Jamshedpur FC had a clinical display to comprehensively send FC Goa crashing to their first defeat. The suspension of Coro also helped Jamshedpur’s cause.
FC Goa’s scorching start to the season was brought to an halt at the JRD Tata Stadium as Jamshedpur FC beat Sergio Lobera’s side 4-1 in an Indian Super League match on Thursday.
Michael Soosairaj grabbed two goals for the home team, while Sumeet Passi and Memo bagged the other goals for Cesar Ferrando’s men. Mourtada Fall scored the lone goal for visitors Goa.
Jamshedpur started with Gaurav Mukhi up front, in place of Tim Cahill. He was one of five changes rung in by Cesar Ferrando. For Goa, the big news was the inclusion of Miguel Palanca in place of the league’s top scorer Coro, who was suspended due to a red card he had earned against Pune City.
It was the home team who took an early lead, with Michael Soosairaj drawing first blood. A deep corner by Sergio Cidoncha founds its way to an unmarked Soosai, who slid home across the face of the goal to give Jamshedpur an advantage. Goa hit back through Fall, who headed a free-kick from Hugo Boumous past Subrata Paul. Jamshedpur had the lead back soon after half-time when Seriton Fernandes made a mistake with a through ball, deflecting it onto the path of Soosai, who pinged it above an onrushing Mohammad Nawaz.
| Team | Played | Win | Loss | Draw | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthEast United FC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| FC Goa | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Jamshedpur Football Club | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Bengaluru FC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| ATK | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Mumbai City FC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Kerala Blasters FC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Delhi Dynamos FC | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Chennaiyin FC | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| FC Pune City | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Two quick goals in the 77th and 79th minutes sealed the deal for the hosts. Memo’s scorching strike from the edge of the box gave Jamshedpur a two-goal lead. Two substitutes combined for Jamshedpur’s fourth as Carlos Calvo made a low cross to Sumeet Passi, who had the easiest of tap-ins. Goa crashed to their first defeat after five games but they remained second in the ISL table with 10 points. Third-placed Jamshedpur drew level on points with second-placed Goa, albeit having played two games more than the Gaurs.
Jamshedpur also broke their run of four successive draws.
*originally published in scroll.in