Former Real Madrid star Michel Salgado’s Kochi 5s side came out victorious over Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs’ Mumbai 5s side, with a comprehensive 4-1 scoreline on Saturday.
It was a rather tight game to start off with, as both the sides began cautiously, trying not to make any mistakes. In fact, the match remained scoreless till the end of the second quarter. Michel Salgado was instrumental in preserving the deadlock, as he made a number of blocks to keep Mumbai out.
However, the game burst into life in the third quarter, as Mumbai started to make a few mistakes. Giggs fouled Salgado a couple of times, taking Mumbai’s fouls tally up to five, which automatically granted Kochi a penalty. Deives Moraes stepped up to take the penalty with a long run up from the half-way mark, and scored the first goal of the match.
It did not take Mumbai long to get back into the game though, as Giggs started off a swift move with a wonderful back-heel pass. The move that involved all of Mumbai’s four outfield players, finally saw Foglia set up Angellot, who gleefully tapped the ball into an empty goal.
While the first three quarters were shared between the two sides, Kochi simply blew Mumbai away in the fourth quarter, scoring three swift goals to complete a massive victory. Morares scored his second goal of the night, while Gekabert helped to double Kochi’s lead a few minutes later.
Real Madrid star Michel Salgado also managed to get his name on the scoresheet, as he nicked the ball from Giggs, deep into the fourth quarter. Mumbai took control of the game, as they tried to make up the deficit, but it was too little too late for them.
The scoreline was a bit flattering for Kochi, as Giggs’ men created 10 chances more than the Southern side. However, Salgado’s team were more clinical on the night.
Kolkata, Bengaluru play out a stalemate
The second match of the night was a much more closely contested affair, as Kolkata and Bengaluru played out a 1-1 draw in Chennai on Saturday.
It was the Paul Scholes-led Bengaluru side that looked to be in control of the game, as the Manchester United legend spread the ball from the middle of the park, just like he used to do, back in his playing days at Old Trafford. Scholes soon got is deserved assist, as he set Jonathan up for the first goal of the match. Kolkata goalkeeper Cidao made a poor attempt to stop the ball from going into the net, handing Bengaluru the lead.
However, Cidao almost made up for his mistake, as he advanced into the Bengaluru half to create a wonderful chance for former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo. Bengaluru controlled the match with long bouts of possession in the second quarter, but Kolkata managed to find their way back.
With just three minutes to go in the second quarter, Akshay Nair was dispossessed deep into the Bengaluru half. However, his teammate Pula managed to pounce on the loose ball and fire in a fine shot, to make it 1-1 just before half time.
Cidao started to create more chances, as he advanced into the opponents’ half, but his efforts were blocked by the Bengaluru players. It was an action-packed night for the Kolkata 5s goalkeeper, as he played creator on one end, and saviour on the other, running back to keep Bengaluru shots out of his goal.
Kolkata lost the plot in the end, as Mohammed Islam, who became the first Indian to score in Premier Futsal, was shown an orange card for a foul. Bengaluru had the option of taking a penalty or a free-kick without a wall. They chose the latter, but nothing came of the free-kick in the end, as Kolkata managed to hold on for a draw.
Shrinivas Dempo tight-lipped on FC Goa move
With rumours of a possible takeover gaining ground, FC Goa co-owner Shrinivas Dempo chose not to reveal whether Delta Corp will buy out most of the stakes in the franchise, according to Kolkata-based newspaper The Telegraph.
FC Goa’s future has been subject to a lot of speculation after after they were slapped with a Rs. 11 crore fine, and their owners Dempo and Duttaraj Salgaocar were banned from the ISL for two and three seasons respectively. FC Goa have also been docked 15 points in the 2016 ISL.
These actions have been taken against the franchise, after they failed to show up for the prize distribution ceremony in the final of the 2015 ISL. However, the franchise have appealed the decision, with the Bombay High Court delaying a verdict till next week.
FC Goa sign Denzil Franco
FC Goa are having their fair share of troubles off the pitch, but they have started their preparation for the upcoming 2016 ISL with the signing for Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) defender Denzil Franco, according to The Times of India.
Franco has played an instrumental part in ATK in the last couple of seasons, helping the Kolkata based side win the inaugural edition of the competition. He also guided them to a semi-final finish in the 2016 edition.
FC Goa will be looking to emulate their performance last season, when they finished top of the league table, and managed to progress to the final of the tournament, only to lose to Chennaiyin FC. The Goan franchise are also said to have contacted Laxmikant Kattimani, who is now a free agent.
You should realize that it serves as an effective tool to connect you, as a writer, with your main audience because readers are enabled to feel changes in college-homework-help.org your tone and mood
