The week started off on a positive note, after the stalemate 0-0 draw in the much-awaited Super Sunday match last night. The 87th match of the Hero Indian Super League saw league toppers Mumbai City FC face FC Goa for what was to be a cracker of a match.
The league toppers were just a win or a draw away from qualifying for the playoffs, while FC Goa too was in contention for a playoff berth. But even as tonight’s match saw 6 goals, they were still not enough to separate between the sides and they had to settle for a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The first goal of the match came from the boot of Hugo Boumous for the Islanders, just 20 minutes into the match. An FC Goa set-piece just outside the Mumbai City FC box was wasted. Adam Le Fondre gained possession of the ball and sent it towards the Frenchman’s way, while the latter ran the entire length of the FC Goa half and into the penalty area. Hugo Boumous then scored one-on-one against the hapless goalkeeper, Dheeraj Singh.
The lead was quickly doubled by the incredible Adam Le Fondre, as he racked up 9 goals this season. He headed in the ball from close range as Bipin Singh‘s corner went through a couple of touches from his teammate Hernan Santana and the rival goalkeeper before coming his way. He slotted in a rebound from Dheeraj Singh’s reflex saves and gave his team a 2-0 lead early on in the match.
But the drama was not over yet for the first half. FC Goa came back with a goal before the half-time whistle. It was Glan Martins in the score sheet, and probably his best goal this season. The new recruit from ATK Mohun Bagan received a good ball from Jorge Ortiz from the left of the midfield and struck a second touch thunderbolt into the back of the net. Amrinder Singh‘s dive went in vain as the ball travelled with brute velocity and sent ripples in the woodwork as it hit the underside of the crossbar.
The equaliser too didn’t take too long to arrive as Igor Angulo scored just minutes into the second half. He headed in a beautiful cross from Alberto Noguera in the left flank. It was a spectacular goal to level the game.
The second half went on without any other goals and as it approached the 90th minute, it felt like it would be just another 2-2 draw but just as 5 minutes of injury time was added, Rowllin Borges scored for the Islanders. He prodded in a goalline delivery from Hugo Boumous’ freekick and Mumbai City FC seemed to have closed up the game.
But in a superb string of events, and miraculously for the Gaurs, a late injury time substitution by the manager brought in Ishan Pandita in place of Saviour Gama and lo, he did exactly what his manager wanted him to. It was a dramatic end to the game as he headed in a goal off of Edu Bedia’s freekick and his teammates couldn’t believe it and went crazy in celebration.
Even though the match didn’t bear a winner, it was surely one of the best matches this season and kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
Hero of the Match: Rowlin Borges
Edu Bedia received the DHL Winning Pass of the Match Award, while Rowllin Borges was adjudged to be worthy of the Hero of the Match Award. It was an all-round performance on his end, with 1 goal, 3 clearances and 3 successful tackles.
With the draw, Mumbai City FC is now at 34 points from 16 matches, and still at the top of the table. They will face Bengaluru on 15th February. FC Goa now has 23 points from 16 matches, at the 3rd position in the table. But the confidence booster they got from this game will go a long way for the remainder of the tournament. They have their next match against Chennaiyin FC on 13th February.
