Augusto Rodrigues
FC Goa started their home campaign with an emphatic 3-0 win over Jamshedpur FC and climbed to the second slot of the ISL season 8 table at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Fatorda on Thursday.
Two goals in the first eleven minutes of the game – the first by Guarrotxena in the second minute and the second by Noah Sadaoui in the eleventh- set a technical tone for the evening which saw FC Goa score the third goal when seven minutes of extra time was being announced.
The early two goals saw FC Goa resort to tactical football whilst visitors Jamshedpur FC could do little to breach the number game set by the hosts. FC Goa defender Mhd Fares had to be substituted early into the game and withdrawn midfielder Glan Martins, who took his place, maintained his team’s tempo of ball possession with sudden bursts of speed.
Apart from the early two goals, the first half was devoid of any thrills with the Jamshedpur FC lads unable to break through the crowded FC Goa spaces. Jamshedpur FC got their first chance around the 44th minute when Wellington Priori’s shot was acrobatically saved by FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh.
Stung by the attempt, FC Goa built a counterattack with Brandon feeding Noah through only to see his colleague shoot out.
If the first half was with little to bite, the second started in a similar fashion until the Jamshedpur FC coach made two substitutions in the 54th minute bringing in Jay Thomas for midfielder Wellington Priori and defender Laldinpuia for striker Boris Thangjam. Jay added teeth to the Jamshedpur strike line and it took the game a few notches higher.
Jamshedpur FC with fresh energy on the field did try to break through the FC Goa defence but, as in the first session, FC Goa played in spaces, crowded with numbers giving the visitors little space to shoot at goal. Daniel Chukwu who could not capitalize on the occasional opportunities he got, had just FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj to beat at the hour mark but he shot out.
Jamshedpur FC’s best chance in the second session appeared in the 84th minute when substitute Harrison Sawyer controlled the ball inside the FC Goa box and after side-stepping Seriton let in a shot that Dheeraj managed to block with his body.
Except for FC Goa’s foreign players, the remaining foreigners on the field, either could not switch on or were constantly beaten by the speed of their Indian counterparts and it is here where the FC Goa players stood out.
FC Goa captain Brandon Fernandes controlled the game admirably feeding his colleagues and foxing his opponents with his reading of the game.
FC Goa made three changes in the last minutes of the game and Brison Fernandes was one of those new faces who found the net in the 90th minute in a counterattack that saw the ball falling at his feet and his placement shot entering the depths of Jamshedpur FC right-hand post.
FC Goa travels to Kerala for their next match against Kerala Blasters.
