FC Goa secured a significant 1-0 victory over Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar FC in a fiercely contested match at the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy 2024 on Tuesday. This victory not only places the Gaurs at the top of Group A in the tournament but also strengthens their chances of advancing to the semi-finals.
Earlier in the day, Head Coach Manolo Marquez named a strong starting XI, featuring all five available foreign players, with only Iker Guarrotxena missing out as he had just arrived in Goa. Arshdeep Singh started between the posts, while the attacking trio of Armando Sadiku, Dejan Drazic, and Borja Herrera led the charge upfront.
The match was intense from the outset, with both teams displaying physicality in their play. Known for their aggressive style, Brisbane Roar stayed true to it and was not hesitant to use force to thwart FC Goa’s advances.
As the first half drew to a close, tempers flared, culminating in Brisbane’s Benjamin Halloran receiving a direct red card in the first minute of added time for a reckless challenge, reducing the visitors to ten men.
FC Goa capitalized on their numerical advantage early in the second half, scoring the decisive goal in the 51st minute.
In what can only be described as one of the finest team goals witnessed in a long time at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Carl McHugh initiated the move with a precise long ball from midfield to Dejan Drazic on the wing.
Drazic’s initial cross into the box was poorly dealt with by Brisbane’s defense, but the Serbian winger quickly regained possession, executed a deft one-two with Borja Herrera, and set up Rowllin Borges at the edge of the box. Borges, with superb vision, played a perfect through-ball to Herrera, who cleverly drew the defender out before squaring the ball to Armando Sadiku.
The Albanian striker made no mistake, calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net to give the Gaurs the lead.
The Australian outfit responded by throwing everything they had at the Gaurs in search of an equalizer, but Goa’s defense, marshaled by the experienced Odei Onaindia, stood firm.
The defensive unit, including standout performances from Jay Gupta, Aakash Sangwan, and Carl McHugh, along with substitutes Nim Dorjee and Mohammad Hammad, successfully kept their opponents at bay.
The Men in Orange, meanwhile, continued to threaten on the counter as well, with Drazic nearly doubling the lead with a powerful strike from 25 yards, only to be denied by a spectacular save from goalkeeper Maklin Freke. Freke was called into action again in the dying moments, preventing further damage by blocking Boris Singh’s close-range effort after a pinpoint cross from Muhammed Nemil.
This historic win against a top-tier Australian side will undoubtedly serve as a morale booster for the Men in Orange as they prepare for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season.
With the team finishing third in the ISL League Stage last season and reaching the semi-finals of both the Durand Cup and the ISL Cup playoffs, Manolo Marquez will be aiming to surpass those achievements in his second season in charge. A victory like this, albeit in a pre-season tournament, sets the perfect tone for their ISL campaign.