Fifth match of the season for Odisha FC while they were still not able to find the winning way as Juan Ferrando’s FC Goa managed to grab all 3 points this evening at GMC Bambolim Stadium, thanks to the only goal from Igor Angulo.
The defence of the Juggernauts looked shattered from the initial minutes and it couldn’t find a way back to the track till the 90th minute. On the other hand,the Gaurs broke the deadlock in the offing of the halftime and managed to keep the lead till end. A brilliant short-pass from Alexander Romario Jesuraj found the right foot of Igor Angulo and eventually the back of the net.
Jorge Ortiz Mendoza and Brandon Fernandes duo kept on their passing game alive throughout the second half and the attack on OFC nets were even more prominent this time. Arshdeep Singh, the Odisha FC custodian stole the entire show in the last third of the game as he made some brilliant saves in a little reaction time.
Both substitutions for Stuart Baxter’s side came at 84th minute and they didn’t have much to do, however Princeton who stepped up just after an hour mark for the Gaurs, had an impressive presence.
Jorge Ortiz Mendoza was the Hero of the match for his extraordinary performance in the midfield (83% accuracy) and Arshdeep Singh without a doubt was the Indian player of the game with a remarkable 9 saves. Here’s how our team rates both the sides.
Odisha FC
Arshdeep Singh (GK) 8
Looking at the defensive errors we can say without the numero-uno of OFC in front of the goal, the scoreline would have been very embarrassing for the Juggernauts. He is the highest rated Indian player of the game for his charismatic saves.
Shubham Sarangi (DEF) 6
The local lad of OFC looked a bit out of focus during the game as he was frequently losing possession. Though he attempted few crosses into the opposition box, that was not enough.
Steven Taylor (DEF) (C) 6.5
The English Premier League experience holder skipper of Odisha FC looked exhausted towards the second half. A misjudged header from the Englishman was almost scored and a handball from him inside the box went unnoticed.
Jacob Tratt (DEF) 6.5
Tratt grabbed an early booking and was seen involved in rough tackles throughout the game, although he made some promising runs down the left flank.
Hendry Antonay (DEF) 7.5
Hendry made some brilliant clearances both inside and outside the box and this young Indian was without a doubt a huge performer of the evening.
Gaurav Bora (DEF) 7
Bora looked a bit more improved than the last couple of games as he again started in defensive midfield. He was seen winning some set pieces for his side.
Vinit Rai (MF) 7
Finally the midfielder maestro got a chance this season. Though Vinit started, he was unable to make his presence felt during crucial moments.
Cole Alexander (MF) 7.5
He delivered properly to his role of a box to box midfielder. He was also seen taking some shots towards the last third of the game. However he couldn’t excel in dribbling past opposition defenders.
Jerry Mawihmingthanga (MF) 7.5
He had pace, he had accuracy, he had agility. Only thing he missed was finding the striker in proper place inside Goa box. Overall, his display was far more than average but too far less than what is expected from him.
Manuel Onwu (FWD) 6.5
The Spaniard seems to be a shadow of what Manuel Onwu we saw during the final four games of last season. He remained out of possession most of the time and was barely seen taking a shot.
Diego Mauricio (FWD) 7
Great ball control and some good back heel pass can not sum up his talent. However it feels like, Diego is still in search of an attacking partnership and without providing him that the team is doing injustice to him.
Substitutes:
Saurabh Meher (MF) N/A
Marcelo Pereira (FWD) N/A
FC Goa
Mohammad Nawaz (GK) 7
Though he was able to keep a clean sheet, Nawaz was seen doing some mistakes in taking decisions. A couple of shots from Odisha FC were completely out of reach of him which thankfully missed the goalpost by inches.
Seriton Fernandes (DEF) 7.5
Seriton was the one who tracked back the pacy counter attacks from Odisha FC strikers twice. He was mostly seen in his own half but had a good impact on the game.
James Donachie (DEF) 7
James initiated some promising attack from behind those almost found the OFC nets. He was also imposing some threat during set pieces.
Ivan Gonzalez (DEF) 7.5
Ivan was often seen unimpressed with the referee. Though he conceded few fouls throughout the game, still he was very impressive.
Saviour Gama (DEF) 7
The young lad was seen all in all yesterday both in the defence and attack. During 90 minutes he had a pass accuracy of 85% and created 1 chance.
Lenny Rodrigues (MF) (C) 7
In the absence of Edu Bedia in the starting XI, Lenny was seen with the captain’s armband. With 44 passes and 2 shots on goal, he had an amazing evening in the Bambolim.
Jorge Ortiz Mendoza (MF) 8.5
With 54 passes and three-fourth of them coming in opposition half, Ortiz was crucial in Goa attack. He had 7 shots and 83% accuracy. His all round performance earned him the award of the Hero of the match.
Alberto Noguera (MF) 7.5
He completed the most (83) passes and won the most (8) duels in the game. His long balls were often causing trouble to the Odisha FC backline.
Brandon Fernandes (MF) 7.5
Before the game, the coach described him as the sixth foreign player of the squad in terms of game sense and dependability. He didn’t disappoint his gaffer as he created the most (4) chances in the game.
Alexander Jesuraj (MF) 8
He was the assist provider of the only goal of the game. He had 77% accuracy with the ball before being subbed off at an hour mark.
Igor Angulo (FWD) 8.5
With a sumptuous first touch and finish, the Spanish striker reclaimed the top spot in the ISL Golden boot race. He had a total of 6 shots during his 86 minutes stay.
Substitutes:
Princeton had a 95% pass accuracy and he built up some lethal attacks down both flanks. He also had a 100% accuracy on long balls.
Redeem Tlang (MF) 7
Though he was dispossessed by OFC midfielders quite a few times, he had a 90% passing accuracy. He also surged a dangerous dribble that created a chance for the second goal.
Seiminlen Doungel (MF) N/A
Edu Bedia (MF) N/A
Follow IFTWC for all the latest updates on Indian Football and download our from playstore.