Making the Game Tough ft. Mohun Bagan | FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan | Match Review

byRichik Nag -

FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Match Review


The path to the ISL championship looks twisted this season. Mohun Bagan looked well on course for a record three-peat after their North-East game. But all that celebratory mood came to a crashing halt on Saturday at the hands of FC Goa. Sergio Lobera's former side did something that was well expected of them, that is to give Bagan a tough fight. And so they did in front of their home fans.

Lobera started with Vishal Kaith in goal. Subhasis Bose, Alberto Rodriguez, Tom Aldred and Abhi Meitei were the back four of choice for the day. Apuia and Thapa started in the midfield with Robson and Liston on the wings. Up front were Sahal and Maclaren.

An attacking game from both sides was expected from the very onset. Bagan started on the front foot with quick short passes and shooting from outside the box. FC Goa, who are one of the many ISL sides with a depleted foreign squad, thanks to the miserable planning for the league, looked to play on the counter.

Bagan looked to make the most of the set pieces, with both Tom and Alberto going into the box for the corners. Bagan tried their luck from outside the box a number of times, but to no avail. For Goa, Dejan Drazic was the centre of everything.

Bagan got a fair number of set pieces in the first half but failed to make the most of the chances. They, at times, looked out of sorts and disjointed. The two teams cancelled each other out for the first half and there was nothing to separate them at the halfway mark.

The second half saw Cummings and Manvir come on to the pitch in an attempt to bolster the attacking line. But the two sides kept cancelling each other for much of the half. Bagan were desperate for the three points and they were pushing for a goal. And the goal finally came.

54th minute of the game. Jhingan made a mistake and lost the ball to Jamie Maclaren, who made no mistake in slotting it past the keeper. Bagan led the game 1-0. Maclaren did what was expected of him, delivering the goods yet again. But with 36 minutes still left on the clock, the game looked destined for another twist or turn. Bagan's game management has been pretty good in the past, so the hope was to see the game off.

Bagan however did not sit back and kept up the ante. The forwards, Jamie and Liston in particular, kept going at it. And that is where Goa hit back.

Ronney Wilson playing on the flanks put in a cross that was poorly directed. It failed to find any of his teammates, but an equally poor judgement from Vishal Kaith saw the ball end up in the net. A silly mistake that led to the goal, something that is not expected from a seasoned campaigner like Kaith, but something that has become familiar with Bagan in the recent games.

Bagan tried to regain the lead again but to no avail. The match ended 1-1 and Bagan would be guilty of dropping 2 very crucial points. Moreover, it saw East Bengal be at the top of the league due to a better goal difference. With the kind of form our arch rivals are in, and with the final few games coming up, Bagan cannot make any more mistakes. It's win at all costs from here. No more slip ups, no more mistakes. Seeing the championship slide away will be painful in itself, seeing the championship go to East Bengal will be way more painful for the Bagan faithful. With a star-studded squad and a coach who is no stranger to winning, the minimum expectation is to win.

As Coach Lobera said, in Post Match Press Conference, "It's in our hands. The most important thing is, it is in our hands. Obviously, we are disappointed because we came here, we wanted to win, and we are leaving this stadium with only one point. But in terms of the options to win the league, the next step is Inter Kashi at home in two-three days. And we need to put the focus on that. But what is clear is it's in our hands, we don't need to wait for nothing because it depends on us."

Can Bagan do it? Only time can tell. Bagan needs to step up and play with the seriousness fit for a champion team. The rest, as they say, is up to the future.


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Richik Nag

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