The 2016 Indian Super League Cup final was a football match between ATK and Kerala Blasters on 18 December 2016 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala. It was the final match of the 2016 Indian Super League, the third season of the Indian Super League.https://www.goal.com/en-india/news/7083/isl/2016/12/17/30538982/indian-super-league-2016-final-kerala-blasters-vs-atletico The match was the second time these two teams played against each other in the Indian Super League final, the previous one was when both sides met in the inaugural 2014 final. ATK won that final 1âÂÂ0.
Kerala Blasters reached the playoffs after finishing the regular season in second place. ATK finished their regular season in fourth place. In the semi-finals, Kerala Blasters took on the Delhi Dynamos while ATK played against Mumbai City. ATK hosted Mumbai City in the first match of the finals at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium. Helped by a brace from Iain Hume, ATK won the first leg 3âÂÂ2. The team then secured their place in the final after a 0âÂÂ0 draw in Mumbai. The Kerala Blasters hosted Delhi Dynamos in their first match of the finals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and won 1âÂÂ0. In the second leg, the Blasters were defeated 2âÂÂ1 and thus the score remaining 3âÂÂ3 on aggregate the match went to a penalty shootout as away goal rule was not applicable in case of Indian Super League. The Kerala Blasters won the shootout 3âÂÂ0 to qualify for the final.
Watched by a crowd of 82,324 even though officially another figure of much lower number is given which was even less than some normal league matches conducted here in Kaloor Stadium during 2014âÂÂ2016 time, the Kerala Blasters took the lead in the 37th minute through Mohammed Rafi. The Kerala Blasters lead only lasted for seven minutes before Henrique Sereno equalized for ATK. At halftime the score was 1âÂÂ1. The second half did not see any goals scored and thus the match went into extra-time. The first half of extra-time was goalless and so was the second half. With the score still remaining1âÂÂ1 after extra-time, the match went into penalties.http://www.espn.in/soccer/report?gameId=469480
Penalty shoot out drama saw Graham Stack saving the first shot for ATK which gave a temporary lead for Kerala but Ndyoe blasted the ball over the bar and finally Cédric Hengbart saw his shot getting saved by the trailing leg of ATK keeper Debjit Majumder, ATK won the shoot-out 4âÂÂ3 as Jewel Raja scored the winning penalty and they won the Indian Super League Final for the second time in three seasons.
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