ISL 2020-21 highlights: SC East Bengal and FC Goa play out 1-1 draw

ISL 2020-21 Match Updates, SCEB vs FCG: Get the Indian Super League score updates and commentary from the match between SC East Bengal and FC Goa at Tilak Maidan.

Devendra Murgaonkar celebrates his goal against SC East Bengal with his FC Goa teammates at the Tilak Maidan in Goa.

This is Sportstar's blog/highlights of the ISL 2020-21 encounter between SC East Bengal and FC Goa on Wednesday.

That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in!

That brings us to the end of our ISL coverage for the day. We will be back tomorrow for a bottom of the table fixture between Kerala Blasters FC and Odisha FC. [ MATCH PREVIEW ]

MATCH REPORT |

FC Goa full-back Saviour Gama wins the 'Winning Pass of the Game' award, while SC East Bengal forward Bright Enobakhare takes home the 'Player of the Match' honour tonight.

Follow Sportstar's full coverage (Latest news, Interviews, Features, Points table, Quiz, Videos) of  ISL 2020-21 .

So, FC Goa stays third with 15 points from 10 matches after this draw, while SC East Bengal moves above Kerala Blasters FC into ninth position, having accumulated seven points from the same number of games.

FCG manager Juan Ferrando: I'm happy with our performance. In the first half, we had great opportunites. The team was pressing high and creating chances. But we unfortunately couldn't score. Sometimes it's necessary to change the plan in attack. This game we went for the 4-3-3 formation. We had positive things in the first 45 minutes but suffered on the counter. After that, I had long conversations with Edu Bedia, discussing multiple stuff regarding the game. It's important to have a good captain-coach relationship. Despite getting only a point tonight, I'm proud of my players and they'll come back stronger in the next match.

RELATED | ISL 2020-21 top-scorers list: FC Goa's Angulo leads Golden Boot race, Le Fondre in second

SCEB head coach Robbie Fowler: Delighted, I think we did well. But every game we are up against the referee. And we have to live with that. Two players went for the ball, he (Daniel Fox) won the ball. I don't know why he was sent off. I hope it's only a one game ban. The attitude, intention and desire was brilliant from the team after being reduced to 10. We looked dangerous during set-pieces. Our boys deserve a lot of credit. Goa are a very good team. They were dragging our players to all parts of the park at times. Obviously, I'm delighted with the point. (Anthony) Pilkington had a knock and that's why he was rested. Hopefully, he'll be ready for the next game. (Jacques) Maghoma had a small problem too but he was eager to go on from the bench and provided the assist. We are improving with each passing match.

Post-match reaction from both the camps coming up next.....

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

To take a point against a dominant FC Goa side after being reduced to 10 men is a great display of heart from Robbie Fowler and his SC East Bengal outfit.

READ | ISL 2020-21: Points table, goals scored, goal difference; SC East Bengal climbs to ninth spot

Meanwhile, Juan Ferrando's men will be absolutely gutted. They had so many chances throughout the game but Debjit Majumder and company kept denying them.

In the end, the man advantage wasn't enough for FCG, which shares the spoils with SCEB. Goals from Bright Enobakhare (East Bengal) and Devendra Murgaonkar (Goa) give the teams a point each.

90+6' AND IT'S FULL-TIME!!! SC EAST BENGAL 1 - 1 FC GOA!

90+3' CHANCE FOR FCG! Alberto Noguera sends a cross into the box from the left flank for FC Goa but the SC East Bengal defence is alert as it clears away the ball and averts the danger.

90' Six minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the second half! SC East Bengal wins a free-kick after Ishan Pandita fouls Mohammed Rafique in midfield.

87' SUBSTITUTION! The goal scorer Bright Enobakhare goes out to a standing ovation. He is replaced by Mohammed Rafique in the middle.

84' If SCEB gets away with a point tonight, it will be a great achievement for Fowler's men. Meanwhile, FCG will be disappointed for anything less than a win.

81' EQUALISER!!! DEVENDRA MURGAONKAR SCOREESSSS!!!! GOA 1 - 1 EAST BENGAL!!!!! The equalising goal comes just two minutes after the opener. Saviour Gama received the ball from Jorge Mendoza and ran forward. His cross into the box was headed into the goal by super-sub Murgaonkar.

