MARGAO
Arlem Youth Association secured a thrilling 5-4 victory over Santa Cruz Society Poitomado in a tiebreaker to advance to the quarterfinals of the 30th Mandopa Cup, organised by Mandopa Sports Club and played at their ground on Sunday.
The match was an intense, end-to-end contest, with both teams keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats. Arlem Youth Association took the lead in the 25th minute when Patrick D'Souza delivered a precise cross to Alleen Dias, who ran down the wing and slotted the ball past the Cuncolim goalkeeper, giving his side a 1-0 advantage going into halftime.
In the second half, both teams fought hard to take control. Arlem Youth squandered a few opportunities to extend their lead, and just before the final whistle, Cuncolim's Tushar Gaonkar levelled the score with a brilliant solo effort, sending the match into a 1-1 draw.
The match was decided by a tiebreaker, where Arlem Youth held their nerve. Kifern Dias, Allen Fernandes, Sweden Barbosa, and Ashlon Quadros all converted their penalties. For Santa Cruz Society Poitomado, Ravesh Velip, Shankar Gaunder, and Warren Dias scored, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
Arlem Youth Association’s goalkeeper, Alloy Vaz, was named the Man of the Match. The award was presented by Inacio Noronha, a sports reporter.
