Goa: In what was a hard-fought match, FC Goa’s lengthy lossless stint finally came to an end in the AFC Champions League by narrowly going down to three times league runners-up Persepolis FC. Despite taking the lead initially, the constant pressing and speed of Persepolis got the better of the Gaurs, with the score line reading 2-1, both at half time and full time.
A positive start
Entering the games as the undisputed underdogs, FC Goa had almost everything (and everyone) going against them in the build-up to the game. However, right from kick-off, Juan Ferrando’s men who were sporting their black kit for the day, showed immense grit and determination, unflinchingly against an excellent opponent.
The first score from Persepolis came at the 8th minute, when Seriton’s tackle on a Persepolis player resulted in a yellow and a set-piece situation from a dangerous position. The shot was taken low, under the wall but lacked the fizz needed to beat an in-form Dheeraj on goal.
The 12th minute of this game would be one which the team and fans are likely to remember for a long time, marking an Indian club’s first ever goal in the AFC Champions League till date. Brandon Fernandes delivered an inch perfect pass into the box, which Captain, Edu Bedia prodded into the goal, leaving no time for the Persepolis goalkeeper Hamed Lak to react, following it up with his trademark bunny celebration towards the corner flag.
Persepolis shift gears
The maniacal joy of Indian football fans was short lived though, with a soft penalty being awarded in the 16th minute to Persepolis. Their number 9, Mahdi Torabi made no mistake as he sent the ball past a lunging Dheeraj.
Regaining their morale after the goal, Persepolis FC continued attacking, with a free kick in the 23rd minute taken directly which Dheeraj had to punch for a corner. The men in red managed to make the most out of the resultant corner, with Captain Seyed Jalal Hosseini scoring a brilliant goal to double their lead.
The attack then continued, with Dheeraj making a fine save in the 39th minute, followed by a shot by Shahriyar Moghanloo that evaded the defender, well out of the goalkeeper’s range and past the nets by a narrow margin.
In what can be termed a repeat of the 18th minute award, the referee awarded another penalty to Persepolis FC, deeming an infringement in what seemed like an unavoidable follow-through. Almost as a redemption to this, Dheeraj managed to guess right and saved the shot taken by Hossein Kanani.
Neither teams managed to create any more chances until the half time whistle.
The Latter Half
During the half time, coach Ferrando replaced Savior Gama with Devendra Murgaokar, clearly showing his intent of winning the game. In the 47th minute, a quality cross was put through to Isa Alkasir, who struck it cleanly into the goal, but was ruled offside by the linesman.
Injury Woes for FC Goa
In a clash of players, Captain Edu Bedia went down in the 62nd minute, requiring on-field treatment. However, a minute later he decided to take the field despite the pain persisting. Three minutes later, he had to be stretchered off the field in what seemed to be a major injury concern, dealing a big blow to the Gaurs.
Redeem Tlang came on to replace injured Edu, and Seriton Fernandes was handed the captain’s armband for the remainder of the game.
Firepower Substitutions
Persepolis tried to capitalise on their goal advantage, testing the stressed legs of the FC Goa players, but in vain. In the 76th minute, the coach Yahya Golmohammadi replaced ace striker Isa Alkasir with Mehdi Mehdikhani and goal scorer Mahdi Torabi with Mehdi Abdi.
However, FC Goa managed to keep Persepolis out of final third action for quite a bit of time, with most of the gameplay happening in the midfield. In the 82nd minute however, Redeem Tlang broke out for a solo run from the midfield into the box and tried a weak shot on goal, which was easily picked up by Hamed Lak.
Despite the 4 minutes of added time, there was no high intensity drama like the earlier game in which an injury time winner resulted in FC Goa moving down to the 3rd place on the table. FC Goa again locked horns with Persepolis in 3 days for the reverse fixture.
Earlier Match – Al Wahda vs Al Rayyan [3-2]
In a match that swung from side to side, Henk Ten Cate’s Al Wahda managed to outsmart Laurent Blanc’s Al Rayyan with a spirited second half performance. Coming down from 2 goals, Al Wahda managed to score 3 goals in a span of 15 minutes to claim three very important points and their first victory in Group E.
Post-Match Press Conference
Remarking on the level of gameplay witnessed in the FC Goa vs Persepolis FC match, coach Yahya Golmohammadi was all praises for FC Goa yet again. “While others would have pegged Persepolis as favourites and not given FC Goa a chance in this fixture, personally I had expected this to be a very tough match and I was right.”
“Goa is a quality team but our team did not lose confidence even after conceding first. Instead, they came with double the energy and scored the first goal. This was followed up with the second. We should have got the third goal, but did not manage to keep continuity with the missed penalty.”
“Three points in this match is a great result as it ensures that we stay on top in this group. I feel our group is the toughest group in the ACL. I dedicate this victory to the fans of Persepolis who are always our biggest supporters. Good energy and concentration helped bring forth this victory for us, he signed off.
In a surprising change, Coach Juan Ferrando was a bit agitated. “It was a good experience playing against a good team like Persepolis. However, I am not happy with the way we played. We made a lot of mistakes in passes and open play, losing the ball multiple times. Of course, the players are tired, so I understand that the players couldn’t give their 100%.
“Some players were cautious as a second yellow card would mean suspension from the next game. Romario was also not available for this reason. We need to improve more, because at the end the players like to do their best. Playing against Persepolis, it is only possible to say good words about the team and today’s match,” he said.
“Most important is the psychology in the dressing room. We need to focus on recovery, so that we can collect more points in the AFC Champions League. Hopefully we can start doing that from the next game,” he reflected.
On being asked if he felt FC Goa were hard done by a couple of tough calls by the referee, Juan denied it by saying “today’s match was a fair one. The referees are not to be blamed in this game, it is solely due to the tiredness of my players. However, if we had fans in the stadium, probably the result would have been different. You know that with the tough schedule, players get very exhausted by the 60th minute. Having fans to spur them on would probably have had them perform better, as the coaching staff can only do so much”.
On Edu Bedia’s injury: “I will need to check with the doctors tomorrow to see the extent of the injury, only then I shall be able to comment on his availability for the next game,” he said.
Reacting to the spirited win by his team, Coach Henk Ten Cate was all smiles for a change from the frustrated look during the pre-match press conference. He said he was happy with the whole game, including his players and the match officials. “Sometimes in football, you need luck, and I guess today we had it. Yes, there were a couple of penalties which were not given, which could have changed the course of the game, but that is true for both sides, so no complaints,” he concluded.
Laurent Blanc on the other hand, congratulated Al Wahda for a well fought game, and conceded that his side Al Rayyan were not up to the standard on the day. “In football, it is like that. Isn’t it? You don’t play well, you don’t win. We made mistakes, but it is okay. We focus on the next game,” he signed off.
Image Courtesy: FC Goa Media Team
