Indian Player Ratings: Md. Nawaz and Brandon Fernandes key figures as Goa clinch Super Cup

Brandon scored the winner for the Gaurs as they defeated the Marina Machans at the showpiece of the tournament.

Third time lucky FC Goa capitalized on shaky defending from Chennaiyin to win their first final in three tries. The Gaurs emerged as the winners of the second Hero Super Cup after managing to thwart the Marina Machans’ resistance, thanks to goals from Ferran Corominas and Brandon Fernandes either side of Raphael Augusto’s equalizer.

The two-time ISL champions paid the price for slacking off after the equalizer and allowed Goan local favourite Brandon to give the Gaurs the advantage for the second time in the match. Sergio Lobera’s side held on and managed to win their first major trophy.

FC Goa

Mohammad Nawaz- 7.5

A hero of the match performance form the shot-stopper. Nawaz belied his age with his performance between the sticks and not just due to his saves. He denied the likes of Dhanpal Ganesh from opening the scoring for Chennaiyin but his real value came with his prowess on the ball. His distribution and composure with the ball on his feet was a treat to watch and helped the Gaur defense to relieve pressure when needed.

Seriton Fernandes- 6.0

The full-back looked shaky at times. His inability to deal with floated balls resurfaced occasionally but he stood his ground resolutely. An unfortunate deflection off him gave Chennaiyin the equalizer. Seriton was efficient defensively but was mostly silent offensively.

Saviour Gama - 6.0

The young defender did his defensive duties well but failed to provide any spark offensively. Had a very safe game and did his job quietly.

Brandon Fernandes- 7.5

The local favourite made a big statement with a stellar performance in the final. Brandon was always involved in the thick of things for the Gaurs’ offensive plays and his high intensity was finally rewarded with a well-made goal. His composure in the final third has been a key factor in Sergio Lobera’s system and it was beautifully depicted in his performance on the night.

Lenny Rodrigues- 6.5

Controlled the midfield efficiently and was a constant supporting presence on the pitch. Although a bit slow defensively, Lenny made up for it on the night with great awareness and anticipation, pulling good defensive stops to thwart Chennaiyin attacks.

Jackichand Singh- 6.5

The winger’s constant energy forced Chennaiyin to dedicate manpower to keep him check. He could have made it three for Gao in the second half but saw his shot blocked by Karanjit. He had several chances to put in good crosses but only a handful of them turned out to be threatening.

Substitutes

Manvir Singh- N/A

Failed to make any major impact after coming on late. Had one chance to make it three for FC Goa in injury time

Liston Colaco- N/A

Played the last three minutes of the game after coming on for Brandon Fernandes.

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Chennaiyin FC

Karanjit Singh- 6.5

Karanjit Singh was the primary reason behind Chennaiyin not conceding in the first half. The shot-stopper was at his best denying FC Goa’s fabled trio of Coro, Edu Bedia and Boumous. Although he could have done better to stop the two goals, The custodian pulled off a spectacular save from Jackichand to keep the score at 2-1.

Laldinliana Renthlei- 5.5

Was very quiet during the whole game. Most of the Goan attacks were concentrated on the opposite wing and he failed to get involved offensively.

Jerry Lalrinzuala- 5.5

Jerry was errant at points and lost the ball unnecessarily. His side of the field was constantly targeted by the opposition and the youngster looked outworked and bullied at times. Offensively, he failed to anything significant.

Anirudh Thapa- 4.5

Thapa had a mistake-ridden second half that cost his team to a large extent. The opener from Coro came due to his mis-pass from the center of the field which put his team in a compromised position. His errant passes and lack of focus was one big reason Chennaiyin failed to find the push in the final third.

Dhanpal Ganesh- 6.0

The midfielder’s presence was a big factor in Chennaiyin’s run till the final. He almost gave the Marina Machans the lead but saw his header tipped away by Mohammad Nawaz. Defensively although astute when called upon, Dhanpal looked slow and exhausted, failing to notice dangerous situations. Was substituted off in the second half.

C K Vineeth- 6.5

Vineeth’s constant energy throughout the match was a primary base for Chennaiyin’s hopes of clawing back into the game. The striker played his heart out trying for every loose ball and 50-50 chance. He also played a key role in the equalizing goal.

FranciscoGe Fernandes- 6.0

The winger’s cross was a key component in the Chennaiyin goal but bar that he failed to produce anything noteworthy. His pace was not utilized and he was duly subbed off for the more active Thoi Singh.

Substitutes

Germanpreet Singh- N/A

Got a needless yellow card for a late challenge.

Thoi Singh- N/A

His pace was a key factor in bringing him on but he wasn’t able to do much after coming on.

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Mohammed Rafi - N/A

Came on in the latter stages of the game but failed to do anything impactful.