ISL 2018-19: NorthEast United FC vs FC Goa - 5 Talking Points

NorthEast United FC started their ISL 2018-19 journey with a point against FC Goa in Guwahati today. Eelco Schattorie maintained his 100% record against Sergio Lobera as the game ended in a 2-2 stalemate.

The Highlanders went ahead in the 8th minute through a Federico Gallego freekick. Spanish striker Ferran Corominas scored a brace in the first half to give Goa the lead going into the lemon break.

Birthday boy Ogbeche grabbed the equalizer for NorthEast United FC to help the Highlanders secure a point from the game.

It was an exciting game with both sides playing an attacking brand of football.

On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.

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#5 Nawaz showing two sides of the same coin on debut

Mohammad Nawaz had a mixed day at the office [Credits: ISL]

Mohammad Nawaz was initially a part of the FIFA U-17 World Cup squad, but for reasons unknown, he was dropped at the last moment. FC Goa lapped up the opportunity to sign the young promising goalkeeper. No one expected Nawas to get a start this season with Goa having proven goalkeepers like Kattimani and Laldanmawia Ralte among their ranks.

Sergio Lobera though had other plans as he gave the young 18-year-old goalkeeper a start in their very first match of the 2018-19 ISL season against NorthEast United FC.

Nawaz committed two cardinal sins in the eighth minute when he failed to play to the whistle and handled the ball outside the box and then went on to gift the ball to the onrushing Federico Gallego took an early freekick and chipped Nawaz to score the opening goal of the game.

There was a lot of confusion in the Goa dugout and among the players as to what had happened, but in truth, Nawaz shouldn't have given the ball back to NEUFC especially after the referee had blown his whistle for a free kick while he was miles out of his line. The sins had been committed, and the deed was done.

Fast forward to the second half and it Nawaz again who pulled off two stunning saves one from a Nikhil Kadam shot from inside the box and another from a Rowllin Borges bullet from 25 yards out. Both of the shots were destined to go inside the goal, and yet the 18-year-old held his nerve to pull off two stunning acrobatic saves.

Nawaz's save on Rowlin's shot will be a contender for the save of the season for sure.

The young Manipuri Goalkeeper showed his good and bad side in the same game, and FC Goa will hope he keeps performing at his best while keeping the bad at bay.

#4 Referee forgot his cards at home?

Rehenesh handled the ball outside the penalty box but wasn't shown any card [Credits: ISL]

According to the laws of the game if a Goalkeeper handles the ball deliberately outside the penalty box, then a card is shown to the keeper for the misconduct. The card that is usually shown is red, and in some lenient situations, a yellow is also shown.

Nawaz, the FC Goa goalkeeper, handled the ball outside the penalty area in the eighth minute but the referee forgot to caution the young goalkeeper.

TP Rehenesh, the NorthEast United FC goalkeeper, too made a similar mistake in the second half and yet again the referee failed to brandish his cards.

One might argue the referee tried to balance things out as he didn't showcase a card for Nawaz's offence he let Rehenesh go, but in football two wrongs don't make one right instead it leads to more mistakes.

#3 New season, new colours, but same old Coro

The Spanish Goal Machine started the season with a bang by scoring a brace [Credits: ISL]

FC Goa changed their jersey design and had an entirely new set of colours for this season, but that doesn't seem to affect their mercurial striker Ferran Corominas who started the ISL season from where he left off last season.

Coro scored a brace against NorthEast United FC and helped Goa secure a point against the Highlanders. Coro finished off a Jackichand Singh cross to score his first goal of the season and then scored a wonder goal wriggling past a few defenders before unleashing a venomous shot to give Goa their second goal.

His didn't provide the NorthEast United defenders with a moment's peace, and he looks hungry for more goals. If he keeps playing the way he is, then he is sure to win the Golden Boot again this season.

#2 A game of two halves for NorthEast United FC

Bartholomew Ogbeche scored NEUFC's second goal to level the scoreline [Credits: ISL]

NorthEast United FC started the game on a bright note taking the lead in the eighth minute, but their lead was shortlived as Goa equalised in the 14th minute and went ahead in the 38th minute. NorthEast United seemed like kids lost in the playground as Goa ran them over in the first half and could have scored more than a few goals in the first half itself.

Eelco Schatorrie made one tactical change in the second half to shift Rowlin Borges to a more attacking role and make Leudo drop deep and play as the defensive midfielder. The move worked wonders as the NorthEast United midfield kept more of the ball compared to the first half and were using the flanks muck more.

Rowlin thrived in his new position and had a few shots on goal too. The Highlanders managed to get the important equalising goal that they were looking for, and they could have gone onto win the game also had it not been for some superb saves by the FC Goa goalkeeper.

#1 NEUFC's recruits drag them out of a pothole to see daylight

Federico Gallego impressed one and all during the game [Credits: ISL]

It was halftime at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, the scoreboard read 2-1 in favour of FC Goa, and the usual murmur in the crowd was that of relief as the score could have easily been 3-4 goals to one. Yet there was an air of hope doing the rounds which seemed missing last season, and the hope generated from seeing the foreign players play.

During the first half especially after Coro gave Goa the lead, it looked like it would be the same story all over again for NorthEast United FC, but this season's bunch of players have something different in them, and that difference was all that was needed to get the team a vital point.

The foreigners especially Federico Gallego and the Croatian centre-back duo of Mislav and Mato were very good. Star striker Ogbeche scored a vital goal on his birthday to get an all-important point from the first game.

What was more pleasing to see apart from NorthEast United securing a point is the way they crawled back into the game to level things up and take the game to Goa; it was something that had been missing all throughout last season. It seems the new signings of NEUFC have helped the Highlanders regain their warrior spirits, something which the region is very well known for.

Eelco will hope his players can take the positives from this game keep playing as they did in the second half.