Mumbai City FC 3 vs 0 FC Goa-4 things we learned
Mumbai City FC, last season's ISL winners, played Durand Cup champions FC Goa in their opening game of the 2021-22 season of the ISL. Mumbai won the match with a 3-0 scoreline.
The Islanders have made a number of new additions to their team. They have a new coach in Des Buckingham after Sergio Lobera decided to take on another project with City Football Group. Mumbai City FC also signed FC Goa's highest goal scorer last season, Igor Angulo.
FC Goa have retained most of their team and have promoted a few players from the reserves to the main team.
The match started with both ISL teams going in for the win, and the game saw some excellent moves right from the start.
Mumbai City FC had a clear penalty denied in the 14th minute. FC Goa's right back Leander D' Cunha brought down Vignesh Dakshinamurthy inside the box from behind with a bad tackle to the ankle. The referee, though, didn't point to the spot.
However, Mumbai City FC got a penalty in the 32nd minute when Ivan Gonzalez brought down Cassio Gabriel inside the box. Igor Angulo made no mistake in giving the Islanders the lead against his former side.
The former Athletic Bilbao striker scored his second of the night in the 36th minute when he finished off a brilliant pass from Raynier.
The scoreboard at halftime read 2-0 in favor of the Islanders.
The second half started with Mumbai City FC keeping up the pressure and searching for the third goal. However, FC Goa tried to keep the ball and had a patient build-up. Finally, Ygor Catatau, the Brazilian midfielder, scored with his first touch in the ISL. He headed the ball in from a free kick in the 76th minute.
FULL-TIME | #MCFCFCG
The defending champions @MumbaiCityFC start their season with a commanding win over @FCGoaOfficial 👊
#HeroISL #LetsFootball https://t.co/lxw3bqBkk8
The game ended with the scoreboard reading 3-0 in favor of Mumbai City FC.
On that note, let us take a look at four things we learned from today's game.
Get the latest ISL 2021 live score here every day at Sportskeeda.
#4 Igor Angulo decimates his former team
Igor Angulo replaced Ferran Corominas in the FC Goa side last season. He became an instant hit with the Gaurs and also their highest goal scorer for the Gaurs (14).
Igor Angulo bags the Hero of the Match award tonight 💥
New colours. Same old Angulo. 🤩
#MCFCFCG #HeroISL #LetsFootball https://t.co/Z7U1CfplUy
Igor Angulo made an immediate impact in the first as he scored a first-half brace to give Mumbai City FC a two-goal lead in the first half. It was Igor Angulo's first-ever first-half brace in the ISL. After that, he completely destroyed his former team's defense and never gave them a moment of peace.
His first goal came from a penalty, while his second was a world-class strike from a Raynier pass.
#3 Mumbai City FC became the first team to keep a clean sheet in ISL 2021-22
All three previous games in the ISL 2021-22 season saw both teams get their names on the scoresheet. It was the fourth game in which a team finally kept a clean sheet.
Des Buckingham would be pleased with the way his defense went about their job.
The Mumbai City FC defense, which included Amay Ranawade, Mourtada Fall, Rahul Bheke and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, gave a good account of themselves.
#2 FC Goa miss Brandon Fernandes
It's evident from the last few seasons that the Indian national team midfielder has been a crucial cog in FC Goa's midfield. His ability on the ball is second to none.
With four foreigners being allowed to play in the playing eleven, having quality Indian players has become even more critical. Missing someone like Brandon is a big miss for any side of the ISL.
#1 Quality of Indian players make the difference
With the introduction of the four foreigners rule in the ISL, it has become evident that the quality of Indian players has become crucial for success.
Today the gap in quality of the Indian footballers was a significant reason for the big victory Mumbai City FC had. Mumbai City FC had more national team players in their squad, which played an essential role in the game. These include the likes of Lalengmawia Ralte, Raynier Fernandes and Bipin Singh.
FC Goa's Indian players have talent. However, their lack of experience at the topmost level had its part in the performance they showcased today.