ISL 2017/18, Match 44: FC Goa vs Jamshedpur FC, 5 Talking Points

FC Goa earned a controversial 2-1 victory over Jamshedpur FC in Thursday's heated ISL encounter. Manuel Lanzarote scored a well-taken brace and helped Goa move to joint third on the points table.

The visitors were unlucky to leave the stadium without a point. Here are the major talking points from tonight's eventful game.

#1 Jamshedpur snap at Goa's heels in the first half

Thursday's matchup was a battle between the ISL's best goal scorers vs the league's best defence. Prior to the game, Jamshedpur coach, Steve Coppell admitted that his side would be severely tested at the back against their fluid opponents.

But the visitors did extremely well to snap at every FC Goa player, who attempted to play the ball out from the back. The likes of Jerry, Siddharth Singh and Bikash Jairu made sure the home side couldn't play their usual passing game.

In fact, it was Jamshedpur who were surprisingly dominating possession in the early stages of the match. Coppell's men hunted in packs, which meant the home side were forced to reluctantly play long balls.

#2 Ahmed Jahouh continues to play with fire

Despite getting booked, Jahouh played his aggressive game. (Photo: ISL)

By now we've all been in the know about how attack-minded FC Goa are. In order to make sure their players venture forward with ease, coach Sergio Lobera has relied on defensive midfielder Ahmed Jahouh to carry out the dirty work of covering the yards and breaking up the opposition's play.

Tonight, the Moroccan was playing with fire. The referee booked him early in the first half for an extremely dangerous mistimed tackle. But that in no way deterred Jahou. Being aggressive seems to be in his genes.

Not more than ten minutes later, he once again began to make cynical sliding tackles. Four of them to be precise. Jamshedpur's players were livid and hounded the referee every time Jahou menacingly lunged into one of their players. Goa's players could not have done much to protest, had the referee decided to brandish the second yellow. Ahmed Jahou was playing with fire throughout the first half.

#3 Referee once again in the spotlight for terrible decision

Did the referee play spoilsport again? (Photo: ISL)

Not for the first time this ISL season, the referee has come under the spotlight for a decision that he is sure to be embarrassed when he watches the replays. It completely changed the dynamic of the game.

Goa's Brandon Fernandes played a lovely one-two before Andre Bikey executed a wonderful last-ditch tackle on him deep into the first half. Replays showed that Bikey clearly won the ball while Brandon dived and made the most of a little physical contact.

Not so surprisingly, the official pointed to the spot and Lanzarote stepped up to score and give Goa a lead that many would say was undeserved. Time an again, the officials have been miserable in their decision making. There' no other way to put it. The standard of refereeing has been terrible this season.

#4 Trindade Goncalves a delight to watch

Trindade was one of the best players on the pitch. (Photo: ISL)

Despite going down late in the first half, Jamshedpur never put their heads down. They returned in the second and immediately took the game to Goa. Chief among their players, Trindade Goncalves was always involved in the thick of things and wonderfully scored Jamshedpur's equaliser with a well-taken header.

The Brazilian displayed some immaculate first touches at regular intervals. He was a delight to watch and constantly attempted to make things happen for the visitors.

Unlike many forwards, Trindade was never static and made it extremely difficult for Goa's defenders to mark him. Going ahead, Coppell will be hoping his star striker gets on the score sheet more often. Tonight, he scored only his second goal of the season.

#5 Manuel Lanzarote is controversial but surely talented

Lanzarote seemed to have feigned a few too many injuries. (Photo: ISL)

Manuel Lanzarote is not an easy player to play against. The Goan midfielder makes sure to get under the oppositions skin every time he gets an opportunity to do so. He is certainly not the most ethical player in ISL.

Tonight, he left a bitter taste in the mouths of every single Jamshedpur player. His antics left the visitors reeling and angry. After scoring a penalty that should have never been awarded, the Spaniard made sure he rubbed it in on Jamshedpur's goalkeeper Subrata Paul.

He continued to argue with the referee all night and even feigned a couple of injuries by falling to the ground at the slightest touch. But there is no denying the fact that Lanzarote is an extremely talented player.

Tonight, he scored a brace and is now the third highest goal scorer in the league. His second left-footed curler had class written all over it.