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FC Goa edged out Jamshedpur FC 4-3 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar to progress to the semi-finals. They became the second ISL club to do so after ATK powered their way into the last four. A match with Chennai City FC awaits for the Gaurs, in what should be a clash between similar ideologies and tactics.
Edu Bedia's slick header and Pablo Morgado's own goal from a free-kick from an identical position in the first half ensured FC Goa had a two-goal cushion heading into the tunnel. They tripled the lead when Seriton Fernandes found the back of the net after Zaid Krouch sent him through.
Pablo Morgado did pull one back to make amends for his earlier own goal but Coro's penalty dimmed their chances of staging a comeback. Sergio Cidoncha nodded in a beautiful cross from Carlos Calvo and the latter's penalty after Edu Bedia's sending off reduced the deficit drastically.
However, Jamshedpur FC couldn't muster enough energy to score one more goal and FC Goa walked off as the victors. Let us have a look at the 5 talking points from the match:
#5 Jamshedpur FC can't make the most out of an extra man
FC Goa were down to ten men in the 83rd minute when Edu Bedia was given the marching orders for tripping Pablo Morgado inside the box with a clear sight of goal.
The Spaniard was already on a yellow card and knew it the moment he committed the challenge that he was seeing a second one. Carlos Calvo made no mistake in converting the penalty but the intensity of their attacks reduced post the goal when it should have ideally surged.
Apart from Mobashir Rahman skewing his effort from distance, Jamshedpur FC didn't fire a single shot let alone be on target. Bikash Jairu did unleash a cross from the left wing after catching Saviour Gama off-guard but it was easy pickings for Mohammad Nawaz.
It looked as if Jamshedpur FC forgot that they were a goal down and a man up. Perhaps, creative midfielders like Michael Soosairaj could have weaved his magic wand to produce something in these critical situations. But his absence meant Jamshedpur FC lacked the attacking incentive in the dying minutes of the game.
#4 Defensive errors give Jamshedpur FC a glimmer of hope
FC Goa were better than Jamshedpur FC in every department of the game but defensive errors did provide the losing side a glimmer of hope.
In the buildup to Jamshedpur FC's first goal, Mohammad Nawaz couldn't calculate the direction of his pass towards Mourtada Fall and Carlos Calvo picked up the pieces. Carlos Pena was nowhere to be seen in the frame and Calvo squared it off for him to let in a simple tap in.
Mohammad Nawaz wasn't the one to be blamed for conceding the third goal as his pass towards Edu Bedia was perfect. However, the Spaniard tried to indulge in some trickery in passing the ball towards Saviour Gama and Pablo Morgado made him pay.
Seeing him having a clear sight at goal, Edu Bedia pulled him down within the penalty box and Calvo kept his calm to convert the spot-kick.
FC Goa is a side known for their defensive sturdiness and keeping their calm in the defensive third. The two goals, however, speak the opposite of it and it almost paved way for their misery.
#3 Jamshedpur FC fail to show their intention while going forward
Jamshedpur FC didn't have a target man up front and played Pablo Morgado as a false-nine. Even then, they could have created ample opportunities but their lack of creativity in the attacking third meant they went backward rather than forward.
The scenario after Edu Bedia's sending off has been expounded before and there was nothing different in the first half as well. The only scoring opportunity Jamshedpur FC created in the first half was when Jerry Mawihmingthanga was one-on-one with Mohammad Nawaz but the latter positioned himself perfectly to deny the youngster a goal.
FC Goa was defensively very well composed and didn't allow Jamshedpur FC players spaces. Rather than taking the risk of outfoxing the players on individual skills, Jamshedpur FC players decided it wise to go backward.
This attitude led them to nine draws in the league stages of the ISL and provided no help in the Super Cup.
#2 Carlos Calvo unlucky to be on the losing side
If there was one man in the Jamshedpur FC jersey who didn't want to see the game ending in a draw in regulation time or a win in FC Goa's favor, then that man was Carlos Calvo.
The 33-year-old brought his A-game in the second half after being quiet in the first one. He swung in deadly corner-kicks, free-kicks, and crosses from the wings but apart from the second goal, only one of them ended in the back of the net.
Moreover, Carlos Calvo was involved in the build-up of all of Jamshedpur's goals in one way or the other. In the first goal, he was alert enough to spot Mohammad Nawaz's misdirected pass and beat Mourtada Fall. He squared it off for an unmarked Pablo Morgado who pulled one back.
Nawaz produced a fine save to deny Jamshedpur from scoring from just outside the box but the ball lobbed towards his path. He controlled the ball and took it just outside the penalty box to swing in a cross. The trajectory was difficult for the defenders to read and Sergio Cidoncha made full use of the bewilderment of the FC Goa defenders.
While taking the penalty, he sent Mohammad Nawaz the wrong way to rocket the ball into the back of the net. FC Goa gave special attention to Carlos Calvo till the final whistle to see out the game. It did wonders but the Spaniard proved his mettle.
#1 A clash between similar ideologies upcoming
When the draw was out, everyone expected Bengaluru FC to battle out against FC Goa in the semi-finals of the Super Cup in a repeat of the finals. However, Chennai City FC's triumph over the ISL champions meant the fans will witness a clash between two teams who rely on possession-based and one-touch football.
While Chennai City FC has been able to win their previous two games despite surrendering possession, their Spanish Armada ensured they made the most out of it whenever they got the ball. Akbar Nawas has instilled within the players, even the local Tamil Nadu players who played their first season in top-flight in football, a sense of calmness when holding the ball.
The same can be said about Sergio Lobera, who previously coached Barcelona 'C'. If two teams with similar ideologies enter the pitch, only one of their plans materialize and the other's gains no fruition. On Tuesday, the game would be decided on individual battles and the team which blinks first will lose the contest.
