FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC share spoils following 2-2 draw
October 24, 2024 – Chennai, India: FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC took home a point each after a dramatic 2-2 draw in their Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Thursday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
The result leaves the Gaurs in eighth place on the league standings, with six points and only a single win from six matches.
Earlier in the day, Goa’s head coach Manolo Marquez made just one change to his starting XI from their last match against Mumbai City FC, with Dejan Drazic coming in for Armando Sadiku.
The game started brightly for the Men in Orange, as Brison Fernandes tested Chennaiyin’s goalkeeper in the 4th minute with a powerful shot from the center of the box, following an excellent cross from Udanta Singh. However, it was the hosts who then drew first blood in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Jay Gupta.
Wilmar Jordán pounced on an inadequately cleared ball and slotted it home from close range to score the opening goal of the match.
At the other end, Brison continued to probe for FC Goa, forcing another save from the Chennaiyin keeper in the 14th minute. A further setback came when Borja Herrera had to be substituted off in the 32nd minute due to an injury, with Sadiku coming on in his place.
Despite these challenges, the Gaurs found their equalizer just before halftime. Udanta Singh rose high in the 45th minute to meet a pinpoint cross from Aakash Sangwan, heading it powerfully into the top right corner to level the score at 1-1.
The second half began with Goa seizing the momentum. Drazic earned a penalty after being fouled in the box, and Sadiku made no mistake from the spot, putting his team 2-1 up in the 51st minute. This goal marked Sadiku’s sixth of the league season, also making him the first FC Goa player to score in five consecutive ISL matches.
Chennaiyin, however, were not done. They found an equalizer in controversial fashion in the 79th minute when Daniel Chima’s header, following a cross from Connor Shields, was ruled to have crossed the goal line despite Goa goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani appearing to keep the ball out.
Replays suggested the decision was questionable, but the goal stood.
FC Goa pushed for a winner, with Carl McHugh coming close in the 87th minute with a header that narrowly missed the target. In stoppage time, Kattimani produced a stunning save to deny Chima’s header, ensuring the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Gaurs will now return to Fatorda for their next assignment, taking on table-toppers Bengaluru FC on Saturday, November 2, at 7:30 pm.
About FC Goa
FC Goa is a professional football club based out of Goa that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL). Nicknamed the Gaurs, FC Goa have been one of the most consistently successful teams in the ISL – reaching 5 semi-finals and 2 finals in 10 seasons.
The Club also hold the record for the most goals, joint-most golden boots and most number of playoff appearances (7 in total) in the history of the league.
In 2020, FC Goa also became the first team from India to qualify for the league stages of the AFC Champions League, by virtue of winning the first-ever ISL League Winners Shield in the 2019-20 season.
The Gaurs’ trophy cabinet is further adorned by the 2019 Super Cup, the 2018-19 Goa Professional League, the 2020 Goa Police Cup and the 2021 Durand Cup.
Co-owned by Mr. Jaydev Mody, Mr. Akshay Tandon and Mr. Virat Kohli, FC Goa are one of the few Indian clubs to have a complete youth development ecosystem. Its U13, U15, U17, U19 and Developmental Teams compete at the highest levels in Goa and India.
The FC Goa Development Team won the Goa Professional League, the top-division football league in the state, in 2018-19. In 2020, they lifted the Goa Police Cup as well. The Club’s U13 and U15 teams, meanwhile, are the reigning champions of their respective age categories in the Goa Football Association (GFA) state league for the second consecutive year, highlighting the organisation’s continued success at every level.
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