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IMAGE: FC Goa captain Sandesh Jhinghan and players celebrate winning the Super Cup final on Sunday. Photograph: AIFF
FC Goa won the AIFF Super Cup title, prevailing over East Bengal FC in a sudden death shootout in Margao on Sunday.
In a riveting contest at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Gaurs emerged 6-5 victors in the shootout to clinch their second successive title in the tournament played among the top teams from Indian Super League and I-League.
The title triumph gives them a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League 2, for a second successive season.
The win saw Manolo Marquez’s team become the first side to defend the Super Cup title and win it for a record-extending third time.
IMAGE: FC Goa’s Dejan Drazic is challenged by East Bengal players. Photograph: AIFF
The match went into extra time after both teams were unable to find the target. They failed to break the deadlock in the additional 30 minutes too, taking the contest to a tie-breaker.
The teams were locked 4-4 in the penalty shootout, and the match was then decided in sudden death with FC Goa having the last laugh.
In the sudden death, Tavora scored the winner for FC Goa after Udanta Singh too found the back of the net.
Substitute Ahadad scored for East Bengal but PV Vishnu missed the target for East Bengal.
The final ebbed and flowed both ways right from the start. The hosts, buoyed by the boisterous support from the stands, began well with a couple of set-piece opportunities early on, which the East Bengal defence eventually negotiated.
East Bengal, however, soon recovered their composure and began orchestrating chances. Their first opportunity came in the 12th when Miguel Ferreira was played in behind the defence and had just goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill to beat, but shot wide.
Bipin Singh had a good day out wide and looked dangerous from the outset. His 20th-minute low centre from the left had the FC Goa defence gasping, but Mahesh Naorem’s miscued touch kept the scores level.
The momentum shifted after the change of ends, though only for a brief while. Goa came out of the blocks firing. Ayush Chhetri tried his luck from long range right after the restart, but saw his effort go over. David Timor played Dejan Drazic through in the 49th minute, the latter being flagged offside.
IMAGE: FC Goa players celebrate their win in the sudden death shoot-out. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters
The Red and Golds thought they had scored in the 74th minute, when PV Vishnu played a one-two with Ferreira, before unleashing a slap shot from inside the area.
FC Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari fumbled, as the ball hit him and looped perilously close to the goal-line. Tiwari, however, had the presence of mind to slap it away with his outstretched hand. Every East Bengal player, coach, and fan looked expectantly at the referee, hoping for the goal to be awarded, but their prayers were not answered.
That chance seemed to have jolted Goa to life. Brison Fernandes produced a thumping effort from long range that thudded the upright in the 77th minute. A minute later, Borja’s cross found Drazic unmarked beyond enemy lines, but the Serb miscued his header, sending it wide.
FC Goa carried the momentum into extra time, though the number of chances were perhaps fewer. Siverio’s effort off a rebound was saved at point-blank range by Gill in the 107th minute. The East Bengal goalkeeper pulled out the stops again in the 114th, when he latched on to a Timor header to keep his side in the contest.
Gill had a good day between the sticks and even got his hand to a couple of penalties, but could not register a penalty save. Eventually, it all came down to those who missed their spot-kicks, of which East Bengal had one too many.
