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Mumbai City FC hosted FC Goa in a second round fixture of the ISL 2017 season. The side from Mumbai had been last season’s table toppers after the end of the league stage and are one of the hot favourites to win the title this season. FC Goa didn’t have the best of seasons last time out but started with a bang in Chennai this time around by scoring three goals in the first half itself.
The first half on Saturday turned out to be a cagey affair, with both the teams trying to break the other down and not giving an inch of space to the other. Goa dominated the first half by having more of the ball, but not much came out of it as most the passes were square or back passes.
Mumbai did eventually break the deadlock in the second half via a Laxmikant Kattimani howler, which allowed Everton Santos to pounce on to the loose ball and direct it goalward. Mumbai eventually went on to win the game 2-1.
Here are the player ratings from the match!
Mumbai City FC
Amrinder Singh (7): Amrinder had an average game and looked brilliant in patches, but was below par during some challenging situations. His decisions to rush out of his line were also poor at times.
Lucian Goian (6.5): Goian had a brilliant first game against Bengaluru, but he was below par today, especially during the goal which Mumbai conceded, where Goian was completely out of position and that gave the Goa forwards plenty of space to work a one-two and score.
Gerson (6): Poor anticipation, rash tackles and a couple of missed passes are the best way to sum up Gerson’s night. The defender though never backed down from a challenging situation and kept hassling and harrying the opponents.
Marcio (7.5): The best defender of the night without a doubt, he was at the end of nearly every attack Goa came up with. His aerial presence was also a big advantage for Mumbai.
Raju (5): Raju had a poor game, and was substituted at halftime. He looked out place for Mumbai and wasn’t really effective in attack or in defence.
Sehnaj (6): Sehnaj had a quiet game in all aspects, as he didn't have too many touches and the number of passes completed were also very low.
Emana (8): Emana was brilliant today, especially in the second half. He helped out the defence and then moved forward during attacks in a swift and effective manner.
Sanju (7): Sanju had a very good game on the right side of midfield and he kept the likes of Narayan Das occupied. His passes and interceptions were also very good.
Ruidas (7): Abinash had a game which will make him proud. He doubled up as a left back at times and didn't allow the likes of Mandar Rao Desai to make inroads through the wings.
Everton (9): Everton taught a lesson to all kids watching the game that one should run for every ball as you never know where a chance to score can pop up from. A goal and plenty of swift moves -- Everton was without a doubt the player to watch out for today.
Balwant (6): Balwant chased and tried to apply the high press up the pitch in the opposition half but wasn’t very effective. He was also culpable for missing two sitters.
FC Goa
Laxmikant Kattimani(5): The ghost of howlers seems to have haunted Kattimani on a permanent basis. He had a howler in the last game and had another one tonight. Overall too, Kattimani looked shaky and even for the second goal, he got beaten on the first post from an acute angle.
Seriton(6.5): Even though FC Goa lost, they can be proud of the way Seriton played. The defender tracked back quickly when Mumbai were on the counter and put in some crunching ball winning tackles.
Mohamed Ali (6.5): Often the last man in the FC Goa defence line, Ali did a good job of keeping the likes of Balwant quiet for the most parts of the game.
Chinglensana Singh(6): Sana, as he his known, had a bittersweet game. He looked brilliant in certain patches, but for most parts of the game was a bit below par and was often seen chasing Everton’s shadows.
Narayan (6.5): Narayan had a below-par game as his link up with the forwards was poor. His forward runs were also not up to the mark today and he was beaten on multiple occasions by the Mumbai forwards.
Jahouh(8): Ahmed was probably the best player for Goa and had a hand in every creative move they made. He also helped the team while defending and was seen winning a lot of 50-50 balls.
Mandar (6.5): Mandar looked a shade below his usual self today. He wasn’t very effective with his runs from the flank. At times, he looked out of ideas too when he was closed down quickly by the Mumbai defence.
Manuel (8): Manuel had a good game and was the architect and the scorer of the goal Goa scored. He was lively in the midfield and some of his passes were also top notch today.
Edu (6.5): Edu had an average game today and could have performed much better. He often received the ball deep inside his own half and then played it back to the defenders. Square passes and back passes were the highlights of his game today.
Manuel(7): Manuel looked lively for FC Goa and was part of a lot of creative moves that Goa built up but couldn’t finish off. Even had a goal disallowed due to offside, something which is highly debatable.
Ferran (7.5): Ferran gave the Mumbai defence a headache or two during the game and was one of the main reasons Goian and Gerson had a tough time in defence. He had a hand in a lot of moves that Goa initiated.
