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Chennaiyin FC's stunning comeback in this season continued as they beat FC Goa with a cracking 4-1 scoreline in the first leg of the semi-final at the Marina Arena. Four second-half goals from Chennai put them in the driver's seat to make the Indian Super League final on 14th March.
The first-half didn't see a lot of goal-mouth action as both the teams cancelled each other out. The hosts were the better side in those 45 minutes but they could hardly do much more than earning set-pieces with regularity. Chennai's best chance probably came in the 16th minute when Rafael Crivellaro's powerful shot was put back in play after Mohammad Nawaz made a decent save. If Lallianzuala Chhangte was alert enough, he could have possibly made something out of that opportunity.
While Goa would have been happy to go down the tunnel at half-time with a 0-0 scoreline, they would have certainly not expected Chennaiyin's unbelievable performance after the break. After a goal-keeping mistake saw Lucian Goian put the hosts ahead in the 54th minute, the trio of Anirudh Thapa, Eli Sabia and Lallianzuala Chhangte added three more to their tally within the space of 19 minutes. Thapa's goal, in particular, was one to cherish as his curled effort beat a fully-stretched Nawaz in the FC Goa goal.
Substitute Saviour Gama gave a semblance of hope to FC Goa in the dying minutes of the game as Goian's clearance fell in the right spot for the youngster to find an away goal.
#3 Goa miss Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes' quality
This game was billed as a match between two in-form teams but Goa were dealt a blow as two key players in the form of Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes missed out due to injuries. Boumous, in particular, has been one of the stand-out players in the entire league with 11 goals and 10 assists to become the first player in ISL history to reach double figures on both counts.
Goa weren't completely outplayed in the first-half as an Ahmed Jahouh-marshalled midfield kept the Chennaiyin defence at bay. However, the Moroccan couldn't cause a lot of issues going forward as he missed the pace and movement that Boumous has provided throughout the season. This meant that Jahouh only had two outlets in the form of Jackichand Singh and Ferran Corominas.
In the 50th minute, when Coro was fouled by Jerry Lalrinuala during a counter-attacking move, Goa would have wished Boumous to be in the striker's place or at least near him as the attacking midfielder's pace could have resulted in a goal.
The visitors also missed a few chances, most notably Mourtada Fall's overcooked header in the 60th minute which could have possibly earned them a vital away goal.
#2 Laldinliana Renthlei and Jerry Lalrinzuala come up with fantastic performances
The full-backs of the home side, Laldinliana Renthlei and Jerry Lalrinzuala, were absolutely rock-solid at the Marina Arena. Jerry, in particular, has had a wonderful turn-around in this season after displacing Tondonba Singh at the left-back spot. Jerry even got two assists to his name. But it was his work at the back that needs to be lauded as he kept the dangerous Jackichand Singh very quiet on the day. The 21-year-old made two clearances, five interceptions and two tackles to cap off a tremendous performance.
Meanwhile, his partner on the opposite side of the field, Dinliana Rentheli was also no less with his work-rate. Dinliana got in one clearance, two interceptions and two tackles, while his job was easier considering the fact that Len Doungel rarely troubled him. In fact, it was Dinliana who caused a lot of issues to Mandar Rao Dessai with his nifty footwork and pace.
#1 Indian players come to the fore as Chennaiyin fire four goals
End product has always been an issue for Indian players but the duo of Anirudh Thapa and Lallianzuala Chhangte brought their A-game to the table. The young central midfielder Thapa was absolutely menacing as his stunning long-range goal wa followed up with an assist for Chhangte.
The Marina Arena erupted right after skipper Lucian Goain's header put the side ahead but Thapa stunned Goa with a delightful strike to net his side's second goal. The 22-year-old played a neat one-two with Jerry Lalrinzuala before unleashing a rasping shot that struck the top-right corner of the goal. He was helped by the fact that the entire Goa defence backed away, including Mourtada Fal,l but the quality of the goal can't be denied one bit.
If this wasn't enough, Eli Sabia added to Goa's misery by tapping in a low cross from Lalrinzuala. Moving our attention to Chennaiyin's fourth goal, Thapa yet again had a part to play as he came up with a deft cut-back to Chhangte. The winger then duly finished the opportunity with a sweetly struck shot to beat Mohammad Nawaz's attempted diving stop. The Mizo lad has been criticised quite a lot for his end-product but he has improved considerably this season.
Goa did get an away goal through Saviour Gama's canny flick past Vishal Kaith but the table-toppers would know they have an uphill task to reach the final from here-on.
