FC Goa: Top 10 records of Gaurs you probably didn't know about

The team have achieved some remarkable feats in their time in the Indian Super League.

In every league, there are clubs that stand the test of time and be the de-facto flag-bearers of the competition. The Premier League has the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, while Bayern Munich have gone on to be synonymous with the Bundesliga. The LaLiga has been defined by the El Clasico while Serie A has had the Milan clubs and Juventus to hold the mantle. As Indian Super League reaches its 7th edition, some teams stand out. And standing tall among them are FC Goa. The club made their mark as a success driven enterprise and have plenty of records in the league to boast off.

10. Biggest win

A night to remember for all the Gaurs fans, especially the ones who watched it unfold at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao in 2015. FC Goa dominated and overpowered Mumbai City FC in November 2015, making a resounding statement to the rest of the league with a brilliant show of offensive prowess.

Thongkhosiem Haokip, Dudu Omagbemi and Reinaldo found themselves amongst the goals as the Islanders were left stunned. A truly memorable moment for the club.

9. Two hat-tricks in one match

The same match would prove to be the platform for several mind-boggling statistics. But, the one that stands out the most and looks likely to stand the test of the time is that the match saw the most number of hat-tricks in a single ISL game. Even in world football, it is very uncommon to see multiple players score hat-tricks in the same match.

FC Goa are the only team in the ISL to ever achieve that feat after Dudu Omagbemi and Thongkhosiem Haokip scored three goals each in the 7-0 thrashing of the Islanders. In the process, Haokip also became the second Indian to bag a hat-trick in the league, the first after national icon Sunil Chhetri.

8. Most ISL wins

In 121 matches in the Indian Super League, FC Goa have registered 36 losses, 28 draws and a whopping 56 wins, the most-ever for an ISL club. The 56 wins encompass five playoffs appearances and two finals appearances, re stamping Goa’s success in the league.

7. Most playoffs appearances

This would be FC Goa’s most enviable record. This record speaks volumes for a club that is synonymous with success. In six seasons, FC Goa have managed to qualify for the playoffs every single time but one. Bar the ill-fated 2016 season, the club have been a dominant force in the league and the culture of success within the Gaurs' ranks looks likely to continue in the 2020-21 season as well.

6. Oldest goalscorer in the ISL

Amongst football fans, Robert Pires is renowned for many things. The former Arsenal talisman, lit the world on fire playing under Arsene Wenger. He had a short, but memorable stint in ISL playing for the Gaurs and during that period, he managed to carve out a piece of ISL history for himself. When he scored for the Gaurs in the 4-1 victory over Delhi Dynamos in 2014, his only goal for the club, he became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the league, a record that stands tall even today. With the league trending more towards younger players, it won’t be a surprise to see this record stay on for a long period of time.

5. Most goals scored in a season

Under Sergio Lobera, FC Goa ran rampant in the league. With a strictly attack-minded philosophy that pushed for the second goal instead of defending the one they had, the Gaurs turned out to be a tantalizing force. The 2019-20 season saw them register 51 goals, the most in one ISL season by any team.

Ferran Corominas and Hugo Boumous were in free-scoring form, while even defender Mourtada Fall chipped in with the occasional header. The Gaurs were very dominant on the offensive end, scoring three or more goals in a match during nine occasions.

4. Biggest goal-difference

The 2019-20 season also saw Lobera tighten the at the back. The Gaurs conceded the third-least number of goals in the league with only ATK and Bengaluru FC doing a better job. That meant, Lobera’s men led the league for goal-difference as well. Their +23 goal differential is the highest in ISL history.

3. Two Hero of the League awards

For a team that has provided a base for success in the ISL, it is natural to have players that also perform at a high level. FC Goa players seem to transcend that level as well. In six years, no team’s players have won more Hero of the League awards, given to the best player of the season, than FC Goa’s.

Goalscoring machine Corominas was the recipient of this prestigious award in the 2018-19 season, after he led the league in goals and finished second for assists. Meanwhile, French midfielder Hugo Boumous won the award after a spectacular 2019-20 campaign that saw him register 11 goals and 10 assists, becoming the first player in the ISL history to register 10 goals and assists each in one season. This record speaks volumes about the talent the Gaurs have attracted over the years and is a testament to a refined scouting system.

2. Three players leading the assists charts in three different seasons

FC Goa have always stayed true to their footballing ideals and this record is a perfect result of the same. While it was Miroslav Slepicka who set the bar leading the league for assists in the first ISL season with four, Leo Moura made sure he bettered the same with eight assists in the 2015 campaign, finishing joint-top in the league. Hugo Boumous also made Goan fans proud by notching 10 assists in the 2019-20 season enroute to winning the Hero of the League award.

1. Biggest away win

https://youtu.be/GZH5DciTnbc

The 2019-20 season was a memorable one for the Gaurs. They finished top of the league with a dominant all-around performance under Sergio Lobera and managed to acquire the League Winners’ Shield and qualify for the AFC Champions League during the process. The FC Goa side raised many heads in awe at the level of football they displayed.

One such moment happened at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. The Gaurs ran rampant against the Red Miners, silencing the crowd and providing a spectacle, taking fine revenge for the home defeat earlier in the season. Ferran Corominas opened the scoring for Goa before a late flurry of goals saw them heap misery on the bewildered Men of Steel.