yards from goal. Aravind Rajan stepped up to pick up the set piece for Kenkre, but a straight free-kick was blocked by a KUFC wall.
KUFC midfielders Akhil P and Adarsh Mattumal were dominating for Kerala till the 15th minute of the game. At the center of the KUFC defense, Gabriel Lima remained a huge presence as he continued to spread opposition attacks, and began passing moves from behind.
As both teams tried to play from the middle and keep the ball, both midfields repeatedly worked hard to win the ball back to their respective teams. Overall, the first half was pretty bad as both the teams went back and forth against each other. Kiran Pandhare tries to get on the ball for Kenkre and directs to play for his team from the heart of the midfield.
In the 29th minute, the referee halted play for a minute for a cooling break. It has been a new post-pandemic introduction to home sport, which teams often use to regroup after the first leg of a match. After the cooling break, KUFC immediately went ahead and resumed the game with a new aggressive spirit. In the 31st minute, KUFC winger Buzair Valiyattu created a fine opportunity for himself as he got a pass from Adarsh and came on his favorite left foot to take a shot from inside the box. Creating a shooting opportunity, Buzair kept his fierce low drive on the wrong side of the pass post.
The match came to a standstill at the halfway point, as the first half drew to a close. The Kerala side had a slightly better chance in the first half, but Kenkere FC remained in the game throughout, even with 57% ball possession in the first half, capping possession statistics in their advantage.
Kerala United scored their first breakthrough three minutes after half time as they eventually added the final product to their promising pattern of play. As Akhil P feeds the ball to the left flank, Salman K finds himself in space to make a fine cross, which was flicked by Nimshad Roshan to the near post. Buzair Valiyattu timed his run perfectly to come across the far post and rifled the ball into Tenzin’s goal to make it 1-0 for Kerala United.
As KUFC took charge of the game and looked likely to add to their advantage, Kenkare FC was helped by the introduction of substitute Lester Fernandez, who brought some experience and sobriety to KUFC’s game. Fernandez took away a penalty for Canacre FC in the 65th minute when Gabriel Lima delivered a foul inside the box with a wrongful lunging tackle.
Coming back to level terms, Kenkare FC struck a double whammy to turn the game around seven minutes later in the 72nd minute, leaving the game behind. Arvind Rajan sent a low cross peach from the right flank after a sharp downpour, which Ranjit Singh captured for the remainder of the game from close range to give Kenkare FC a 2-1 lead.
Kenkare FC proved to be a formidable defensive unit for the final 15 minutes of the game, as they maintained a one-goal lead while facing constant pressure from the KUFC ranks until the end of the game. As KUFC continued to dominate the ball and try to force the issue, they were largely confined to set-play and attempts from the range, as Kerala side Kenkere FC tried to break the defence. The struggle was done.
That match ended with a 2–1 win over Maharashtra, leaving it all to KUFC for the rest of the group stage matches. Kenkare FC will now look forward to their next match against ARA FC on October 9, 2021.
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