Kerala Blasters FC head coach Mikael Stahre acknowledged that it was a close game against NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) after playing out a 1-1 draw against the Highlanders at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.

The hosts broke the deadlock in the 58th minute courtesy of Alaeddine Ajaraie’s free-kick goal. With that, the Moroccan forward became the only second player to score in each of his opening three games.

The Yellow Army reacted quickly as they found themselves back in the game, with Noah Sadaoui netting the equaliser within nine minutes after conceding the opener. The dynamic winger lodged a left-footed screamer from the edge of the box, which hit the bottom left corner, giving no chance to Gurmeet Singh.

The Highlanders’ defender Asheer Akhtar conceded a direct red card for his tackle on Sadaoui. Playing against a 10-man NorthEast United FC, the Blasters generated a couple of offensive moves in the dying minutes of the second half but fell short of capitalising on their chances.

Stahre shared his dissatisfaction with his players missing chances in the final moments of the game. The head coach urged his players to be more precise in converting their opportunities in the final third.

“Football is a complex game. You have to handle many situations. We've created big chances, especially at the end of the game. It's just not about the strike; we have to be more precise to finish off better,” he said in the post-match press conference.

“In one way, I'm pleased with the point; in another way, I didn't like how we controlled the last part (of the game) after the red card. We have to be in this game. I think one point came out; it was a good first half, and they (NorthEast United FC) also created some big chances. Overall, it was a pretty even game,” he continued sharing his assessment of the match.

The Blasters find themselves in the fifth spot with four points from three matches. After suffering a narrow defeat against Punjab FC in the opening fixture, Stahre’s men returned to winning ways with a comeback victory against East Bengal FC.

When quizzed about their overall performance in the league, the Swedish head coach remarked,“You have to analyze every single game. The Punjab FC game was not a good one; (Jesus) Jimenez equalized in the last minute, and we lost the game in the dying seconds. It was really a hurt one. Then we won 2-1 against East Bengal FC. We played 1-1 away against a very good team (NorthEast United FC).

“I'm not happy, but I'm not extremely unhappy. We can do much better. We are still solid and taking points. It's just the beginning, and I feel we will be better and better, actually. I think we are on the right track,” he added.

Adrian Luna has been back in action as the Blasters’ captain came as a substitute in the 80th minute. The Uruguayan midfielder missed the opening two games due to illness. Speaking in context, Stahre said,

“Luna is an important player for us. It was important minutes to put him on the pitch again.”

“Things will be better and better. I expect him to be in better shape after the FIFA break in a few weeks,” he signed off.

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Kerala Blasters FCNorthEast United FC2024-2025