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FC Goa left it late to defeat Gokulam Kerala FC as Iker Guarrotxena’s 90th-minute goal ultimately separated both sides in their Hero Super Cup 2023 clash on Friday, April 14.
This was virtually a knockout game for the Gaurs and the Malabarians as they both lost their opening encounters. However, the game lacked intensity in the first half, with both sides struggling to make inroads into the final third.
Eventually, the first half ended with no shots on target to test either goalkeeper. The second half, however, opened up as FC Goa began committing men forward with the hope of opening the scoring.
Makan Chote and Brison Fernandes came close to scoring for the Gaurs. However, Gokulam Kerala custodian Shibin Raj parried away their efforts in quick succession. At the other end, Sourav almost found the net, following a perfectly weighted through ball by Omar Ramos, but the scores remained level.
While the Malabarians continued to look dangerous on the break, they were also defensively solid. A draw wouldn't have helped either side's cause, though, and they continued to push on for a winner.
FC Goa eventually secured all three points by pouncing on Abdul Hakku’s mistake in the 90th minute. The defender was guilty of conceding possession in a dangerous area, with Noah Sadaoui winning the ball back.
While Sadoui's shot was saved by Shibin, the rebound fell kindly to Guarrotxena, who found the back of the net. It means Goa are now third in Group C, level on points with ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC, who will also be in action on Friday.
Meanwhile, the defeat all but confirmed Gokulam Kerala FC's exit from the Hero Super Cup. On that note, let’s take a look at how they fared against FC Goa.
Gokulam Kerala FC player ratings
Shibin Raj - 9/10
Shibin was largely untested in the first half as FC Goa struggled to create anything of significance. However, he was called into action in the second half and pulled two excellent saves. The first was from Makan Chote’s volley inside the six-yard box, and the second was from Brison Fernandes’ powerful effort.
He pulled off several saves to deny the Gaurs but will be disappointed that he wasn’t rewarded for his performance with a cleansheet.
Vikas Saini - 8/10
Vikas dealt with Noah’s threat superbly and the winger switched sides during the game to have a greater impact, which spoke volumes about defender's performance. He was near faultless on the right flank and excelled in almost all of his one-on-one duels.
Abdul Hakku - 5.5/10
Abdul Hakku stood up to the task against a Goa attack that scored thrice in the last match in the first half of this contest. He made some important interceptions in the penalty box to keep his side level at half-time.
However, Hakku was punished for a poor mistake as Iker Guarrotxena pounced on it to undo all of the team’s hard work in the dying embers of the game.
Bouba Aminou - 7/10
Bouba was a towering presence at the back and marshaled the Gokulam Kerala defense well. His physicality was important to prevent Guarrotxena’s threat for most of th game and he was a solid presence throughout the 90 minutes.
Mohammed Jasim - 7/10
Goa often created overloads on his side, but Jasim was quick to react to the danger and prevented crosses from the right flank. It was a composed overall performance by the defender.
Shilton D’Silva - 7/10
D'Silva’s positional awareness was brilliant in both halves. He blocked Goa’s central lane and kept things tidy when he received possession to help Gokulam Kerala progress the ball into the forward areas.
Omar Ramos - 8/10
Ramos was Gokulam Kerala’s key player in attack. He created a brilliant opportunity for Sourav early in the second half, but the winger fluffed it. Additionally, he was composed in possession and kept things ticking in another encouraging performance.
Farshad Noor - 8/10
Farshad excelled in midfield and progressed the ball well. He linked up well with Sourav on the right flank and set him up on a couple of occasions.
Towards the end of the game, his deft first touch and inch-perfect pass found Sergio Mendigutxia in a promising position. However, the Spanaird’s poor first touch let him down.
Sourav K - 7/10
Sourav’s pace posed problems for FC Goa as Gokulam Kerala used him as an out-ball on the breakaway. He had Gokulam’s best chance of the game, but his tame effort missed the target.
Overall, despite a lackluster performance in the final third, he was one of the best players for his team against an FC Goa defense that has been prone to errors.
Sreekutan VS - 7/10
Sreekutan worked hard out of possession and tracked back well to double up on Noah Sadaoui. He was also dangerous in the forward areas, but lacked the cutting edge his side needed from him in the final third.
Samuel Koney - 6/10
Koney was often isolated in attack as Gokulam Kerala sat in a medium block. He held the ball up well and brought his teammates into play. However, he lacked service in the box and was eventually replaced in the 70th minute.
Substitutes
Thahir Zaman (Sreekuttan 65') - 6/10
Zaman added energy to the side in the final 25 minutes of regulation but failed to create any impact in the wide areas. He had very few touches of the ball during his time on the pitch and did well to support the full-back out of possession.
Rahul Raju (D'Silva 65') - 6/10
Raju was solid when he came on and won a few key individual battles to keep FC Goa at bay.
Sergio Mendigutxia (Koney 69') - 6/10
Mendigutixia made some clever runs up front to put the Gaurs' defense under pressure. However, missed a huge chance towards the end of the game after being set up by Fashad Noor due to his poor first touch.
Jobby Justin (Sourav 84') - N/A
Justin arrived onto the pitch in the 83rd minute and had very little impact for Gokulam Kerala in his limited time on the pitch.
