2016 Indian Super League final

The 2016 Indian Super League Final was a football match between ATK and Kerala Blasters on 18 December 2016 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala. It was the final match of the 2016 Indian Super League season, the third season of the Indian Super League.[1] The match was the second time these two teams played against each other in the Indian Super League final, the previous one was when both sides met in the inaugural 2014 final. ATK won that final 1–0.

2016 Indian Super League Final
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium,before the final
Event2016 Indian Super League season
ATK won 4–3 on penalties (p)
Date18 December 2016
VenueJawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, Kerala
Man of the MatchHenrique Sereno[1]
RefereeAlireza Faghani (Iran)
Attendance82,324
2015
2018

Kerala Blasters reached the finals after finishing the regular season in second place. ATK finished their regular season in fourth place. In the semi-finals, Kerala Blasters took on the Delhi Dynamos while ATK played against Mumbai City. ATK hosted Mumbai City in the first match of the finals at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium. Helped by a brace from Iain Hume, ATK won the first leg 3–2. The team then secured their place in the final after a 0–0 draw in Mumbai. The Kerala Blasters hosted Delhi Dynamos in their first match of the finals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and won 1–0. In the second leg, the Blasters were defeated 2–1 and thus the score remaining 3–3 on aggregate the match went to a penalty shootout as away goal rule was not applicable in case of Indian Super League.[2] The Kerala Blasters won the shootout 3–0 to qualify for the final.

Watched by a crowd of 82,324 even though officially another figure of much lower number is given which was even less than some normal league matches conducted here in Kaloor Stadium during 2014-2016 time, the Kerala Blasters took the lead in the 37th minute through Mohammed Rafi. The Kerala Blasters lead only lasted for seven minutes before Henrique Sereno equalized for ATK. At halftime the score was 1–1. The second half did not see any goals scored and thus the match went into extra-time. The first half of extra-time was goalless and so was the second half. With the score still remaining1–1 after extra-time, the match went into penalties.[2]

Penalty shoot out drama saw Graham Stack saving the first shot for ATK which gave a temporary lead for Kerala but Ndyoe blasted the ball over the bar and finally Cédric Hengbart saw his shot getting saved by the trailing leg of ATK keeper Debjit Majumder, ATK won the shoot-out 4–3 as Jewel Raja scored the winning penalty and they won the Indian Super League Final for the second time in three seasons.[3]


Match edit

Kerala Blasters1–1 (a.e.t.)ATK
Rafi   37' Report Sereno   44'
Penalties
German  
Belfort  
Ndoye  
Rafique  
Hengbart  
3–4   Hume
  Doutie
  Fernández
  Lara
  Raja
Attendance: 82,324
 
 
 
 
 
Kerala Blasters
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ATK
GK 1   Graham Stack
RB 21   Sandesh Jhingan   100'
CB 6   Aaron Hughes (c)   36'
CB 5   Cédric Hengbart   119'
LB 11   Ishfaq Ahmed   93'
RM 13   C.K. Vineeth
CM 14   Mehtab Hossain
CM 88   Azrack Mahamat
LM 20   Mohammed Rafi   77'
SS 9   Kervens Belfort
CF 78   Duckens Nazon   77'
Substitutes:
GK 24   Sandip Nandy
DF 19   Elhadji Ndoye   36'
FW 7   Mohammed Rafique   77'
FW 10   Antonio German   77'
MF 2   Pratik Chowdhary
MF 8   Vinit Rai
FW 12   Thongkhosiem Haokip
MF 16   Gurwinder Singh
MF 27   Michael Chopra
FW 31   Rino Anto
MF 57   Didier Kadio
Manager:
  Steve Coppell
GK 24   Debjit Majumder
RB 12   Pritam Kotal   100'
CB 2   Henrique Sereno   95'
CB 4   Tiri
LB 80   Keegan Pereira   43'
RM 11   Sameehg Doutie
CM 10   Borja Fernández (c)   25'
CM 8   Jewel Raja
LM 20   Lalrindika Ralte
SS 9   Hélder Postiga   67'
CF 7   Iain Hume
Substitutes:
GK 14   Dani Mallo
GK 22   Shilton Paul
DF 33   Prabir Das   43'
MF 15   Javi Lara   67'
MF 23   Ofentse Nato   95'
DF 6   Kingshuk Debnath
MF 13   Bikramjit Singh
MF 17   Bidyananda Singh
MF 25   Stephen Pearson
MF 34   Abhinas Ruidas
Manager:
  José Francisco Molina

Hero of the match

Emerging player of the match

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References edit

  1. ^ "Raja scores winning penalty to make ATK two-time champions". Indian Super League. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. ^ "ISL does away with away goal rule". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Kerala Blasters FC vs. ATK - Football Match Report - December 18, 2016". ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2018.