Thiruvananthapuram Kombans vs Thrissur Magic: Match Analysis

The sixth match of the first edition of Super League Kerala took place yesterday (September 16, 2024) between Thiruvananthapuram Kombans and Thrissur Magic, being the Kombans' first home game at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium. Thousands of home supporters filled the stands, creating an atmosphere of pure passion and goosebumps, as fans drummed and shouted chants, supporting the Kombans with all their might.

Both teams seemed to play standard 4-3-3, with the captain's armband being donned by Patrick Mota, the Kombans' midfielder, and C. K. Vineeth, Thrissur's striker.

The playstyle of both teams varied significantly. Kombans opted for a quick counter-attacking playstyle. As they didn't do much passing around, and simply allocated all of their players to the attack. Kombans' play could be highlighted by long balls from the back to either wings. The man to watch was none other than Patrick Mota, who was responsible for both the goals that were scored. Besides, Mota provided wonderful passes to the wings and supplied the attack with many chances.

Thrissur Magic, however, opted for a possession game playstyle. They didn't think about countering quick, instead, they managed to get their passes in and opted to maintain more possession over the Kombans. This strategy did help them to get more ball control, but their passes at times went astray and into the possession of the Kombans, leading their attacks to be fizzled out. It can also be noted that Thrissur tried a bit of "Tiki-Taka", one touch passes. Thrissur were able to form triangles that helped them to get a lot of passes in quick succession. But, this strategy also failed thanks to wonderful defending by the Kombans.

Each time Thrissur tried to create a play, the Kombans overloaded their side by moving the midfielders to the defence, which resulted in the Kombans having a numerical advantage over the orange shirts. This was the sole reason Thrissur couldn't even slot a single goal in.

Talking about goals, the Kombans won with two magnificent goals, which were both scored from set-pieces. The first goal was scored by Vishnu TM during the 16th minute, from a corner taken by Captain Patrick Mota. Vishnu beautifully performed a dolphin header that bounced off the ground to find the back of the net.

The second goal was scored thanks to a free-kick taken again by Patrick Mota. The Brazilian initially delivered the ball to the left side of the box, but a defensive error occurred, as one of Thrissur's defenders headed the ball into the center of the box, where Kombans' Lalhmangaihsanga positioned himself to slot the second goal for the home side.

But that wasn't enough for the Kombans, as they kept up with the offense, trying to slot more goals. The Kombans won a corner kick, which could've been another goal, considering the two formers goals were courtesy of set-pieces, but this time, there were only two home players in the box, and they were severely outnumbered and unable to score. A scoring opportunity arose in the 87th minute when Kombans' number 10, Kuhn, claimed the ball regained by Mota, and sprinted into the box. Unfortunately for him, none of his teammates were able to reach the box in time as he crossed, so it was a wasted opportunity.

So, two great goals thanks to two sleek set-pieces gave Kombans the win. But that wasn't all. A successful clean sheet was maintained by the goalkeeper, Santos, who made some good saves, and collected the ball in timely fashion to keep it safe. The defenders also did some great marking to hold the Magic players, especially Renan Januario Araujo, the 21-year-old center-back, who also won the "Man of Steel", player of the match award. The Brazilian's performance was truly a testament to why he deserved Paulo Maldini's number 3 on his back.

For the player of the match, I would've nominated captain Patrick Mota for the two brilliant assists, and for his overall performance. I would also have nominated Vishnu TM for the first goal of the match that resulted in the Kombans' victory. Nevertheless, Renan Araujo did deserve the player of the match for his defensive performance.

Thrissur Magic also played well, they were in fact close to scoring goals. The man to watch for Thrissur was none other than ex Kerala Blasters player Chekiyot Kizhakkeveettill Vineeth. The 36-year-old was, I'd say, the best player on the pitch for Thrissur. Vineeth played goal poacher, as he stayed almost always near the box. One moment from Vineeth that scared the crowd was when he won a freekick. When it was taken, Vineeth went into the box and performed a volley, which unluckily didn't hit the target. The captain was always a threat, and the Kombans had to always keep him marked. At the end, Vineeth was kept at bay by the defenders.

With this game, Thiruvananthapuram Kombans win their first game, that too at home. Kombans are now standing second in the table, with 4 points. They are below Calicut FC only because of goal difference. Kombans are blessed with amazing players, and the first edition of Super League Kerala is going to be a fantastic campaign for the Tuskers. If this form continues, Kombans could go down in history as the first team to lift the bejewelled SLK trophy.