FC Goa fume at Jamshedpur’s dry turf but still have the last laugh

PANAJI: When FC Goa’s strength and conditioning coach Manuel Sayadera took the team for pre-match warm-up, there seemed to be something amiss at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, on Sunday.
FC Goa were preparing for their concluding league clash against Jamshedpur FC in a match where the winner took it all. It was necessary to prepare well but the turf at the JRD Tata Sports Complex didn’t seem conducive for free-flowing football which FC Goa are now renowned.

Turns out, Jamshedpur FC – who needed a win to qualify – had not watered the turf. The players felt uncomfortable passing the ball around and Manuel ran up to coach Sergio Lobera to point out the anomaly. FC Goa officials complained to the organisers, then the match commissioner, but were told that both teams should agree to watering the turf. Jamshedpur didn’t for obvious reasons.

Left with no choice, Goa took the field and eventually had the last laugh as they ran out 3-0 victors. Interestingly, Jamshedpur’s challenge ended in the seventh minute itself when goalkeeper Subrata Paul was sent off for handling the ball outside his box.

“We were all laughing in the end. Jamshedpur didn’t water the pitch for obvious reasons. They wanted to make it difficult for us to pass the ball around. We feared injuries too as the ground was hard but Jamshedpur paid a big price. Subrata got sent off for a handball but had the pitch been watered, he wouldn’t have had to face that awkward bounce,” said one FC Goa official.

The referee was left with no choice but flash the red card at Subrata. He also sent off Goa goalkeeper Naveen Kumar for a similar offence and Goa coach Sergio Lobera had no complaints at the end of the match.

“I don’t talk about the referee. They have a difficult job but I don’t think he influenced the game. We would have been happy if the ground was watered. People would have been happy to see the football and there would have been lesser risk of injury. Before the match, we had asked them to water the ground, but they refused to do that,” said Lobera.

FC Goa’s convincing 3-0 victory means they will now face Chennaiyin FC in the first semifinal at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on March 10. The return leg will be played in Chennai on March 13.

Goa has an even record against Chennaiyin FC this season, losing the home clash 0-1 after registering a convincing 3-2 victory in their opening league clash in Chennai.