79' WHAT A GOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! BRIGHT ENOBAKHARE SCORES!!!! SCEB 1 - 0 FCG!!! He received the ball from Maghoma in midfield, dribbled past Princeton Rebello first, evaded an Aiban Dohling tackle next and got into the box. He dribbled past Ivan Gonzalez and Saviour Gama close to goal and slotted the ball past FCG keeper Mohammad Nawaz to give East Bengal a 1-0 lead. This is definitely a goal of the season candidate.

76' AND IT'S TIME FOR THE FINAL COOLING BREAK OF THE MATCH!

74' BOOKING! The SC East Bengal substitute Jacques Maghoma goes into the referee's book.  This is once again for tine wasting. Coach Robbie Fowler is furious on the sidelines.

72' DOUBLE CHANGE FOR FC GOA! Aiban Dohling and Alberto Noguera replace Brandon Fernandes and James Donachie in the middle for Juan Ferrando's side.

69' SUBSTITUTIONS FOR EITHER SIDE! Surchandra Singh replaces Milan Singh in the middle for SC East Bengal. Meanwhile, FC Goa's Devendra Murgaonkar comes on for his teammate Alexander Jesuraj.

67' YELLOW CARD! Aaron Amadi-Holloway is the third East Bengal player to be booked tonight, apart from the Daniel Fox red. The referee penalises him for wasting time on his way out. He is eventually replaced by Jacques Maghoma on the field. 

65' STAT ATTACK! FC Goa has scored eight of its 12 goals in the second half this season, while SC East Bengal has conceded 11 times in the second half in 2020-21.

On the other hand, FCG has won its last two games by scoring the winner in stoppage time and SCEB has conceded four goals in the last 15 minutes.

63' SAVE! This is another FCG move forward on the right flank. The ball is sent into the box but Debjit comes off his line to collect the ball.

60' VERY CLOSE! SC East Bengal could have shocked FC Goa here. Matti Steinmann won the ball in his own half, evaded a couple of FC Goa players -- Princeton Rebello and James Donachie -- and took a shot from close range. But he was unable to hit the target. Glorious opportunity missed.

58' It's clearly advantage Goa now. East Bengal might shift to full-on defence. FCG should be more clinical up front from here.

56' RED CARD!!! SCEB CAPTAIN DANIEL FOX IS SENT OFF!! EAST BENGAL DOWN TO 10! Daniel Fox tried to sprint forward with the ball but he lost control. FCG midfielder Alexander Jesuraj recovered the ball with a sliding tackle. However, Fox's follow-through was dangerous. The referee thought for a while and decided to send off Fox.

54' SC East Bengal has started the second half with a positive intent. The team executes another dangerous attack in the the final third but Seriton Fernandes wins a throw-in for FC Goa.

51' CORNER FOR SCEB! Full-back Narayan Das will take it. His swinging cross doesn't reach any of his teammates inside the box. FCG gets a goal-kick.

48' SCEB COUNTER-ATTACK! This is where East Bengal can be dangerous. Edu Bedia and co. were moving forward with numbers. They lost the ball in midfield and were in trouble. But the defenders tracked back in time to avert the danger.

46' Another Debjit save straightaway. FC Goa's Jorge Mendoza troubles him yet again. But the East Bengal custodian remains composed and completes the save.

THE SECOND HALF IS UNDERWAY!

FC Goa has totally dominated SC East Bengal throughout the first half.  It's surprising that the scoreline is still 0-0. SC East Bengal defence has done well but the attack is non-existent.

FC Goa skipper Edu Bedia took four free-kicks in the first half, created a chance, supplied a cross and had a shot on target against SC East Bengal.

 

Manager Robbie Fowler has to make changes soon and alter his strategy. Otherwise, Juan Ferrando's men might run away with this game in no time. Forty-five minutes to go. Stay Tuned!

AND IT'S HALF-TIME!!!

45+2' BOOKING! First FC Goa player to receive a yellow card on the night is Brandon Fernandes. SC East Bengal wins a set-piece in midfield.

45' Two minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the first half! Bright Enobakhare trips Seriton Fernandes from behind. Edu Bedia takes a free-kick as a result. But once again SCEB defence clears the ball away.

