Iain Hume was breathing memories as he warmed up. The Atletico de Kolkata top scorer has returned to Kochi, which he considered home less than a year ago. As a consequence, all eyes will embrace him when he lines up against Kerala Blasters, the team that launched him in the ISL and whom he was desperate to rejoin, only for the club to decline.
The Canadian has shown glimpses of his form that was instrumental in guiding the Blasters to the first season final with a hat-trick last week in Mumbai, his first in the professional game.
But as the champions struggle for form, the pressure to deliver is on the shoulders of the fan favourite, who will have to keep his emotions under check here on Tuesday.
The Kerala Blasters camp has said they had no special plans for their former talisman but are hoping to keep him silent. “We’ll not do anything differently, but we’ve to limit the supply that goes to him,” said assistant coach Trevor Morgan.
The odds are stacked against the visitors as they are on their worst run with four defeats in last five matches. But with a draw and a 2-0 win in succession the Blasters have overcome their period of turbulence and look set to make a climb. The winner of this clash will condemn the other to the bottom of the table.
Both sides will miss two players apiece — Sandesh Jhingan and Cavin Lobo (Blasters), Arnab Mondal and Augustin Fernandes (Atletico) — to national team commitments. Injuries to Javi Lara for Atletico and Joao Coimbra of Kerala have further weakened either teams.
