FC Goa vs Odisha FC: Who won yesterday's match?
FC Goa entered the playoff spots once again with a 3-1 victory against Odisha FC in the 97th match of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) Season at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao, Goa.
FC Goa took a 2-0 lead in the first thirty minutes and the Kalinga Warriors had no chance of a comeback after that.
Unlike their usual approach, FC Goa looked lively from the first whistle and tested Arshdeep Singh in just the 4th minute.
Jorge Ortiz Mendoza made a fantastic run into the box and made a cut-back for Alberto Noguera who saw his strike saved brilliantly.
FC Goa left-back Saviour Gama also advanced forward and delivered a cross but Igor Angulo couldn’t make contact despite putting in a dive.
They eventually took the lead in the 18th minute when Noguera headed it past Arshdeep following an inviting cross by center-back Ivan Gonzalez.
Arshdeep did get a hand on the ball but it still went in due to the sheer power of the header.
Odisha FC got their first real chance through a free-kick as Daniel Lalhlimpuia flicked it across the goal. Skipper Steven Taylor could have possibly made contact with the ball but he missed it completely as FC Goa earned a goal-kick.
Despite that positive move, Odisha FC went 2-0 down after Jorge Ortiz calmly chipped the ball over Arshdeep.
It was a loose ball from an Odisha FC corner-kick that was played through to Jorge Ortiz by Saviour.
Just minutes later, Dheeraj Singh was called into action as he kept away a good shot from Daniel. J
On the stroke of the first cooling break, Odisha FC pulled one back through Diego Mauricio’s 10th goal of the season.
Rakesh Pradhan sent in a looping cross from the left flank and Dheeraj misjudged the flight of the ball to allow an easy tap-in goal for Mauricio.
FC Goa came back strong and were even awarded a penalty after Rakesh made contact with Angulo outside the box but the Spaniard made a belated dive into the box.
After consultation with the linesman, referee Ranjit Baksi overturned the penalty with a free-kick.
FC Goa started the second-half on a good note too but Manuel Onwu was the first player to manage a shot on goal.
Onwu took a shot on the turn but it was blocked and the ball rolled to the keeper.
Just as in previous matches, FC Goa were made to worry by Dheeraj as his clearance struck Onwu. Luckily for the Gaurs, the ball deflected away from goal.
Odisha FC’s influential player, Mauricio, got a few chances but he couldn’t make the best out of it. Jerry raced down the wing and cut the ball back for the Brazilian but he couldn’t sort out his feet in time for a shot.
37-year-old Angulo got out a couple of shots but Odisha FC managed to defend them well.
Their resistance wasn't going to last for long as FC Goa made it 3-1 in the 75th minute.
After assisting with the first goal, Ivan Gonzalez stabbed the ball in from close range after his initial header was superbly saved by Arshdeep.
Gonzalez could have even bagged a brace, but his free header struck the cross-bar and came out.
The duo of Daniel and Ishan Pandita each had a chance each but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
FC Goa wrapped up a dominant 3-1 victory to continue the play-off race.
Who was the Hero of the Match?
FC Goa’s underrated defender Ivan Gonzalez was named as the ‘Hero of the Match’ for coming up with an assist and also a goal in this crucial encounter.
Before the game, Ivan had been one of the most classy centre-backs in the league who could hardly put a foot wrong.
Against Odisha FC, Gonzalez went one step further by delivering an inch-perfect cross for Alberto Noguera’s first goal.
He also took his opportunity to get on the scoresheet while remaining compact at the back.