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FC Goa suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat at the hands of Mumbai City FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday.
Despite an inspired second-half performance and a goal from Armando Sadiku, the Gaurs were unable to overturn a two-goal deficit handed to them in the first half. Earlier in the day, the Gaurs' head coach Manolo Marquez made four changes to the starting XI from their previous 3-3 draw against NorthEast United FC, with Jay Gupta, Rowllin Borges, Brison Fernandes, and Carl McHugh replacing Nim Dorjee, Sahil Tavora, Ayush Chhetri, and Dejan Drazic, respectively. The Men in Orange began the match with promise, dominating the early exchanges, but some questionable officiating decisions left the home side frustrated. A foul on Borja Herrera just outside the Mumbai City box went unnoticed by the referee, and a shirt pull on Sadiku during a corner kick was also overlooked. Mumbai City FC capitalized on this in the 21st minute when Greek forward Nikolaos Karelis headed in a Yoell Van Nieff free-kick from an acute angle, putting the visitors ahead. FC Goa had an opportunity to respond quickly through Sadiku, but the Albanian's close-range effort went just wide of the post. The Islanders doubled their lead in the 40th minute through Van Nieff, who stole possession from Carl McHugh in a dangerous area. The Dutch midfielder advanced forward and unleashed a powerful strike that beat Laxmikant Kattimani, giving his team a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into halftime. FC Goa emerged for the second half with renewed energy, launching a series of attacks in search of a comeback. Their persistence paid off in the 55th minute when a foul on Sadiku by Hmingthanmawia earned them a penalty. Sadiku stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, notching his fifth goal in four matches and cutting Mumbai's lead to one. The Gaurs continued to press for an equalizer and the Fatorda crowd came alive in the 69th minute when fan-favorite Iker Guarrotxena made his return from injury, replacing Carl McHugh. The Spaniard, who had been sidelined since the start of the season, came close to scoring in the 81st minute, but his shot drifted wide. In the closing stages, Manolo Marquez threw everything forward, opting for an all-out attack by bringing on Dejan Drazic for defender Odei Onaindia. Despite the late surge, the Men in Orange could not break down the Islanders' defence, and Mumbai City FC held on for their first victory of the season, handing the hosts their second loss. FC Goa will now look to bounce back when they travel to Chennai to face Chennaiyin FC next Thursday. (ANI)
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