MARGAO
United Club Nerul clinched a dramatic victory in a nail-biting penalty shootout, edging past Arlem Youth Association 5-4 after both teams battled to a goalless draw in regulation time at the ongoing Our Lady of Merces 8-a-side Football Tournament, hosted by Sirlim Sports Club.
Despite the absence of goals during regular play, the match was rich in action and intensity. Arlem’s Garisson Fernandes squandered a golden chance early on, missing a sitter that could have given his team the lead. Meanwhile, Nerul’s defense, expertly led by Melvin Lobo, remained rock-solid, thwarting several Arlem offensives.
Nerul's Raju Chopdekar came close to scoring with a powerful attempt, only to be denied by a superb save from Arlem goalkeeper Yelloy Fernandes.
With no breakthrough at full time, the contest moved to penalties. Nerul held their composure, successfully converting spot kicks through Nikhil Naik, Royce Gonsalves, Stanley D'Silva, Siddanth Kalangutkar, and Rajat Chopdekar.
Arlem matched them for most of the shootout, with Garisson Fernandes, Silvano Olivera, Sanjiro Pango, Sneddan Vaz, and Yelloy Fernandes finding the net. However, Nerul emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, booking their place in the next round.
