The league phase of the ISL 2024-25 season ends with a dead rubber between Hyderabad and Kerala Blasters on March 12. With both teams already out of the running for a place in the play-offs, there is nothing to play for except pride. But, the season could have gone so much better for the Kerala Blasters if not for the seemingly unending series of goalkeeping mistakes that plagued the team.
So, where would the team have finished without those mistakes that directly led to goals? It is, admittedly, simplistic to think that the match would have unfolded in the same way if there was no goalkeeping mistake. But, there is no denying the massive impact these mistakes had on the team’s momentum and morale. Therefore, in order to examine these mistakes in isolation, we are going to assume that the rest of the match went exactly as it did.
There was a shakiness in goal right from the start. On September 15, in the very first match of the season, local hero Sachin Suresh was slow to react to a ground pass across his goal to the back post in the 95th minute. That pass led to the Punjab winner by Filip Mrzljak in Kochi. But, it would be too harsh to categorise it as a goalkeeping mistake, because a lot of the responsibility was with the defence.
The first genuine mistake that led to a goal was on September 29 in an away match against NorthEast United (1-1). In the 58th minute, Sachin tried to collect a low free-kick by Alaaeddine Ajaraie. But, the ball bounced in front of him and slipped through his hands to roll over the line. By no means easy to deal with, but basic for a professional goalkeeper. So, going by the assumption that the rest of the match went exactly as it did, without that one mistake, the Blasters would have two more points having conceded one goal less. And, NorthEast would have one point less having scored one goal less.
In the very next match, the 2-2 draw away against Odisha FC on October 3, both of the home team goals came from mistakes by Sachin. In the 29th minute, he went to collect a low cross; the ball hit his wrist and then deflected off Alexandre Coeff’s thigh into the goal. It was another regulation take that the keeper got wrong. Seven minutes later, a close-range Diego Mauricio shot slipped under Sachin into the goal. Though he made a brilliant save in first-half stoppage time to prevent a third goal, the damage had already been done, with the team taking just one point when it could have taken all three.
In the next match, on October 20 against Mohammedan SC in an away match, though goalkeeper Som Kumar gave away a penalty for the opening goal, he made an important save in second-half stoppage time to preserve the three points. So, the mistake was cancelled out by a game-winning moment.
However, there was no such redemption for Kumar in the following match, on October 25. At home, against a then unbeaten Bengaluru FC, the Blasters put on an absolute show of high-intensity football. Despite gifting Bengaluru a goal through a Pritam Kotal defensive mistake, the home team levelled, becoming the first side to breach the Bengaluru defence this season. However, a howler by Kumar—he spilled the ball in the box to give Edgar Mendez an easy finish in the 74th minute—restored the away team’s lead. And, in stoppage time, Kumar’s hesitation after wandering well outside his box made it easier for Mendez to score his second. Although, to be fair, the game was probably lost already. But, the first mistake was a hammer blow to both the team and the home crowd.
It is possible that the Blasters could have won that game without that mistake, but, in keeping with the rule of assuming that everything else went the same, this match has to be considered a draw without the goalkeeping debacle. After the match, THE WEEK witnessed a heartwarming interaction between the young keeper and the home crowd—as the players went to the fans to thank them, the crowd supported Kumar by chanting his name and he apologised with a raised hand. Despite the morale-sapping night, it seemed then as though the Blasters would rise again, buoyed by their fantastic fans.
That delusion was put to rest in the next match, a 4-2 away defeat against Mumbai City. Kumar played his part, letting a cross from the right byline go, seemingly, right through him; it was tapped in at the back post for 1-0. It is difficult to predict how the game would have gone without that goal. But, following the rules set out at the start of this article, we will assume that it would have been a 3-2 loss, instead of 4-2. So, no change to the result then.
But, that was not the case against FC Goa on November 28. It was a 1-0 loss. Sachin was back at it—letting a weak shot from a tight angle sneak under him at his near post for the game’s decisive goal. Sachin continued to be unconvincing in goal during the 4-2 away defeat at Bengaluru on December 7, but it would too harsh to hold him individually responsible for any of the goals—it was more of a ‘team effort’!
In the next match against Mohun Bagan, in Kolkata on December 14, Sachin and home keeper Vishal Kaith seemed to be competing for the title of worst keeper. First, Sachin’s indecisive and weak touch from a speculative long shot by Asish Rai in the 33rd minute put the ball on a plate for Jamie McClaren to tap in for 1-0. Then, Kaith made two mistakes that led to goals to give the Blasters a 1-2 lead. Not to be outdone, Sachin dove over the ball as it rolled into the net after Jason Cummings redirected from close range following a weak Dimitri Petratos shot in the 86th minute to make it 2-2. Alberto Rodriquez smashed in a rocket of a shot in stoppage time to win the game for the Mariners. So, without any goalkeeping mistakes, this would have been 1-0 for Mohun Bagan. But, without Sachin’s mistakes, this would have been 1-2 for the Blasters. For the purpose of this exercise, we count it as the latter.
The next mistake by Sachin, on January 13 against Odisha at home, did not affect the result as the Blasters still won 3-2. But, on February 22, during the 2-0 away defeat to Goa, the goalkeeper, Kamaljit Singh, was at fault for both the goals and therefore, at least partially, responsible for the defeat. So, by our rules, that becomes a draw.
In total, that is a staggering 13 goalkeeping mistakes leading to goals in a 24-game season. At least nine of these directly affected the result of the match. So, on the condition that everything else remains the same, that adds up to 11 points. Even without having to account for the deduction in points for other teams if the results were so modified, that puts the Blasters into third place on 39 points.
Three goalkeepers made mistakes, the majority coming from first-choice Sachin. But, it is a fruitless exercise to place the blame on one player. Especially because the 24-year-old had well and truly earned his reputation as one of the best young keepers in the country before this season. An underperforming goalkeeper is often taken out of the line of fire as he resets. But, the Blasters, this season, had a goalkeeping roaster with relatively low cumulative high-end experience, meaning that Sachin had to be picked when available and left to ‘tough it out’. Instead of criticising one player, what should be explored is whether there was a systemic failure, in terms of coaching, preparation, leadership and decisive management. As with every problem at the underachieving Kerala club, it seems like there is more to it than what meets the eye regarding the ‘goalkeeping curse’, too.