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Odisha FC suffered a resounding 0-4 defeat to A-League champions Central Coast Mariners in the AFC Cup Inter-zone play-off semi-finals on Thursday, March 7.
After missing several chances early in the game, the Mariners capitalized in the 35th minute through Mikael Doka. The one-sided affair continued in the second half with another goal from Doka, along with contributions from Storm Roux and Barcellos, resulting in a comprehensive victory in the first leg.
India facing Australia in the football sphere has certainly not been a new occurrence, and this time, the burden and privilege of representing the country fell upon Odisha FC. Odisha arrived on the back of a surprising defeat to Chennaiyin FC, while on the flip side, the Mariners were coming off five consecutive victories.
The hosts started the game strongly and nearly capitalized on Odisha’s mistake in the first minute. Carlos Delgado scuffed his clearance with Jing Reec right on his heels, and when the Australian striker broke through on goal, Amrinder Singh stepped up to make a crucial save.
The Mariners continued to pose various problems for Odisha, whether through their pressing or their passes between the lines that carved open the midfield. In the 15th minute, full-backs Jacob Farrell and Roux combined to create a well-worked opportunity, but the latter’s effort rattled off the bar and somehow kept Odisha in the game.
Undoubtedly, it was one-way traffic, and as Odisha began to tire out and lose intensity, the Mariners opened the scoring with 10 minutes remaining before halftime. Joshua Nisbet’s overlap on the left flank was their outlet, and this time his cut-back found Doka, who confidently slotted the ball into the back of the net.
It took 40 minutes for Odisha to register their first shot on goal and test skipper Danny Vukovic. The opportunity arrived from a set-piece, with Jahouh’s clever free-kick finding Krishna, who then set up Mauricio, but his shot was comfortably parried away by the keeper.
Central Coast Mariners cruise through victory despite Odisha FC’s improvement
Central Coast Mariners upped the intensity coming out of the break and soon enough, they doubled their lead with a goal from Storm Roux. After a precise one-touch passing sequence, substitute Ryan Edmondson’s flick set up Roux, who struck the ball powerfully past a helpless Amrinder Singh.
Around the hour mark, Mauricio and Puitea had opportunities to score for Odisha, but the Mariners were mostly comfortable limiting their opponents to half-chances. Nonetheless, it was a marked improvement from their first-half performance, as the Juggernauts were able to string passes together and create some difficulties for the home team.
However, just as the Indian outfit began to build momentum, they conceded another goal in the 76th minute, effectively putting the game and possibly the tie to bed. Farrell’s run once again caused problems, and this time his marker, Roy Krishna, appeared to trip him inside the box. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Mikael Doka stepped up and sent Amrinder the wrong way to make it 3-0.
The fourth goal arrived late in the game, with Doka once again in the spotlight, this time assisting Barcellos, as Odisha were completely exposed defensively. Ultimately, the Central Coast Mariners proved too strong for the Juggernauts, and will meet them again at Kalinga Stadium on March 14th.
