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Chennaiyin FC’s journey in the Indian Super League (ISL) came to an end after they suffered a 2-1 defeat to FC Goa in the playoff tie at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday, April 20.
The Gaurs scored twice in a span of nine minutes towards the end of the first half, with Noah Sadaoui and Brandon Fernandes finding the net. Despite Lazar Cirkovic pulling a goal back, it wasn’t enough for the Marina Machans, who suffered their second defeat to Goa this week.
Chennaiyin FC started the game strongly, with their high intensity approach without the ball posing some problems for the Gaurs.
However, the hosts took control of the proceedings after that and were rewarded for their efforts around the half-hour mark. Noah Sadaoui was in the right place at the right time to pounce on a loose ball before finding the bottom corner of the net with his weak foot.
Just as the halftime whistle was approaching, Goa doubled their lead through Brandon Fernandes. He took the ball in his stride and carried it into midfield before finding the power to hit one from 30 yards out, which hit the underside of the bar and found the back of the net.
It seemed like Goa had all the momentum, but the Marina Machans pulled a goal back in stoppage time against the run of play. Dheeraj Singh spilled Ryan Edwards’ header from a corner, and the ball kindly fell at the feet of Lazar Cirkovic, who had a simple tap-in. At the break, Goa had the lead, but Chennaiyin was given a massive lifeline by the goalkeeper’s mistake.
The second half saw the Gaurs try to slow the tempo of the game and tire Chennaiyin FC out. Owen Coyle, meanwhile, turned to his substitutes with hope of changing the game, and while they did have a couple of chances, the FC Goa defense, led by Odei Onaindia, was resolute in securing a massive victory and booking their place in the semi-finals at the expense of Chennaiyin FC.
On that note, let’s take a look at how the Marina Machans fared at the Fatorda.
Chennaiyin FC player ratings
Debjit Majumder [7.0]
Debjit was called into action early in the game and made an important save from Noah Sadaoui’s effort. He was once again brilliant in collecting high crosses while also displaying his reflexes to deny Noah in the second half.
Ankit Mukherjee [7.5]
Mukherjee had the tough job of man-marking Noah Sadaoui, and he certainly stuck to his task very well. Noah wasn’t able to get in behind much, while Ankit was also strong in one-versus-one situations. Arguably Chennaiyin’s best player of the night.
Ryan Edwards [7.0]
Chennaiyin FC’s leader at the back made a couple of crucial blocks in the first half to keep his side in the game, while he was a constant menace on the other end of the field as well. It was his header that eventually led to Chennaiyin’s opening goal and gave them hope.
Lazar Cirkovic [7.5]
Cirkovic was tasked with marking Martinez, but the Spanish striker got the better of him on a couple of occasions. However, Cirkovic had a telling impact when he was perfectly placed to capitalize on Dheeraj’s mistake and find the net. He was eventually replaced in the second half by Crivellaro.
Aakash Sangwan [7]
Sangwan was solid throughout the game, but he was largely pinned back due to Mohammad Yasir’s movement. His deliveries from set-piece situations were brilliant yet again, posing problems for the out-of-form Dheeraj Singh. He created the most chances in the game (4).
Jiteshwor Singh [5]
This was indeed a very difficult game for Jiteshwor, who often looked outnumbered in midfield. With Goa’s midfielders constantly rotating their positions, the young midfielder looked lost at times, unsure whether to stay in position or track the runners drifting wide. Although he improved in the second half, it certainly wasn’t his best performance by any means.
Connor Shields [6.5]
Shields’ running power played a crucial role in providing Chennaiyin with an outlet early in the game. But after a strong start, he struggled to get going, largely due to Goa’s dominance with the ball. However, he gave it his all and didn’t receive much help from his teammates.
Vincy Barretto [5]
Barretto was often forced to track back to mark Jay Gupta, and while he had flashes of moments where he beat the full-back, he failed to make an impact and was eventually replaced around the hour mark.
Farukh Choudhary [4.5]
Farukh was moved into midfield for this game, and like his teammates, he was pulled around the midfield due to Rowllin Borges and Carl McHugh’s movement, meaning that he had very little impact on the ball.
Rahim Ali [6]
Ali, like Vincy, was forced to provide support for his full-back, and he certainly did that brilliantly. His work rate was crucial for Chennaiyin to double up on the flanks, as well as in attack, where he was able to win several aerial duels and help progress the ball into the final third.
Jordan Murray [4.5]
It was a night to forget for Murray. He struggled to hold up the ball, with Odei Onaindia often getting the better of him.
Then, in the second half, he missed a golden opportunity with an open goal in his sights, hitting straight at the defender. Overall, he lost the most duels on the night out of all the players on the pitch (6).
Substitutes
Rafael Crivellaro [4.5]
Coyle brought in Crivellaro in the 55th minute, hoping that his creativity would help Chennaiyin in the final third. However, it was an absolute disappointment for the Brazilian, who simply didn’t get into the game and was nullified by McHugh.
Bikash Yumnam [6]
Yumnam did a solid job at the back when he arrived, and didn’t make any telling mistakes.
Christian Battocchio [6]
Battocchio kept the play moving when he arrived, making a couple of good line-breaking passes to help his side progress into attacking areas. However, since he was playing from a deeper position, he wasn’t able to influence the proceedings.
Irfan Yadwad [5]
Yadwad has made a massive impact as a substitute throughout the season, but this time, Odei’s experience certainly got the better of him, as he was completely marked out of the game.
Ninthoi Meetei [N/A]
Very little time to make an impact.
