MATCH 3 Chennaiyin FC 2-3 FC Goa

 - Gaurs clinch maiden win in 5-goal thriller

FC Goa beat Chennaiyin FC 3-2 in the third match of ISL season 4 at the Marina Arena.....

FC Goa start their ISL 4 campaign on a high as they beat Chennaiyin FC away from home. Ferran Corominas, Manuel Lanzarote and Mandar Rao Desai scored for the Gaurs in the first half. Inigo Calderon and Raphael Augusto scored two goals for the home side in the second half.

Chennaiyin FC head coach John Gregory had stated before the game he would be pragmatic in his approach towards the game and he stayed true to his word by starting with a 5-man defence. Captain Henrique Sereno, Mailson Alves and Dhanachandra Singh were deployed in central defence while Thoi Singh and Jerry Lalrinzuala started as the wing-backs. 

Raphael Augusto and Rene Mihelic were in midfield with Jeje Lalpekhlua and Baoringdao Bodo, who became the youngest player to play in the ISL, leading the lines.

FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera started with a 4-3-2-1 formation that saw Edu Garcia and Manuel Lanzarote supporting Spanish striker Ferran Corominas in the attack. Bruno Pinheiro and Mohamed Ali marshalled the defence with Lobera’s trusted henchman Ahmed Jahouh controlling proceedings in midfield. 

The game got off to a positive start with the home team pressing high and earning a couple of half chances, which were dealt with well by the FC Goa defence. 

The game soon settled into what many expected it to be with FC Goa controlling possession and trying to work their way forward. However, Chennaiyin were pressing high and hard and restricting space for Manuel Lanzarote and Edu Bedia to influence proceedings. 

Which also meant FC Goa put themselves under pressure while trying to pass the ball out from the back and one mispass allowed Chennaiyin to send a long throwin which caused all sorts of issues in the Goa box but before Calderon could latch on to it, the ball was cleared. 

The Gaurs did create some encouraging moves, with one such period of passing culminating in Bedia releasing Brandon behind the Chennaiyin defence down the left. However, the midfielder’s cross was weak and was cleared. 

The first corner of the game came in the 13th minute for the home side and Mihelic’s delivery was almost headed in by a free Calderon who just could not get the required connection to direct it goalwards. 

FC Goa carved out a fantastic opening in the 18th minute when Jerry Lalrinzuala lost the ball on an offensive run and Goa capitalised by releasing the ball early to Brandon. The Goan midfielder spotted Coro peeling off the defender and played a brilliant through ball to him. 

The striker returned the favour by finding Brandon on the edge of the area with a square ball. However, with the goalkeeper at his mercy, Brandon blazed the first-time shot well over. 

However, seven minutes later Brandon made amends of sorts by laying on an assist for Ferran Corominas to score the first goal of the ISL season. After Chennaiyin FC’s corner was headed out, Brandon Fernandes pressed hard and dispossessed Jerry, before finding Coro who was one on one with the last man Dhanachandra Singh. 

He proceeded to release Brandon who returned the favour before Coro slid a finish past on onrushing Karanjit. 

Things got worse for the home side just three minutes later when Edu Bedia ripped their defence open with a fantastic through-ball for Coro who was in space down the right side of the penalty box. His hasty shot was beaten out by Karanjit who had to block a follow up from Mandar but the loose ball fell to Lanzarote who proceeded to lob the ball over the stranded goalkeeper. As the multitude in the Marina Arena watched with bated breaths, the ball went in off the underside of the bar, sending the FC Goa bench into raptures. 

A stunned Chennaiyin FC showed none of the early enterprises they had as FC Goa started dominating at will. In the 38th minute, they made it 3-0 after yet another incisive move that cut through the Chennaiyin defence like hot knife through butter. 

Brandon picked the ball up in midfield and found Lanzarote in space with a superb ball. With the opposition defence backtracking without a semblance of organisation, he strolled across them and laid the ball for Mandar, who slotted in comfortably. 

In the very next minute, Brandon was sent through by yet another fantastic through ball and Karanjit rushed out of the box and ended up bringing him down, collecting a yellow card for his trouble Brandon was the last man forward and it could well have been a red for the custodian. However, the referee was in a lenient mood and Brandon blasted the resultant free-kick just over. 

It was a deflated team that returned to the home dugout at half-time while FC Goa were bouncing towards the exit having displayed some brilliant attacking football.

Chennaiyin reverted back to a 4-man defence at the start of the second half, with Dhanachandra Singh and Rene Mihelic hauled off for Bikramjit Singh and Dutch winger Gregory Nelson. 

The changes made instant impact for the home side, with them laying siege to the FC Goa goal in the initial five minutes. First, Bikramjit played in Bodo down the right who was blocked and Jeje slammed the loose ball on to the post from a tight angle. 

Immediately afterwards, Ali’s poor pass was collected by Nelson who strode past Bruno Pinheiro into the box. With just the keeper to beat, the Dutchman hit the post, much to the dismay of the crowd. 

Jeje also got into the act with a snapshot which was saved before Bodo’s threatening cross was cut out by Bruno amid deafening noise from the reinvigorated home crowd. 

