Indian Super Cup 2018, Semifinal: East Bengal vs FC Goa, 5 Talking Points
East Bengal were made to dig deep but eventually triumphed, securing a vital 1-0 victory over FC Goa in the semi-final of the Indian Super Cup on Monday. Dudu scored the only goal of the match twelve minutes from time.
In a match where both sides failed to take their chances, EB were the better side in the larger scheme of things. Goa's captain, Edu Bedia was sent off with ten minutes remaining. East Bengal will now face the winners of Bengaluru and Mohun Bagan in the final. Here are the major talking points from tonight's lively encounter.
#1 FC Goa start on the worst possible note
Beginning the game nervously is now how you would want your team to approach a semi-final. Yet FC Goa could not have started the game any worse. Their players looked sluggish and extremely slow on the ball.
From the kick-off spot, Edu Bedia sent his shot out of the park, as a sign of protest for what had happened in the match between FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC. To make matters worse, the Gaurs looked devoid of ideas and let East Bengal dominate proceedings from the get-go.
Far too often, passes were misplaced, fell short of their target and this enabled their opponents to play the game at their own tempo. Usual suspects, Coro and Mandar were a shadow of their usual selves.