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FC Goa edged past former champions Army Green 2-0 in their first group stage encounter of the Durand Cup 2021. Alberto Noguera and Devendra Murgaonkar bagged the goals for the ISL side, who rode their share of luck against a competitive Army Green side.
The 2016 champions matched FC Goa in the first 20 minutes, as the Gaurs had a few warning signs before settling down. The rain as well as the sluggish ground didn't help as it was far from a vintage FC Goa performance.
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FC Goa
Naveen Kumar: 4/10
The goalkeeper had a few nervy moments as his mistakes put the Gaurs' clean sheet in jeopardy. In the end, the Punjabi custodian was lucky not to concede any goals.
Leander D' Cunha: 7/10
The right-back got forward at will and put in a neat shift. His work rate and commitment were critical to the team withstanding early pressure from Army Green.
Lalhmangaihsanga: 5/10
"Papuia," as he is popularly known, struggled against quick Army Green forwards. Luckily for him, his team-mates bailed him out on a couple of occasions.
Aibanbha Dohling: 6/10
Aiban was tidy at the back but still came under pressure from the Army Green front-line. The centre-back from Meghalaya was the more composed of the two central defenders.
Sanson Pereira: 6/10
Sanson did get forward but his end product was lacking as his crossing let him down. He did not have much to do on the defensive front.
Princeton Rebello: 4/10
Captain on the day, yet it was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Princeton as he kept giving the ball away in dangerous positions. He might have been punished for his sloppiness on another day.
Christy Davis: 6/10
A decent outing for the Malayali youngster as he exuded more calmness than Princeton. Kept ticking things over.
Alberto Noguera: 8/10
Got the first goal and dictated play right from the off, with Princeton off-colour. Noguera pulled the strings effectively in midfield and stamped his class on the game.
Makan Winkle Chothe: 7/10
A couple of jinking runs, nice touches and an assist to boot, Makan was all over the Army Green defence.
Devendra Murgaonkar: 6/10
Sealed the game for FC Goa but missed a hatful of opportunities today. Devendra will have better days, as his sluggishness prevented Goa winning by a larger margin.
Redeem Tlang: 5/10
One of those days for Redeem Tlang, where he did not have much of an impact on the game. Missed a one-on-one chance when put through on goal by Nemil.
Muhammed Nemil: 8/10
A wonderful debut for the youngster as his intensity helped Goa up their game after the break. Played with great confidence and should really have had an assist to his name.
Alexander Jesuraj: 7/10
Came on and provided an assist for Devendra's goal. The Tamil Nadu winger had a decent shot on goal, which stung the palms of the opposition custodian
Glan Martins: 6/10
Was his usual combative self, breaking up play in midfield. His passing was poor at times and let his team down on the counter.
Saviour Gama: 5/10
Played in an advanced position but was unable to make much of this opportunity on the wing. His touch was a bit heavy at times.
Brandon Fernandes: 7/10
Came on and toyed with the opposition. The midfielder was a class above everyone else on the field.
Army Green
Sarath Narayan M: 9/10
The keeper was easily the man of the match as he made multiple saves to keep the scoreline respectable for his team. He was alert at all times and rushed out of his box to prevent a lot of one-on-one situations.
Vikas Zanje: 6/10
Produced a couple of decent deliveries, including one that hit the crossbar with Naveen Kumar stranded.
Subash Payangu Limbu: 5/10
Playing in a high line against the Gaurs is always tough. It was the same today as Subash struggled to prevent the opposition from getting in behind him.
Chanambam Samananda Singh: 6/10
Made a couple of vital blocks as his centre-back partner struggled. Dealt well with Devendra for the majority of the match.
Vibin TV: 7/10
A good performance from the left-back as he tried to play in his forwards early. Has a good left foot and put it to good use, dishing out crosses and keeping Leander on his toes.
Sukesh Leon K: 7/10
The defensive midfielder was great with his positioning as he broke up play at will against more illustrious opponents. Was sacrificed for the more attack-minded Dip Majumdar as the game wore on.
Roel Lepcha: 5/10
Did not see much of the ball as he struggled to dictate the tempo in midfield. The Goa midfield had the measure of him.
Oinam Gautham Singh: 6/10
Kept the ball well and recycled possession when it was required, also adding impetus to the team's attacking play at times.
Deepak Singh: 5/10
The winger did not get much joy down the flanks as he was shut out by Sanson. Could have supported the attack better.
Shubham Rana: 5/10
Army Green did not find joy down either wing as their wingers proved ineffective against superior opposition. Did try to close down the Goa full-back at all times.
Lallawnkima PC: 6/10
A real live-wire whose finishing let him down. He dropped deep, making a nuisance of himself and nicked the ball on several occasions. With some luck, he could have had a goal today.
Dip Majumdar: 6/10
Came on and injected some freshness into the attack. Had a good one-on-one chance saved by Naveen.
Sochin Chhetri: 6/10
Kept the ball well and was tidy in possession as Army Green tried to mount a comeback.
Lalshramnanish Singh: 5/10
Tried to swing in a few dangerous crosses from the right. Got very little change from the wing though.
Stanislaus CS: N/A
Came on at the end.
Soubhhyan Somaraj: N/A
Came on at the end.