42' Some desperation from the FC Goa players now. They are taking shots on target from outside the box now. It was Alexander Jesuraj this time, and he hits it straight at the East Bengal goalkeeper.

40' ANOTHER DEBJIT SAVE! This time Saviour Gama lets one fly from distance. Debjit Majumder once again dives at the right time to keep the score at 0-0.

37' SAVE! Jorge Mendoza is toying with the FC Goa defence here. He takes a shot from just outside the box. The ball bounces just in front of SC East Bengal keeper Debjit Majumder, who pushes the ball away.

34' FIRST CORNER OF THE GAME FOR SCEB! Ankit Mukherjee takes the set-piece. Edu Bedia heads the ball away for FC Goa as the Gaurs regain possession.

32' AND IT'S TIME FOR THE DRINKS BREAK!

30' YELLOW CARD! SCEB's Raju Gaikwad goes into the referee's book for a mistimed tackle on FCG's Jorge Mendoza.

28' SCEB CHANCE! Finally, SC East Bengal with a good move forward. Narayan Das runs with pace on the left flank. He sends in a cross into the box and Aaron Amadi-Holloway connects with a header. But the ball goes over the crossbar.

25' SC East Bengal is clearly struggling here. It has conceded five corners already. FC Goa is attacking with numbers, and it should be a little careful with the counter-attack.

23' FREE-KICK FOR FCG! Captain Edu Bedia will take this one. His opposite number Daniel Fox comes to East Bengal's rescue as he heads the ball away from danger.

20' CORNER FOR FCG! Brandon Fernandes will take this one as well. But his cross is cleared away with ease by the SCEB players inside the box.

18' CHANCE! Jorge Mendoza continues to trouble the SCEB defence. Another cross into the box and Milan Singh blocks the shot.

15' PLAYER DOWN! SC East Bengal's Raju Gaikwad is involved in a head-on collision with an opposition player. The team's physio comes into the ground. Gaikwad's head is being tapped up and he is fine to continue.

12' FC Goa dominates the early exchanges! Brandon Fernandes involved in this move. He rushes forward and tries to find a teammate on the right wing. But the ball goes out for a goal-kick.

9' INTERCEPTION! Jorge Mendoza involved in another move forward for FC Goa. He tried to put in a through-ball for Alexander Jesuraj close to the box. But Matti Steinmann intercepts for SCEB at the right moment.

6' CORNER FOR FCG!  Brandon Fernandes is on set-piece duty now. His cross into the box is a poor one and Debjit easily collects the ball.

4' FREE-KICK FOR GOA! Jorge Mendoza, who was fouled in the lead-up, will take it. SAVE! SCEB keeper Debjit Majumder pulls off an incredible save to deny Goa a good goal-scoring opportunity. 

2' FREE-KICK FOR EAST BENGAL! Narayan Das is brought down by Alexander Jesuraj on the left flank. Bright Enobakhare will take the set-piece. He sends a cross into the box and Goa goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz comes off his line to collect the ball.

7:30 PM: AND THE MATCH BEGINS!

7:15 PM: Test your knowledge on all the latest happenings in the seventh season of the Indian Super League with this quiz.

ISL 2020-21 Quiz — From quickest brace to saving grace

7:00 PM: SC East Bengal midfielder Jacques Maghoma takes home the 'Fans Goal of the Week' award!

DR Congo's Jacques Maghoma wins the best goal honour for last week after his screamer for SC East Bengal against Odisha FC garners the most votes from ISL fans.

 

6:45 PM: Goa's Spanish centre forward Igor Angulo, who has scored nine goals in nine appearances this season, is the latest Player of the Month!

FC Goa striker Igor Angulo wins the 'Hero of the Month' award for December. He is also the leading goalscorer of the 2020-21 ISL.

 

6:30 PM: The team lineups are out!

SCEB XI: Debjit Majumder (GK), Scott Neville, Daniel Fox, Narayan Das, Raju Gaikwad, Ankit Mukherjee, Matti Steinmann, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Milan Singh, Bright Enobakhare, Harmanpreet Singh.

COACH: Robbie Fowler.

