Half Time Report: Highlanders dominate Gaurs who defend hard to keep it goalless at Fatorda
Starting Line-Up:
FC Goa - Laxmikant Kattimani, Lucio, Gregory Arnolin, Raju Gaikwad, Leo Moura, Mandar Rap Desai, Jonatan Lucca, Chinadorai Sabeeth, Victorino Fernandes, Reinaldo, Dudu Omagbemi
NorthEast United FC - Rehenesh TP, Reagan Singh, Cedric Hengbart, Carlos Lopez, Yumnam Raju, Silas, Siam Hanghal, Bruno Herrero, Simao Sabrosa, Sanju Pradhan, Francis Dadzie
NORTHEAST UNITED browbeated FC Goa in their own backyard as a tense first half ended goalless at Fatorda.
Both teams coming off defeats they'd forget in the soonest, the coaches made a number of changes in their respective starting line-ups. FC Goa made four changes with Zico admitting Mandar, Reinaldo, Victorino and Sabeeth back into the first eleven. And Cesar Farias made 5 changes; Reagan, Carlos, Sanju, Silas and Simao all got a start for the big test.
NorthEast United got a couple of early moments on an aggressive posture. Yumnam Raju made a early run with the ball and sent in a cross that Lucio managed to clear for a corner. Silas took it and Laxmikant came off the line to try and clear it. The ball got to Lopez, who sent in the header but Leo Moura was at hand to make a goal-line clearance.
The home team suffered another scare when Laxmikant Kattimani, in an attempt to kick the ball far from the Goa peanlty box, ended up hitting Bruno Herrero and the ball came right back towards the goal. Laxmikant managed to get a hold of it though.
Goa made their first notable onslaught when Victorino's cross to Reinaldo was sent back into the box for Dudu to to make the finish. But the Nigerian striker sent it over the crossbar.
NorthEast immediately replied with a pass from Herrero that found Dadzie who had a clear shot at the goal. He sent in stinging left footer that Laxmikant did very well to save with a full-stretch dive.
But the Highlanders suffered a blow when Francis Dadzie pulled his hamstring early on in the hamstring and soon had to be taken off. Victor Mendy came on to replace him.
FC Goa were forced to make an early substitution as well. Raju Gaikwad had injured himself trying to make a clearance and he had to be replaced by Debabrata Roy.
But the visitors were clearly dominating by now and FC Goa had been mostly confined to defending, blocking and making clearances in their own half. Which, to their credit, they were doing well. Despite repeated raids, NEUFC strikers could not seem to find a way to best the Goa defenders.
A foul on Moura by Hanghal saw Goa get a free kick from a good range. The free kick itself was cleared but it got to Reinaldo who sent in a header but it was a bit too wide.
The Yumnam Raju almost got the break-through for the Highlanders. He made a run forward, then sent a ball to Bruno who let fly on the sprint but Jonatan Lucca managed to block it. The ball went out for a corner.
And that's how the first half went, more or less. The visitors have been impressive; they have looked in control through the majority of the half and maintained palpable pressure on their opponents. FC Goa have done well not to concede and they have enough fire-power in the team to write a different story in the second half. But they need to be more organized up front. Throughout the first half they did not have a single shot on target, while NorthEast United had 4.