However, Sergio Lobera’s side soon found their range again, settling into a passing rhythm. But Chenaniyin, with four players in attack, were posing a threat whenever they recovered the ball. 

It was a markedly different performance from Chennaiyin FC in the second half, with the Supermachans seeing a lot of the ball and putting the FC Goa defence under pressure. 

They worked out a great chance to pull a goal back for themselves in the 68th minute when Jerry was fouled just outside the box after a period of good passing. The resulting freekick from Inigo Calderon was low but straight at Kattimani, who embarrassingly spilled it into his own net, much to the joy of the home crowd. 

FC Goa brought young striker Liston Colaco in for Brandon Fernandes in the 78th minute while John Gregory played his last hand by taking off Bodo for Francis Fernandes. 

Just as it seemed FC Goa had neutralised Chennaiyin’s impetus, Kattimani handed them a way back into the tie by conceding a penalty in the 83rd minute. Inigo Calderon’s chip found Bikramjit inside the box and he lobbed a pass for Jeje who chested it down inside the box but was barged down in the process by a rash Kattimani. Raphael Augusto made no mistake from the spot, making for a grandstand finish to the game. 

With a raucous crowd spurring them on, Chennaiyin threw bodies forward and Nelson forced Kattimani into a sprawling save with a low shot. FC Goa introduced Manuel Arana and Manvir Singh n response but the tide was firmly in the South Indian side’s favour. 

But Sergio Lobera’s side managed to survive a nervous final period, which had five minutes of injury time added on to start their season with a win. Meanwhile, Chennaiyin FC will be ruing their first-half performance which ultimately cost them the game. 

Interviews of : First Goal scorer of ISL 4 Ferran Corominas ||  First Indian Goal Scorer Mandar Rao Desai

Headline: My father always wants me to score goals: Mandar

Mandar Rao Desai's father Dattarao Desai always wants to see him score goals. The 25-year-old from Mapusa didn't disappoint his father and became the first Indian goal scorer in ISL Season 4 during FC Goa's 3-2 win over Chenniyin FC in an away game on Sunday. After their first win, Mandar now wants to go all the way and win the title this season. Excerpts from an interview.

Q: First Indian scorer of ISL Season 4, you must be feeling great!

A: It was important to get the first victory of the season and as such, it was also important for me to score that goal. We won the game and it turned out to be a great start for us.

Q: You dodged the defence well and found yourself in the right place to convert Manuel Lanzarote’s assist. Take us through your practice sessions which reflected in that excellently coordinated goal.

A: We have been working hard since the time we went to Spain. We worked on various formations and techniques. We gave it our best, even in the practice games that we played once we returned to Goa. The combination and link up between our players is really good, and that is what resulted in that goal.

Q: What did your coach Sergio Lobera tell you before and after the game?

A: He just told us not to take any pressure on ourselves and to go out and enjoy the game. He asked us to be excited about the game and try and win it. After the win, like all of us, he was happy too.

Q: How did you celebrate the first win of the season?

A: We were very happy in the dressing room. Everyone was really happy for the three points that we got after our first win. However, this is just the start, we have a long way to go and have to win the upcoming games and at the end of the season we can celebrate when we’re crowned champions.

Q: Did you call home after the win? What was their reaction?

A: My father always wants me to score goals and he was really happy that I did. My parents were both really happy that I scored. They called me after the game. It’s a good feeling for them and I am also proud of myself.

Headline: For an away team, we created lots of chances: Coro

When you have a Spanish forward under a Spanish coach and with more Spaniards in the midfield, you can just sit back and enjoy the magic. Ferran Corominas Telechea, Manuel Lanzarote and Eduardo Bedia Pelaez showed glimpses of that magic at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Sunday afternoon and also helped FC Goa overcome a fighting Chenniyin FC 3-2 in a thrilling encounter. It was also a special moment for Corominas who became the first goal scorer in ISL Season 4 after two draws in the first two days.        

In a quick chat after the win, Corominas said that he was more happy with the win than his personal milestone. He was also all praise for his fellow Spaniard Lanzarote, who scored the second goal of the match and local boy Mandar Rao Desai for his clinical finish to put his team 3-0 ahead in the first 45 minutes.     

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: How does it feel to become the first goal scorer of ISL Season 4?

A: I'm very happy to score the first goal of the season this year and get on the scoresheet but finally what matters is that the team pleayed well and we have three points on the board.

Q: After two goalless draws in the first two days you opened the scoring and your team pumped in two more, what was the gameplan when you took the field?

A: Well, we continued on from the same idea that we've been playing with for the past few months and followed our style of play of keeping possession and creating chances. For an away team, we created lots of chances and ended up scoring three.

Q: In the first two games it was seen that the foreign players and the Indian players were not gelling well, but that didn't look like a problem with FC Goa, your comment.

A: I think fatigue was true for our game too. We are playing in humid conditions and with a lot of heat so it's only normal that players take on fatigue. The quality of play in the second half wasn't as high as a result. But the efforts and hard work that we had put during our practice sessions gave us the win. 

Q: A word on Manuel Bruno's goal, wasn't that a beauty?

A: Lanza and Mandar's goals were very important as they gave us the tranquillity of a three goal lead. Lanza's goal was one of real quality and Mandar's was a great counter attack with a good finish.