Odisha FC vs Kerala Blasters Player Ratings: Jerry, Pritam Kotal solid; Sachin Suresh, Puitea subpar | ISL 2024-25

The Kalinga Warriors came from behind to reduce the deficit and deny the Tuskers a walk in the park.

Odisha FC played out a 2-2 draw against Kerala Blasters FC in an end-to-end game in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Thursday. The hosts were slow to react to the electric pace and quick, coordinated movement between Noah Sadaoui and Jesus Jimenez as the former was not closed down and gave the Tuskers the lead.

Three minutes later, Jimenez took matters into his own hands and punished the Juggernauts for another lapse of concentration. Right when the game seemed to be running away from Odisha FC, a goalmouth mixup saw Alexandre Coeff poke the ball into his own net to pull one back for the hosts. Diego Mauricio ensured the score was level before halftime, as he played a quick one-two with Jerry Mawihmingthanga and finished through the gaping legs of Milos Drincic and Sachin Suresh.

The sides threatened each other’s goals but had to settle for a share of the points come full-time. Here are the Indian player ratings from the game:

Odisha FC (By Riddhiman Sarkar)

Amrinder Singh – 6.5

Made two saves but there was nothing the Odisha FC shot-stopper could really do for the two opening goals as his defence let him down.

Amey Ranawade – 6.0

Switched between attack and defence effortlessly as he meandered up and down the right flank but didn’t close the gaps in time for the goals. Ranawade was miles better for Odisha FC upfront though, having generated two key passes in the game.

Thoiba Singh – 5.5

Despite not closing down on either attacker and conceding early on, Thoiba came back into the game and made a few last-ditch challenges to prevent the likes of Noah Sadaoui from getting the final touch. The Odisha FC centre-back could only win 50% of his challenge, however.

Jerry Lalrinzuala – 6.0

Helped Odisha FC maintain their width and stretch out the Tuskers’ midblock. Put in six aerial balls into the box but only one reached its designated target as he was also at fault for letting Noah drift inside for the opener.

Puitea – 5.5

Dropped deep, acting as a third center-back to help his side play out from the back but went into the book at the brink of half-time. Went off in the 88th minute for Rohit Kumar after winning only two of his seven ground duels.

Jerry Mawihmingthanga – 7.0

Clinical performance from Jerry as the Indian winger played a simple yet effective one-two with Diego Mauricio to put it on a plate for the Brazilian for Odisha FC’s second equalizing goal. Got subbed off in the 54th minute after getting 28 touches on the ball, as Sergio Lobera decided to put on Rahim Ali for a more physical presence upfront.

Isak Vanlalruatfela – 6.5

Unusually skied a chance near the hour-mark but then picked up pace as he started feeding the strikers, specifically second-half substitute Roy Krishna. Ended the game for Odisha FC with 100% long-ball accuracy.

Substitutes

Rahim Ali – 5.5

Came on in the 54th minute and showcased an impressive work rate, dropping back to help out his team. On one instance, Rahim Ali took a run from deep inside his own half and got on the end of a move, only to see his left-footed effort go slightly wide of the crossbar. However, Ali could not show up when he was needed the most, i.e. in the final third to finish off chances.

Rohit Kumar – N/A

Did not have a lot to do after coming on in the dying stages of the game

Kerala Blasters (By Rohan Dutt)

Sachin Suresh – 4.0

The Kerala Blasters’ goalkeeper had a two-goal cushion to protect but let down his team once again with another goalkeeping error which led to an own goal from Alexandre Coeff. The youngster could not hold his ground between the sticks at crucial moments and cost his team a victory once again. It was certainly a night to forget for Sachin with recurring errors throughout the game.

Sandeep Singh – 6.0

Sandeep had an average game on the flanks. The wing-back faced a challenging match against the Odisha FC attack but somehow stood his ground against tough opponents like Roy Krishna and Hugo Boumous.

Huidrom Naocha Singh – 6.0

Naocha had an average outing against Odisha, as he was beaten numerous times by their attack. He was beaten by Boumous for the equalizer and also gave away possession unnecessarily, putting himself in trouble. However, he kept his composure and was decent throughout the second half.

Pritam Kotal – 7.0

Pritam Kotal was the lone warrior at the back for the Blasters against the formidable Odisha FC attack. The Indian international was solid throughout the game, despite being let down by his teammates in the backline.

Vibin Mohanan – 7.0

Vibin Mohanan has been consistently impressive with his line-breaking passes into the final third, and this time was no different. Except for the times he gave away possession cheaply, Vibin had more than just a decent outing on a tough night.

Rahul KP – 6.5

Rahul KP‘s inaccurate crosses did not trouble the Odisha defence. The winger at times, looked confident taking on multiple defenders but had an average game overall.

Danish Farooq – 6.5

Danish Farooq, once again deployed as an extra attacker from the middle, was decent with his timely runs into the box. He was often the sole attacker up front, while false nine Jesus Jimenez dropped down or drifted wide.

Noah Sadoui created a chance for him to score the opening goal of the game, but despite his brilliant footwork to beat the goalkeeper, his opportunity was squandered. However, the midfielder’s confidence dropped in the second half, leading to him being subbed off.

Substitutes

Mohammed Aimen – 6.5

Aimen came on to replace Rahul KP once again and made an instant impact, making runs into space to create offensive opportunities.

Mohammed Azhar – 6.5

Coming off the bench, Azhar impressed immediately, delivering exquisite through balls into the attacking third, accurately finding his teammates.

Hormipam Ruivah – (N/A)

Hormipam had a silent cameo in the closing stages of the game.

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