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FC Goa hosted Jamshedpur FC for the first match of Matchweek 5 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season on Thursday, November 3. The two teams faced off at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.
The Gaurs faced their first defeat of the 2022-23 season in their previous game, while the Men of Steel picked up their first win in their last encounter. Hence, this was tipped off to be an interesting encounter between two teams who have had some glory in the past.
The Gaurs, however, had another issue with their team. Even though Dheeraj Singh was back in between the sticks, Alvaro Vasquez and Marc Valiente were ruled out for this encounter. This meant that the home team did not have any foreigners on the bench, while Fares Arnaout made his first start of the season.
But these conditions did not seem to affect Edu Bedia and his teammates. Ever since the ball was set in motion, it was Carlos Pena's men who dominated proceedings with the ball. Aidy Boothroyd's men were a mere audience to the events on the field.
As a result, they fell behind as early as the second minute of the game. Bedia's corner was flicked on by Redeem Tlang. But the ball hit the defender and fell to Iker Guarrotxena, who tapped in from close range.
This was followed by a second goal just minutes later. Edu Bedia snatched the ball and eased it off to Brandon Fernandes. Brandon proceeded to play with a defense-splitting pass that fell to Noah Sadaoui. The Moroccan forward cleverly picked his spot and unleashed a grounder past TP Rehenesh.
Jamshedpur FC have been in a state of sixes and sevens since conceding two early goals in the game. FC Goa were in no relief either.
Arnaout had to be stretchered off the field due to an injury, with Glan Martins coming on to take his place. But even then, Pena's men weren't in complete disarray at the back. The Gaurs steadily adapted to the situation, providing Martins with added safety.
Jamshedpur FC's Daniel Chima Chukwu was an isolated figure in the opposition's half. The Nigerian talisman, who is known to be a threat in the opposition box, looked off-color for a major part of the game.
Jamshedpur FC's major problem was their inability to hold on to the ball. Boothroyd's side lacked composure as they were pressed out of possession by their opponents. However, things got a bit better in the latter part of the second half, after Jay Emmanuel Thomas and Harry Sawyer were introduced by the Jamshedpur FC head coach.
This helped the Men of Steel to add more firepower to their attack. Meanwhile, the Gaurs brought on Savior Gama and Brison Fernandes. The duo have managed to make their presence known since stepping onto the field. Brison added a third goal in injury time to make this a comfortable win for Pena's men.
Edu Bedia and Iker Guarrotxena starred as FC Goa dominated Jamshedpur FC
Much of the credit for FC Goa's impressive performance against Jamshedpur FC has to be given to Bedia and Guarrotxena. The Spanish duo, other than making goal contributions, have helped dominate the game in the center.
Their close-range passing helped the Gaurs open up spaces in between the opposition's defensive lines.
