Gaur has turned its back on ISL 3

The Gaur has turned its back on ISL 3. ‘Enough is enough. Take me back home,’ was its final bellow as ATK scored the winner in the final minutes of the match at the Nehru stadium in Fatorda.

FC Goa did not start as favourites to win the match. A draw would have earned them a good and it could have been termed a good miracle had they won. As the referee blew the whistle to mark the end of FC Goa’s penultimate game the inevitable had dawned- late starters finish last.

The story appeared scripted as early as the third minute. Joffre- one influential foreign component in the team- had the best opportunity to score. He missed and team FC Goa never took off after that.

The first half was a half that saw ATK’s Postiga get off with an yellow on a tackle that normally warrants a red and FC Goa’s Laximikant Kattimani stopping everything that was thrown at the Goa citadel. His performance not only kept the lads from Kolkata opening Fc Goa up but also pulled wool over his initial hiccups he started the tournament with.

ATK were all over Goa in the first half. They could have started scoring early and could have continued scoring after they netted the first. Kattimani, the horizontal and the FC Goa stopped all such plans.

The boys from Kolkata played neat, attractive football and were good in recovery. There was skill in anticipation in their display. They alternated between flanks and after seeing Kattimani at his best tried to fox him with intelligent placements. The Gaur behind the bar did not surrender – it was to be his day and he was bent on seeing no one else enjoy the party.

The FC Goa citadel caved in the 27^th minute. Spanish Belencoso directed his header with power and placement and this time there was little Kattimani or ,for that matter, most goalkeeper could have done.

ATK kept attacking and it was only after the equaliser by Mandar Rao that the game saw two teams in a battle for the ball.

Mandar started quietly. Nervously. He did not make chances not did he try a single attempt at goal. His first try bounced past ATK’s goalkeeper Debjit Majumder and the Nehru stadium began to sizzle with expectations.

Zico brought in Robin Singh for defender Keenan Almeida and Raju Gaikwad for Debrata Roy. A few minutes later Julio Cesar replaced Trinidade.  It did not help significantly. FC Goa rallied their game on the buzz created by the spectators while ATK used the counter attacks with intelligence.

In the first counter attack, the lads from Kolkata failed to beat Laxmikant. In the second, they beat him in numbers and in the manner the ball was tapped into the goal. Once again, there was nothing he could outnumbered by the physical presence of the ATK lads.

FC Goa is out of ISL. It would have been a sad day had they been out without fighting the odds stacked against them. They started with self-inflicted injuries but gradually started emerging stronger. There were times when the team was bereft of players and yet the will to fight did not flicker.

There have been and there were a couple of incidences where refereeing could have been better. However, to take it all with a smile is the charm of football. The Goan gaur is tired. Let it rest for ISL 4.