ISL 2018-19: NorthEast United FC and FC Goa play out a thrilling 2-2 draw

FC Goa, as is their nature, will play a possession-based game and NorthEast United will look to exploit them on the counter

8:43 PM

Minute 52 (GOAL!!) -- Here's the equaliser!!! Bartholomew Ogbeche is off the mark for his new team. He receives a fantastic cross into the box and is tall and attentive enough to direct a downward header inside the goalpost. It's NorthEast 2-Goa 2! Game on!

8:40 PM

Minute 49 -- NorthEast are moving the ball a lot better now. The home team is advancing forward and the ove ends with Nikhil Kadam firing a shot from outside the box, but it's off-target

8:35 PM

Players are back on the pitch. Second half begins

8:29 PM

Half-time report: Goa have taken control of the match, thanks in part to the two goals scored by their star forward Coro. But other than the goals too, Goa have been the better side with them dominating the possession and slicing the NorthEast defence repeatedly with incisive passes.

 

The beginning of the game was a sort of red herring as NorthEast United FC went forward with a lucky goal in the seventh minute. Goa's young keeper Mohammad Nawaz had a brainfade moment when he advanced outside of his box and, thinking that the ball had been called for offside handled it. The referee awarded the freekick Federico Gallego slotted home the ball into the empty net.

 

NorthEast United tried to take inspiration from the goal and move forward but Goa did just enough to push them back. 

 

Coro's first goal came in the 13th minute when a tricky ball was dipped into the box. Coro leapt into the sky and the ball, after nikcing off one of his teammates, took a touch from his belly to score the first goal.

 

From then on, it was all Goa as they kept probing and pushing. In the 37th minute, Coro pulled off a beautiful solo goal when he danced past three NorthEast defenders to fire in a shot inside the goal.

 

Goa scored twice, but they could have had much more. There's an entire half left, and, with the reputation that Goa players have for scoring goals, it wouldn't be unwise to bet on them scoring many more. The NorthEast players will have to better their performance if they want to at least salvage a point from this match

8:18 PM

Minute 45 -- One minute of added time at the end of the 45 minutes

8:17 PM

Minute 44 -- Jackie on the runonce again for Goa. He sprints into the NorthEast box and tries to find his teammate but his cross is intercepted.

8:15 PM

Coro, the top scorer of the last edition of ISL, put on his dancing feet to skip past the players and fire in that second goal. He has already got a brace and it's just the first match of the tournament. Goa under control, both in terms of the gameplay and the scoring

8:13 PM

Minute 37 (GOAL!!)-- Minutes later, Coro goes past at least three defenders to fire in a shot inside the goal. Brilliant goal! Northeast 1-Goa 2

8:12 PM

Minute 37 -- Coro gets another good chance after receiving the ball just outside the box but he can't control it

8:08 PM

Minute 34 -- Nikhil goes down under a challenge by Jahoun who is already on a yellow card. The Goa man will have to exercise more caution

8:05 PM

Minute 31 -- Goa get a corner, their sixth in the game. Rehenesh deals with it after fluffing it the first time

8:04 PM

Minute 30 -- Thirty minutes on, it's Goa who have are sitting on the driver's seat. They have had more shots, have pushed forward more despite going down a goal early on after a brain fade moment from their young goalkeeper

8:03 PM

Minute 28 (YELLOW CARD)-- Foul by Ahmed Jahoun who brings down a NorthEast player unnecessarily. Although Jahouhn pleads his case but the referee brandishes the yellow card nonetheless

8:00 PM

Minute 25 -- Jackie gets a glorious chance to put Goa forward after the ball is laid off for him. Jackie is all alone but by the time he pulls the trigger, Kegan managers a touch of his leg. The ball is out for a corner. Two back to back corners for Goa. Jackie again tries to score through a half-volley, but the shot is off-target

7:57 PM

Minute 23 -- Nikhil Kadam goes on a run and loops the ball forward Nigerian Ogbeche but the ball is dealt with comfortably by the Goan defence