FC Goa Drub Delhi FC to Storm Into Durand Cup semifinals
FC Goa players celebrate after scoring against Delhi FC in their Durand Cup quarterfinals at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium on Friday.
FC Goa dominated Delhi FC through 90 minutes to win 5-1 in their Durand Cup quarterfinals at the Kalyani Stadium in Kolkata on Friday. Devendra Murgaokar, Muhammed Nemil and Brandon Fernandez scored in the first half for Goa, while Leander D’Cunha and Romario Jesuraj in the second to complete the victory. Delhi got a goal back via Nikhil Mali.
Goa await the winners of the fourth quarterfinal between Bengaluru FC and Army Green to be played on Saturday. The first semifinal will be played between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Bengaluru United. Mohammedan beat Gokulam Kerala 1-0 to enter the final four while Bengaluru made it after Army Red forfeited their match following cases of Covid-19 in their squad.
Also Read | Rich and Rusty: ATK Mohun Bagan’s Crushing Defeat at FC Nasaf Highlights Indian Football’s Dearth of Matches
Delhi FC started the quarterfinals on Friday on a positive note, and did create a couple of chances. Anwar Ali and Willis Deon Plaza could have scored but missed out on a golden chance.
FC Goa, meanwhile, started exerting themselves and in the 15th minute, Murgaokar scored the first goal and his fourth of the tournament. Nemil scored another three minutes later.
Brandon Fernandes then lobbed a curler from the left flank over Delhi ’keeper Lovepreet in added time, to give Goa a three-goal lead going into the break.
Delhi FC pulled one back in the 82nd minute of play after some solid work. Mali scored a smart goal after a Willis Plaza dummy inside the Goa box.
However, Goa restored the three goal cushion within a couple of minutes through D’ Cunha, who found the target via a slightly miscued but effective overhead kick. Jesuraj scored the fifth and final goal in injury time to seal the deal for FC Goa.
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
