Basil Sylvester Pinto
MARGAO
The flame of desire to qualify for their third consecutive playoffs, which flickered in the last two weeks with four points notched in their last two games, was all but doused for FC Goa in a gruelling do-or-die game against Atletico de Kolkata on Thursday.
Needing to win their last three games on the bounce to entertain any hopes of making it to the knock-outs, the Gaurs went down fighting to the Kolkata outfit in dying moments of the ISL's ‘El Classico’ encounter. Up against a side, superior to them in positional play and on technical grounds, the Gaurs endured a barrage of attacks in the first half. But as he had held the fort in the previous games, the hosts' custodian Laxmikant Kattimani staved off a few shots on target with stellar efforts.
The only goal that was scored in the opening half for the visitors came from a sterling assist from ATK medio Abinash Ruidas who controlled the ball far out on the left to send a delightful cross to striker Juan Belencoso, who headed it home in the 28th minute.
Stung by the reverse, the Gaurs became more subdued as the half wore on but stayed obdurate in defence. Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, coming into the starting 11 in place of an ineffective Robin Singh, looked much the part in creating opportunities with his creative moves upfront. But as was their campaign from the start, the side lacked the cutting edge to bring dividends into the box. The likes of Rafael Coelho and Romeo Fernandes played well but not admirably enough into forging meaningful partnerships to drive into the opposition half with the killing instinct.
Coming from the break 0-1 down, FC Goa coach Zico tried to infuse energy into the attack by bringing in two more attackers, Robin Singh and Julio Cesar, into play. While the former did not do anything of note, the latter looked busy upfront trying to find the leveller for his side. And the efforts by the newfound verve and pressure resulted in the ATK defence finally succumbing to a sublime effort. Left winger Mandar Rao Dessai, who was having a lackadaisical outing, came up with a brilliant conversion in the 80th minute; Rafael Coelho neatly laid the ball in his path which the Goan star neatly drove into the far corner.
Buoyed by the equaliser and vociferous support from their fans, the Gaurs threw their numbers up as the game neared the end. But it was a story of a few wayward shots and the odd good attempt which kept the score 1-1. In their quest for the win, they lost their gamble in stoppage time as they gave away the ball for the visitors to counter-attack and ATK’s Stephen Pearson’s slammed home an easy winner to all but end the Gaurs' hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals with two games still to play.
Speaking to the media after the game, Zico conceded that he was embarrassed by the disorganised performance of his men. Skinning their hides, he stated that the hard yards and understanding of their defined roles seen in practice was way off mark on the field. “Everyone wanted to be a hero, but they fail to realize it is a sport where collective effort holds the key,” the Brazilian lamented. FC Goa’s campaign had been blinded in turmoil even before the season began with uncertainty of the team’s continuity for the third edition. If and when it ends, it's a nightmare the FC Goans would hope to get over as soon as they can.
