Sachin Suresh: I was confident I could save the penalty

Sachin Suresh saved two consecutive penalty attempts against East Bengal.

Young Kerala Blasters FC goalkeeper Sachin Suresh looked happy after playing a big hand in securing the team’s first win against East Bengal FC in Kolkata in the Indian Super League (ISL) match on November 4.

With his exceptional performance under the bars, Suresh equitably won the Player of the Match award against East Bengal FC, saving Cleiton Silva’s penalty in the very intense moment of the match.

Apart from the penalty save with the scoreline still reading 1-0 in favour of the Blasters, Suresh was at his very best throughout the entire game. He made three crucial saves on the day, and so far has had the best season of his life. With Silva’s penalty save, the Kerala-born goalkeeper becomes the first goalkeeper in the history of ISL to save penalties in two consecutive games.

With the win against East Bengal FC, the Yellow Army moves to the top of the table with 13 points in 6 matches.

“We are so happy to be at the top of the table and finish the match with that spirit. And we’ll continue working after some off days. So, I’m so happy for the team, for the fans, and we’ll keep going,” Sachin told ISL Media in an exclusive interview.

It was the 85th minute of the match when Suresh saved Silva’s penalty diving at the right side which helped his team to keep their lead in the next nervy minutes. The young shot-stopper showed his agility, composure, and technique that prevented the hosts from levelling the scoreline. Minutes later, Dimitri Diamantakos scored the Blasters’ second to seal the victory for the team.

“Like, I was confident I could save the penalty, like, nothing else. Just there was luck and there was some skill. That’s it,” Suresh stated.

The Blasters have been on an upward trajectory since the arrival of head coach Ivan Vukomanovic and the 22-year-old hailed the Serbian’s influence on the team.

“For me, he (Ivan Vukomanovic) is the best. He’s the best coach I have ever had in my career. So, he motivated us very well.”

The moment against East Bengal was a special one for Sachin Suresh who has come through the ranks of the Blasters and charted a long journey.

“I was young. My father was my first coach, and he took me from the bottom to here,” he stated.

“I came to the setting of process, and from there, I got promoted to the senior team, and after three seasons, I got a chance to play,” he concluded.

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