Capital punishment for struggling Goa
GOA: On the night of Diwali, FC Goa and Delhi Dynamos played out a game that seemed to have everything except a bright spark that would create the goals. That spark came in the form of second-half substitute Marcelinho and off went the fireworks as Delhi scored two late goals to beat Goa 2-0 at the Fatorda stadium here on Sunday. The Brazilian, who came on for Bruno Pelissari on the hour mark, first broke the deadlock with a solo effort in the 72nd minute and then turned provider four minutes later as he cushioned a header to Richard Gadze, who converted to seal the victory.
The win takes Gianluca Zambrotta’s Delhi level on 10 points with NorthEast United but over them to third spot thanks to a superior goal difference. Meanwhile, Zico’s Goa, who will feel hard done by after dominating most of the game, remain rock-bottom with four points.
The home side had started the game on the front foot and were only denied by Delhi’s Anas Edathodika in the fourth minute as the defender headed off the line after forward Rafael Coelho had managed to lob goalkeeper Antonio Doblas.
Doblas was beaten again in the 26th minute, but this time it was the woodwork that came to his rescue. It was Mandar Rao Desai, starting together with Romeo Fernandes on the flanks for the first time this season, who drove forward and blasted a shot from the edge of the box.
Delhi forward Gadze also had a couple of half-chances in the first period. In the 29th minute, Pelissari intercepted a wayward clearance by Raju Gaikwad and shifted the ball to Florent Malouda in the middle. The Frenchman found Gadze inside the box, but the striker flashed wide.
In the third minute of added time, Joffre threaded a pass to Coelho who, with a deft backheel, flicked the ball to his left from where Romeo had a go only to see it whistle past the post. The second half began in similar vein with Coelho failing to make a connection in front of the goal, after Julio Cesar headed the ball across the goal.
Zambrotta brought on Marcelinho and Kean Lewis on the wings in the second half and the changes were a coup as the duo ran the Goan defenders ragged. In the 72nd minute, Marcelinho got the ball in the center and drifted towards the left wing. Just when it looked like he had dragged the ball too wide, he fired it across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
Four minutes later, Malouda played the ball to Marcelinho at the far post who headed the ball to Gadze. The Ghanian, who has blown hot and cold this season, did not miss this time and had enough time to take a touch inside the area before firing the ball past Goa custodian Subashish Roy Chowdhury.
adwaidh@newindianexpress.com