Highlights | FC Goa Beat Chennai City FC 3-0, Enter Hero Super Cup Final

16’ First card of the game. Ajith is fouled by Seriton and Santosh doesn’t hesitate pulling out a yellow.

17’ Finally Chennai’s spaniards get on the ball to try and do something. Nestor Gordillo almost does, but he doesn’t. Nothing.

18’ Goa have a corner. Off the clearance Jackichand hits a perfect volley. Gaurav Bora blocks though.

19’ Chennai have a corner. But they waste it. The three Spaniards try something cute and it doesn’t work out.

20’ Jackichand creates sme havoc on the right wing, and after some pinging about threads the ball through to Zaid Krouch, who blasts the ball high and high and high and it’s still falling.

21’ Chennai break. And they have a corner. The corner count is 3-2 in Goa’s favour in case you’re counting.

22’ Manzi finally got into space in Goa’s box with the ball but the referee has pulled the play back for a foul on Krouch by Nestor.

23’ Wasted. Brandon Fernandes finds space on the right and slashes a brilliant cross across goal. No one on the end of it though. Goa’s attack attack attack philosophy is dead serious.

25’ PENALTY to Goa!. All that pressure has finally hurt Chennai. Charles clatters into Coro and Santosh doesn’t hesitate.

26’ Mauro has saved one already, but Coro pulls a panenka and Goa lead. 1-0 to the ISL side

Now it gets real. Possession and playing out of the back got Charles and Chennai City into a major spot. The reaction was poor. But now it’s time for the I-League champions to show what they’ve got in the bank. To be honest, it seems like a bridge too far. But, as my man Leslie Xavier will testify, it’s a 90-minute game.

29’ Chennai finally pinging it a bit and holding the ball too. But they don’t manage to produce anything and Goa have a chance to catch them on the counter. Krouch wastes it. He shoots high. Again.

31’ Goa have a tremendous chance here 3 against 2 and then four against three, but everyone drifts outside. That is a serious waste. Goa are pressing Chennai are looking very leggy. There has been almost nothing on offer from them, and very often their all Indian defence is looking a bit caught out.

33’ Edwin plays a long cross in the box for Manzi, who gets his head to it, but its too soft. Nawaz collects.

35’ Coro has his double! Goa work Chennai to bits. Coro does. He plays the ball out wide to Jackichand who puts in a deep cross, which takes a deflection off a Chennai player. Coro gathers and slots it home from a tight angle. This could be game over. Chennai look really out of it. Goa Lead 2-0.

“Maybe you know this already but this young Md. Nawaz has a bit of a pedigree. I remember watching him back in 2016 when he was still No. 1 for the squad India was prepping for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017. He lost out because he’s a bit on the shorter side of things. Hard one to get over when you play in goal. But he’s a great shot-stopper with some really good instincts, the boy from Manipur. Great to see him getting regular games in the big league. Well done FC Goa.

-- Siddhanth

Three Crying Smileys

-- Siddhanth

40’ Goa creating all the chances. They’ve completely blockaded the Spaniards in the Chennai jerseys. The I-League boys need to get a goal back before the break.

41’ Maybe their plan is to execute to perfection what Jamshedpur couldn’t. Concede a few, lull Goa into a sense of confidence. Score three. Win game. Save league. Go home. Sounds too good to be true.

42’ On the Goa side of things, if they can actually go on and win this and then the tournament it will be a much needed win. For too many seasons now, the words ‘most exciting team in the ISL’ has been used for them. And what do they have to show for it? Nothing.