FC Goa lay down marker with maiden Durand Cup win

It was solely a warm-up event however Sunday’s Durand Cup ultimate between this season’s Indian Super League (ISL) favourites and I-League contenders has given loads of speaking factors going into the start of the brand new season.
FC Goa, the one undefeated workforce within the Durand Cup going into the ultimate, maintained their 100% file with a 1-0 win after extra-time over Mohammedan Sporting to be topped champions of Asia’s oldest Cup competitors in entrance of slightly greater than 34,000 followers at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

FORCA GOA, FORCA GOA! 📢#RiseAgain #DurandCup2021 pic.twitter.com/OTPAcgQ21h
— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) October 3, 2021
There weren’t many clear-cut possibilities – Sporting had a aim dominated out for an infringement in build-up play and Goa got here ever-so-close within the ultimate few seconds – within the regulation time of the scrappy, bodily match. But within the first half of the additional time, Goa skipper Edu Bedia curled in a lovely free-kick from roughly 25 yards out, which bounced awkwardly between the defence line and the goalkeeper and rolled into the web.
The aim handed Goa’s Spanish coach Juan Ferrando his first title with the membership after he took over final 12 months. But Ferrando is shrewd sufficient to not get carried away with the end result – despite the fact that it is likely to be splendid preparation for the season – as a lot because the efficiency during the last couple of weeks.
Ferrando took over a robust workforce earlier than the beginning of the earlier season and after a gradual begin, has turned them into a fair stronger unit. Their AFC Champions League marketing campaign in June was a testomony to that with Goa, the minnows of their group, conjuring up strong performances within the defence and midfield to steal factors towards extra established groups from the continent.
Four months have handed since then, an low season longer than what Ferrando and his gamers would have been used to again residence, so for Ferrando, the Durand Cup turned out to be a really perfect event to arrange his facet for what is going to as soon as once more be a troublesome ISL season inside a bio-secure bubble.
Goa have been the pre-tournament favourites, fielding their strongest workforce with all gamers besides these on nationwide workforce obligation for the SAFF Cup travelling to Kolkata. In the absence of Brandon Fernandes and Co., younger forwards Devendra Murgaonkar and Muhammed Nemil made their presence felt, shining below the management of Bedia, the scorer of the aim that gained them the title.
Bedia managed the tempo and possession within the midfield together with Alberto Noguera, as was anticipated from them, however performances by Murgaonkar, who scored 5 objectives, and Nemil could be the most important takeaways for Goa. Going by the early indicators, Ferrando’s Goa will stay one of many groups to beat within the new ISL season, which will get underway subsequent month.
The identical could possibly be mentioned of Mohammedan Sporting as nicely. The membership has taken fast strides within the final couple of years and their spectacular run on this competitors is sure to boost the hopes of the workforce’s followers, who stuffed the stands of the Salt Lake Stadium despite the fact that solely 50 per cent of the particular capability was allowed in as a consequence of Covid-19 protocols.
Coach Andrey Chernyshov, who’s on a multi-year contract, is relying closely on Trinidad and Tobago attacker Marcus Joseph and midfielder Nicola Stojanovic for the I-League season however the performances of younger gamers like Brandon Vanlalremdika and Azharuddin Mallick may have gotten their fan base excited.
On Sunday, Sporting ran out of steam after an extended couple of weeks – and likewise the truth that the workforce can also be collaborating within the Calcutta Football League concurrently. They have been second to most balls and had disciplinary points, with three gamers — Mallick, Stojanovic and Shaher Shaheen – getting booked in fast succession.
Sporting couldn’t discover their rhythm however the truth that they stretched an ISL workforce to additional time regardless of not being at their finest will give Chernyshov, their Russian coach, lots to construct on.