Rain key in Chennai’s home opener
Nature is never biased. It doesn’t distinguish between home teams and visitors. Heavy monsoon rains in the last 72 hours have spoiled the practice plans of both Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters ahead of their Indian Super League match here on Tuesday.
Nehru Stadium though is in the hands of IMG-Reliance, and the involvement of professionals offers a ray of hope regarding Chennai’s tryst with the ritzy league.
The refurbished turf was fully covered on Monday to prevent it from the onslaught of a constant downpour. Chennai fans, who have shown unprecedented interest in laying their hands on tickets to see what the fuss is all about, must be happy that people with expertise are in charge of ensuring that the surface is playable.
They are expecting that the match to be played on the eve of Deepavali will be a cracker. It should at least be sparkling. The worst case outcome would be a damp squib and that is all in the weather gods’ hands.
The ISL has certainly succeeded in creating a buzz around the world’s favourite sport. Fans are curious. Those used to watching the game on TV are making a beeline for a first- hand experience. ISL’s slogan has even converted a noun into a verb: Let’s football. It’s, however, too early to proffer a verdict on whether the new league has managed to sway an avowed cricket nation towards football.
On the flip side, ISL has exposed Chennai’s woeful infrastructure. The metropolis lacks a decent football ground at its heart for teams to train. Chennaiyin, the hosts, have particularly been hit hard as they have been cooling their heels for nearly a week without proper training and practice matches. Rain has only added to their woes.
Few expected Chennaiyin to come away with three points in their opening match against FC Goa. But they did pull off a coup on the back of a spirited defensive performance. Marquee player Elano had a hand in both Chennaiyin’s goals in a 2- 1 victory and all eyes will be on the Brazilian when the club take the soggy field in their first home match.
Having lost their opener against North East United away despite giving a good account of themselves, Kerala Blasters will be pumped up to get their campaign back on track. Marquee player- cum- manager David James will be worried over the fitness of former Newcastle United player Michael Chopra. But the way the team’s Indian forward C. S. Sabeeth performed must have given him hope that the Blasters can cope without the Englishman.