Encouraging positives & alarming negatives from FC Goa's 2-0 loss against Istiklol in ACL 2

The Gaurs are yet to open their account in the continental campaign.

FC Goa were left pondering over a dismaying defeat at the hands of FC Istiklol in the second AFC Champions League 2 group stage game. The Gaurs travelled to Tajikistan with the ambition of collecting their first points in the tournament, but they will have to make the return trip with nothing substantial to show for.

The defending Super Cup champions had their moments in the game, but they were no match for the Tajik champions. This defeat has made the road more arduous for Goa. They will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in their next game on October 22. Expecting a positive result from that game would be an injustice to the Indian club.

In this article, we will look at the positives from the game that Manolo Marquez can look to build upon and the negatives that he should address.

Positives

First half resilience

FC Goa had to soak up pressure for the majority of the first half. The Tajik champions came hard at the visitors in the opening phase of the game, but a well-drilled Goan unit kept the hosts at bay. The Gaurs only had 30% possession in the first half.

Istiklol tried to stretch out Goa’s defense, but quick movement and anticipation from the visitors made it difficult for the hosts to find line-breaking passes. Manolo Marquez’s team forced Istiklol to try their luck with shots from distance, which could not produce any danger.

Sandesh Jhingan’s return

It was evident on the pitch that the Gaurs had their captain back in the defense. Sandesh Jhingan made an impressive comeback after recovering from a cheekbone fracture. He played with the face mask on, indicating that precaution is still required for the experienced Indian centre-back.

Jhingan did make one mistake that led to Istiklol’s first goal, but barring that, he was solid throughout the game. The 32-year-old was a dominant figure in the Goan defense, giving the opposition forwards a tough time. Jhingan’s return augurs well for the Gaurs going ahead in the season, with other ACL 2 fixtures and Super Cup on the cards.

Also Read: FC Goa suffer 2-0 defeat against Tajikistan’s Istiklol in AFC Champions League 2

Negatives

Deserted Goan wings

One of the highlights of the game against Al Zawraa was Goa‘s impressive play from the wings. However, in this fixture, the Goan wings did not see any threatening action. Boris Singh and Brison Fernandes, who started the match on the right, could not prove to be an effective duo, unlike the one Boris created with Udanta against the Iraqi club in the first game.

Stretching the play helped FC Goa mount pressure on Al Zawraa, but Istiklol did not face a similar challenge. Sensing this lack of threat on the right flank, Marquez brought in Abdul Rabeeh and Udanta Singh later in the game, but they did not have enough time to make a decisive impact.

Disastrous double pivot

Manolo Marquez fielded a double pivot of David Timor and Ayush Chhetri, but the two were toothless. The midfield duo had no say in the game as they were overrun and dominated by Istiklol with ease. Timor and Chhetri could not disrupt the progressive play of the Tajik club.

Istiklol kept the large share of the possession in the game, and the failure of this double pivot helped them to do so. Probably, it was too much to ask of Chhetri to control the tempo of the game against a physically robust side. Manolo may try Sahil Tavora in the next ACL 2 fixture against Al Nassr.

No marksman

Another aspect of the game that disadvantaged FC Goa was their struggles in the final third. Javier Siverio struggled to register his presence in the box for the Gaurs. There were a few testing crosses put into the box to create chaos, but Siverio’s absence did not help Goa’s cause.

There were some moments in the game where the Gaurs came close to reducing the goal deficit, but the lack of bodies in the box held them back. Siverio had a match-winning influence in the playoff round against Al Seeb, but in the first two group stage games, he failed to live up to expectations.

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