Durand Cup 2021 semifinal: FC Goa reaches the final beating Bengaluru FC in sudden-death

Both the teams remained on a deadlock after extra time at 2-2 in the second semi-final in Kolkata.

FC Goa players celebrate the semifinal win over Bengaluru FC.

FC Goa sealed a spot in the final of the Durand Cup beating a youthful side of Bengaluru FC 7-6 in sudden-death in the semifinal here at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. The teams were locked 2-2 after the regulation time and were tied 4-4 after the tie breakers before the sudden-death came into play.

After both sides saw one of their attempts saved during the first five attempts in penalty shoot-outs, the deadlock was finally broken in the eighth attempt when Goa goalkeeper Naveen Kumar stopped Damaitphang Lyngdoh’s shot after midfielder Christy Davis had made it 7-6 for Goa.

AS IT HAPPENED | Durand Cup semifinal HIGHLIGHTS

Bengaluru took the charge early and altered the score-line in the very first minute of the action (42 seconds) when N. Sivasakthi checkmated the Goa goalkeeper Naveen with a clever interception. The Bengaluru forward quickly read a back-pass from Goa defender Papuia and charged up to Naveen to block his forward pass and saw the ball roll into the net.

Naveen Kumar makes the save in the sudden death which gave Goa the win. Photo: FC GOA MEDIA

 

Goa, which fielded three Spanish players including the captain Edu Bedia, was stirred up by the early setback and regrouped quickly to find the equaliser in the eighth minute. An unmarked Devendra Murgaokar nodded home as Muhammed Nemil reached him with a nice cross following a corner.

Goa went into the lead in the 72nd minute when Redeem, who came in as a second half substitute, scored with a nice angular shot. The Bengaluru boys were not ready to give up and found the equaliser in the 83rd minute when Sivasakthi showed his finishing skill once again as he jumped above the Goa defenders to nod home a Namgyal Bhutia cross.