FC Goa vs Odisha FC: Five talking points from the ISL Match

Derrick Pereyra led FC Goa faced Odisha FC in their first match of the Indian Super League. The Kalinga Warriors were looking for a win against FC Goa who are in a transition right now. But Derrick Pereira showed his pedigree as a coach in the match. FC Goa looked very lively throughout the game but the match ended in a one-all draw. Here are the talking points for this exciting match.

Goa continues attacking dominance

FC Goa has been very attacking throughout their campaign this season. with Pereira on the wheel, their attacking supremacy still continues. Right from the start, Goa had made their intentions pretty clear. They dominated the ball possession against Odisha. Gaurs were very sharp in front of the goal too but the luck was not with them. Otherwise, they could have had more goals against Odisha. Kamaljit made some brilliant saves to deny Goa in the first half.

Goa defensively steady

Goa's problem throughout the season has been their lack of defensive disciplines. They were caught on the counterattack far too often. This has not gone unnoticed by their new coach Pereira. Looks like the Gaurs had done their homework against a very good Odisha Side. Goa rarely looked vulnerable against Odisha's attack. They tracked back quickly after losing the ball. Their wingbacks dropped behind quickly, crowding the defence before Odisha could exploit free spaces. Even though they could not achieve their first clean sheet of the campaign, Pereira must be happy with their defensive play against Odisha.

Derrick Pereira's first match

Derrick Pereira marked his first match of the Indian Super League with a well-fought draw. Derrick Pereira knows the FC Goa like the palm of his hand. And after so many days of involvement with the gaurs, he gets the chance to coach their first team. His experience with the Goa team showed in on the pitch. just after three days of recruitment, he came out with a positive result against a strong Odisha FC.

An attacking display from both teams

This match might be a draw. But both the teams had all their guns blazing throughout the ninety minutes. Kamaljeet had a very busy game due to the relentless attack from Goa and Dheeraj also had to be on his best to beat the occasional counter attacks from the Odisha side. Aridai after his introduction at the 75th minute had been very active on the attack. Seeing the effort from both the clubs, the match could easily have been a goal feast.

Odisha's Counter Attack

Odisha played a counter-attacking football during the entire match. But their counterattack lost some poise against the Gaurs. FC Goa defended well apart from the second half set-piece goal. No one really shined for the Kalinga warriors on the attack apart from Jonathas. The likes of Jerry and Nandha had been disappointing in the attack.