Though Goa lost in the final of ISL 2019 tournament with the slender margin of 1-0, with the hot favourite Benguluru yet I will rightly say that Goa still the best team, played this final with lot of disadvantages namely, Goa lost in the middle of the game their extremely good player and captain of the team Mandar who would do something more either to give the lead to Goa or to bring about the change. The final was the grueling game which also was the marathon one lasting the regular time of 90 minutes plus extra time of 30 minutes. Good that the result was declared in the first half of extra time otherwise it would go into penalty kicks, 5 for each team and even then if it failed to produce the required result, it would end with the sudden death penalties.
The winning goal scored by their Rahul Behke in such a magnificent stunning header like a bullet that the Goa custodian under Goa’s bar had no option but to see the ball hitting the net inspite of his marvelous attempt in which he succeeded palming away the ball yet it was not a strong palming away. Otherwise, Goa’s goalkeeper protected his citadel very well. And moreover, he could not be blamed for this goal because the deefenders and other midfielders should have protected their area by “erecting the great wall of China” in front of their goalmouth knowing very well that they are playing with certain deficiencies.
That Goa would not win today’s final I came to know when Mandar went out limping with tremendous pain and agony with the injury of muscle pull. If it really is the muscle pull then Mandar should stop playing for at least one month without doing any exercise and also without doing any medicine. I was the victim of such a muscle pull during my those good old days as the top sportsman of Goa not only as the high grade footballer playing for Sesa Goa besides captain of soccer team of St. Joseph’s High School – Arpora, captain of St. Xavier’s College – Mapusa and also the captain of the then mighty team of Candolim. Additionally, I was the best athlete – runner of Goa winning indivual championship and also the fastest runner of Goa. My sporting carreer was booming with the offers from top business houses and top clubs from all over India. Sesa Goa even had a plan to send me to Germany for further professional training in running but all my future dreams collapsed like a pack of cards because I never found the curative effort for my injury. The few doctors I consulted in Goa had no knowledge of this type of injury and like butchers they started administering me all sorts of injections and other medicines including massages.
Mr. Mandar, when you consult any doctor in Goa for curing your muscle pull, be careful, take second opinion, in Goa there are very few doctors and few hospitals that will give you proper treatment otherwise the rest are ‘ROSTAD” especially some of those who are running the posh private hospitals where even when the patient is dead they don’t tell this but keep the body like this only for a few more days with some medical application to make more money. If possible, go to the beach and keep the area of your leg where you got the muscle pull in water and do this treatment for few days. This I am telling you because I had personal experience in this type of injury.
Coming back to the final, Goa’s right outer Jackichand played extremely well but with the exit of Mandar his wings got clipped. However, the youngster of Goa Saviour Gama of 21 years of age who was brought in the second half played very good proving that his future is going to be the best. The Goa team impressed me very much today, they had strong confidence of their passing, ball control and distributing the ball to their colleagues even if they found a small opening and with ease they will push the ball to their colleagues. The second half was dominated by Goa but in the first half Bengaluru maintained the upper hand. The African defender of Goa, M. Fall, was a strong defender who is very good not only in both the legs but still better in the aerial duels where he would out beat by out jumping any of his opponent. This defender was well shielded by another defender of Goa, Rodrigues.
The ugly scenes seen on the field was the result of the poor refereeing which lacked wielding of the full control of the game.
It was great to see such a huge number of spectators attending this final, these spectators came from Goa and Bangalore and from Bombay too but they were silenced by the lone header that hit the net of Goa.
In the coming season, we must tell the owner of SP Goa to select more best players from Goa only and to start Foot-ball Academies in all the districts of Goa so that these Academies will feed the Goa’s need of top class players. The non-Goan by doing the Casino business in the Goan River of Mandovi is making lot of money on the name and strength of Goa and hence he is duty bound to do something for the development of Goan soccer. The high standard of soccer played in Goa was because of its strong base put in the beginning itself by the Portuguese invaders of Goa but it is a pity that the Indian invaders of Goa are doing nothing for the improvement of the standard of Goan soccer. Our Goans mainly the youth who are supporting so vociferously the SP Goa team from the Stadium and also from elsewhere must try to bring pressure on the owner of the Goa team that the Owners must either agree to do something for SP Goa or SP Goa must be denied our support. Otherwise the SP Goa’s owner will laugh at us for acting like slaves of the SP Goa. We should not allow the management of SP to fool us as our corrupt politicians are doing. The Casino owner of Sp Goa being a "bhailo" non Goan will never show much interest in the improvement of SP Goa team becaue he is come to Goa to make money. Hence, it is imperative for us especially those who are shouting from the stadium to get a pound of flesh from them.
Well done Goa for dishing out very good soccer in the final and congratulations to Bengaluru for winning this year’s edition.
A.Veronica Fernandes.