Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy 2024: FC Goa secure top spot; Brisbane Roar qualify for semis

Both FC Goa and Brisbane Roar got better of their opponents.

FC Goa secured top spot in Group A of the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy on Friday, edging Dempo Sport Club 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter. Brisbane Roar joined them in the semifinals after dispatching Sporting Clube de Goa 2-0 in a concurrent fixture.

The Gaurs finished with a perfect nine points from three matches, while Brisbane Roar claimed second place on six points. Dempo and Sporting Clube de Goa were eliminated from the competition.

At Ella ground, Armando Sadiku put FC Goa ahead in the 16th minute, latching onto Ayush Chhetri’s through ball. Dempo’s Shubham Rawat equalized in the 58th minute, but Chhetri quickly restored Goa’s lead two minutes later, deflecting Dejan Drazic’s half-volley into the net.

The match saw end-to-end action, with both sides creating numerous chances. Dempo nearly took an early lead when Kapil Hoble and Rawat combined to dispossess a Goa defender, but goalkeeper Laxmikanth Kattimani was alert to the danger.

FC Goa’s Boris Singh squandered a golden opportunity in the 7th minute, firing over from close range after Borja Herrera’s pinpoint cross. Jay Gupta later tested the Dempo defense with a long-range effort that sailed wide.

The second half began with Goa’s Muhammed Nemil weaving through the Dempo backline, only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Pruthvesh Pednekar. Dempo’s equalizer came through clever interplay between Rawat and Saiesh Bagkar, with the former finishing emphatically.

Dempo thought they had leveled again in the 65th minute, but Kapil Hoble’s header was ruled offside. The Golden Eagles dominated the closing stages but couldn’t find a way past Goa’s resolute defense.

In the day’s other match at PJN Stadium, Fatorda, Brisbane Roar comfortably dispatched Sporting Clube de Goa 2-0. Louis Zabala opened the scoring with a simple tap-in from a right-wing cross, before Harry Van Der Saag doubled the lead with a well-placed header from a free-kick before halftime.

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