PANAJI
FC Goa continued their unbeaten start to the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at NorthEast United FC in their final match of the calendar year.
Carlos Martinez grabbed his third goal of the season to give the Gaurs the lead in the first half but the home side fought back through Jithin MS.
Head coach Manolo Marquez made only one change to the starting eleven that comprehensively defeated Mohun Bagan SG in Kolkata last Saturday. Carlos came in for the injured Victor Rodriguez which meant that Noah Sadaoui moved to the left wing and Brandon Fernandes shifted to the number 10 role.
The Gaurs got off to a solid start, dominating possession and probing for openings in the home side’s backline. The breakthrough came in the 20th minute through a well constructed goal finished off excellently by Carlos.
Raynier Fernandes recovered a loose ball after a set-piece and recycled it out wide to Noah who put in a delightful cross for the Spaniard to head home past Mirshad Michu.
The goal forced the Highlanders to come out of their shell and the game opened up a bit with both sides aiming to play on the front foot. A quick turnover caught Jay Gupta out of position, allowing Parthib Gogoi to get in behind. The youngster put in an early cross for Jithin MS to equalise for the Highlanders in the 26th minute.
The chances continued to flow and Goa nearly took the lead in the 42nd minute when Noah pounced on a loose back pass and squared for Brandon. The skipper thought he had an easy tap-in but Dinesh Singh slid in at the last minute to block his attempt.
The second half began as the first ended with Marquez’ men pushing for the lead and NorthEast looking to hit back on the counter. Raynier and Sandesh Jhingan both had half-chances but the home defence continued to frustrate the Gaurs.
Boris Singh, Paolo Retre, and Muhammed Nemil all came on in the second half as the away side searched for a winner but clear-cut chances were few and far in between. The Goan defence, marshalled ably by Arshdeep Singh, dealt well with the threat of the young NorthEast attackers.
In the end, the Men in Orange had to settle for a draw in Guwahati as the two stubborn sides cancelled each other out in the final few minutes.
The result means that FC Goa lie second in the table with 24 points from 10 games heading into the winter break of the Indian Super League. Marquez’ side are two points behind Kerala Blasters having played two games fewer.
Up next for them is the Kaling Super Cup which begins on January 9 where they will aim to navigate a difficult group which includes Odisha FC and Bengaluru FC.
