FC Goa beat Delhi Dynamos 3-0 in the second leg of their semi-final clash to win the tie with an aggregate 3-1 score. Goals from Joffre, Rafael Coelho and Dudu saw Zico’s side move to the final as they await either Atletico del Kolkata or Chennaiyin FC.
Goa usher in the changes
While the Delhi Dynamos decided not to tinker with the squad and name an unchanged starting XI, Zico brought about five changes for FC Goa. Romeo, Mandar, Bikramjit, Dudu and Rafael came in for Narayan, Raju, Lucca, Reinaldo and Sabeeth.
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First Half: Hosts seize advantage
As the game got underway, it was clear that the hosts had come into the fixture with the intent of quickly nullifying the one-goal advantage after they conceded in Delhi. The trio of Reinaldo, Dudu and Rafael exhibited nimble footedness and often caught the opposition defence off guard.
Their efforts were soon rewarded as Joffre cut in after receiving a short free-kick from Leo Moura to launch a left-footed shot in to the near post.
Minutes later Romeo Fernandes missed a golden opportunity to tap in an empty net after Doblas had parried his initial attempt. However, Goa didn't have to wait long as Coelho picked up a long ball from his own half and shot into the far corner. The lead and, most importantly, the momentum had been reversed.
Around the half-hour mark, with the Dynamos already 0-2 down, Roberto Carlos decided to invoke the first substitution of the game. John Arne Riise – the man who had marshalled the Delhi defence so commendably throughout the tourney – was taken off. While many would argue that the introduction of Hans Mulder was imminent in place of the Liverpool legend, surely the gaffer had been caught off guard.
Till then, in fact, the hosts hadn't just managed to score twice and overcome the deficit from the first leg but, as was evident from the aforementioned move, had strangled the visitors of any fight that they would have hoped to muster.
As the next hour ticked on, it almost seemed that the sucker punch delivered early had left the Dynamos reeling beyond measure. They had fallen prey to the desi version of Joga Bonito.
Second Half: Hapless Delhi cut a sorry figure
Goa suddenly seemed rejuvenated; the question on everyone’s minds was if they would “park the bus”. As the half progressed, though, it was evident that they would hardly take their foot off the pedal.
Dominating throughout, they managed to keep Delhi out of the game and sealed the game late as Romeo found Dudu off a short corner and the Nigerian striker tapped in to seal Goa’s place in the final of the second edition of the Indian Super League.
