Kochi – What will Adrien do without Luna? – This was the concern of Kerala Blasters fans before the tough battles in December. The answer received from the Blasters circles was that there is no substitute for Luna. The answer of the Blasters was that they were confident that even if there is no number 10, they can play with seven, eight and nine. The depth of that answer on the field was the result of their performances against ISL giants Mumbai City and Mohun Bagan.
Evan strategy
Coach Ivan Vukomanovic’s strategy of decentralizing the midfield around Adrien Luna has made Blasters a team that has not caught up with their opponents in the past matches. Instead of the creativity of Luna, who was struggling in the role of a playmaker, Evan put on the field the blood of young players. KP Rahul, Vibin Mohan, Ayman, Azhar and Danish Farooq all lined up in the positional game with high-pressing and high-speed.
Strikers Dimitrios Diamantakos and Kwami Pepra stepped back and took the ball, giving Blasters an ‘advantage’. The intensity of the opponents’ possession game was drained away as attack and defense began to merge in midfield. The results of the attack from the kickoff are not limited to goals. In the first half of the match against Mumbai, ‘Blasters without Luna’ roared into the final third with the ball 26 times. That streak was seen 33 times against Bagan. In both matches, Blasters players entered the opponent’s box 15 times and fired a shot.
Defense is strong
Vukomanovic’s ‘blast’ without Luna should not be added to the attack’s account alone. Another factor that decided the fate of the Blasters was the defensive strength that returned with a clean sheet against the two teams with the sharpest attacking players in the league. With the appointment of Malayali players to fill the absence of Luna in the midfield, the team got the opportunity to field two foreign players in the defense. The efforts of Bagan’s flamboyant stars failed in front of the experienced Blasters defense of Marko Leskovic, Milos Drincic and Pritam Kotal. The clearance figures of the Blasters defense are also good with 27 tackles in both matches. Lesko and his team made 58 clearances against Mumbai and Bagan’s Bada warm-ups.
English Summary:
How Kerala Blasters Overcame Playmaker Adrian Luna’s Absence
2023-12-29 04:40:08
#Blasters #Overcame #Lunas #Absence #Evans #winning #strategy