FCG XI: Mohammad Nawaz (GK), Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Seriton Fernandes, Saviour Gama, Jorge Mendoza, Brandon Fernandes, Princeton Rebello, Alexander Jesuraj, Edu Bedia, Igor Angulo.

COACH: Juan Ferrando.

6:15 PM: FIRST MANAGER TO DEPART THIS SEASON! Former ISL champion Bengaluru FC and head coach Carles Cuadrat have parted ways by mutual consent. ( READ MORE )

6:00 PM: As SC East Bengal takes on FC Goa in match 49 of the 2020-21 ISL, here are the important stats, head-to-head record and players to watch out for in the fixture.

 

5:45 PM: Podcast: Shyam Vasudevan and Aashin Prasad review the best of Indian Super League in the year 2020 on The Full Time Show .

 

Follow Sportstar's full coverage (Latest news, Interviews, Features, Points table, Quiz, Videos) of ISL 2020-21 .

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League got underway inside a bio-bubble in Goa on November 20.

The tournament, spanning over four months, will see 11 teams play each other in a league and playoff format across three venues. Following the inclusion of SC East Bengal, this season will feature 115 games, up from 95 last season.

ISL 2020: Points Table

MATCH PREVIEW:

SC East Bengal will be counting on the confidence gained from its first win of the tournament in its previous outing when it takes on FC Goa at home in Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco on Wednesday.

The two sides are meeting for the first time but their situation at different ends of the current league table says a lot about their respective form and strength. Goa has risen to the third spot with 14 points after wins against Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC, while East Bengal continues in the tenth position with just six points in its kitty.

The Gaurs definitely have the form and will start as the favourite but the red-and-gold brigade are no pushovers bettering their performance in the last three rounds, where it has remained unbeaten.  The East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler admitted of getting the proverbial monkey off the back after beating Odisha FC and securing the team’s first win at the same venue. This is crucial for his team now.

“We know FC Goa and the players they have got. It's going to be an incredibly tough game, but we will go into it with more confidence because of our last result. We have played good football, but we could have done better at times in terms of possession. It's up to the players to execute the plans,” Fowler said before the Goa match.

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“The lads are in a better space now than what we were a few weeks ago. But like I said to them, we got to go out and play the way we can. If you can play the way you can, you will win games. We are not a million miles away. We've won a game but we won't get carried away,” he added.

Defence has not been a strong area for both the opponents which is evident from the fact that East Bengal is yet to register a clean sheet in eight outings while Goa has just managed to keep one in the nine it has played so far.

FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando felt the pressure will be more on his side as it has to defend its position in the table. “East Bengal is more compact now and has displayed its quality in the last few games," Ferrando said.

“Two weeks ago, there was more pressure as they were in the last position. (But) when you have three points, the emotions in the dressing room are different. Against SCEB, we have a problem because they come into the game without any pressure or stress. It is a new opportunity (for them)," he added.

THE SQUADS:

SC East Bengal - Debjit Majumder, Rafique Ali, Mirshad Michu, Sankar Roy, Daniel Fox, Scott Neville, Gurtej Singh, Narayan Das, Abhishek Ambekar, Rana Gharami, Samad Mallick, Ningthoukhongjam Rohen Singh, Anil Chawan, Aaron Hammadi-Holloway, Anthony Pilkington, Matti Steinman, Jacques Maghoma, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Bikash Jairu, Sehnaj Singh, Surchandra Singh, Loken Metei, Haobam Singh, Milan Singh, Wahengbam Luwang, Mohamed Irshad, Mohamed Rafique, Yumnam Singh, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Balwant Singh, CK Vineeth, Girik Khosla, Harmanpreet Singh.

FC Goa: Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Dylan D'Silva, Shubham Dhas, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Seriton Fernandes, Aibanbha Dohling, Leander D'Cunha, Mohamed Ali, Sanson Pereira, Sarineo Fernandes, Saviour Gama, Edu Bedia, Flan Gomes, Jorge Ortiz, Brandon Fernandes, Alberto Noguera, Lenny Rodrigues, Redeem Tlang, Seiminlen Doungel, Nestor Dias, Phrangki Buam, Princeton Rebello, Alexander Jesuraj, Makan Chothe, Igor Angulo, Ishan Pandita, Aaren D'Silva, Devendra Murgaonkar .