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Despite their stern resistance for nearly 90 minutes, Gokulam Kerala FC suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of FC Goa after a defensive howler in the 90th minute at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode on Friday, April 14.
FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena opted for a three-at-the-back system with Anwar Ali, Fares Arnaout, and Saviour Gama. Meanwhile, the Malabarians stuck to their guns and started out with a rigid setup.
As the Goans dominated possession right from the first whistle, it was evident that Gokulam FC were here to play a tactical game of chess.
The local team were happy to depend on their counter-attacks and fast transitions to break down the Gaurs. However, in the eighth minute, FC Goa came close to pulling ahead when Noah Sadaoui's cross was thumped into the crossbar by Arnaout. But Fran Bonet's men weren't perturbed by the Goan's attacks as they continued to defend deep and defend hard.
Despite chances for both sides, the game rolled in the same direction deep into the second half as a draw was seemingly ominous. However, a defensive howler from Abdul Hakku saw Noah Sadaoui win possession in the opposition half before his initial effort was parried away by Gokulam custodian Shibin Raj. However, Iker Guarrotxena turned home the rebound in the 90th minute to secure the three points.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for FC Goa players from their victory against Gokulam Kerala FC:
Player Ratings for FC Goa from their victory against Gokulam Kerala FC
Arshdeep Singh (GK) [6.5]
The young custodian made some crucial stops, especially in the second half when Gokulam Kerala started to grow into the game.
Anwar Ali [6.5]
The young centre-back didn't have the most outstanding display but did manage to come away with a clean sheet. However, Anwar Ali was lucky as he was awarded a foul after being outmuscled by Sreekuttan VS, whose eventual goal was ruled out for the same.
Fares Arnaout [6.5]
Unlike in the previous game, Fares Arnaout looked a lot more sturdy in defense on the night. Early on in the game, the Syrian international also had the opportunity to break the deadlock when struck the crossbar from a Noah Sadaoui cross.
Saviour Gama [7.0]
The full-back, who had slotted in as a center-back at the start of the game, was one of the standout defenders for Goa. Saviour Gama stepped in with crucial crunching challenges and once Pena reverted to the four-back system, the 25-year-old made marauding runs down the flanks.
Makan Winkle Chothe [6.5]
The young winger looked slightly overwhelmed in his makeshift wingback role in the first half. However, he continued to get into dangerous positions. Right after the half-time break, Makan Chothe had a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock, but he couldn't get the desired power behind his effort.
Redeem Tlang [6.5]
Redeem started in the right wingback position and put in an agricultural shift. However, he was caught out of position a couple of times and couldn't contribute to the fullest extent from the wide areas.
Hernan Santana [7.0]
The Spanish defensive midfielder was robust and sturdy throughout the game, forming a brilliant screen in front of the back three. Hernan Santana was also responsible for circulating the ball.
Lenny Rodrigues [6.5]
Lenny complimented Hernan well in the middle of the park and didn't let Gokulam overwhelm FC Goa in the middle of the park.
Brison Fernandes [6.0]
Carlos Pena trusted Brison Fernandes to play the full 90 minutes and he provided a lot of explosiveness in the middle of the park. However, often his inaccurate forward passing and timid efforts from range cost Goa vital possession.
Iker Guarrotxena [7.0]
Throughout the night, Iker Guarrotxena looked like a frustrated figure as his side lacked any control in the attacking third. He often overcooked his passes or ended up losing possession frequently. But ultimately, in the 90th minute, it was Guarrotxena who tucked home the winner.
Noah Sadaoui [8.0]
Like in the previous match and plenty of matches before, Noah Sadaoui was yet again the liveliest FC Goa attacking outlet on the pitch. Even though Carlos Pena tweaked the system to give the Moroccan forward some aid from the wings, Sadaoui couldn't find a lot of room inside the box. But ultimately, it was his tenacity that led to the match-winning goal after he robbed possession of Abdul Hakku.
SUBSTITUTES
Edu Bedia [6.5]
The Spanish maestro replaced Fares Arnaout in the 69th minute as Pena decided to revert to his four-back system. However, the veteran midfielder couldn't affect the match with his delivery from deep.
Devendra Murgaokar [6.0]
The young forward was brought on to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the frontline but his work rate wasn't of substantial help to FC Goa.
Leander D'Cunha [NA]
He came on too late to make any substantial impact.
