Welcome to Sportstar's live blog of the Super Cup 2019 semifinal clash between Chennai City FC and FC Goa played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.
This is Amal John here and I'll be giving you company through this evening's semifinal clash.
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ATK and Chennaiyin FC face off in the other semifinal. If you're wondering where to find it, Click here to follow the action live .
That's the FULL TIME whistle! And FC Goa is into the Super Cup 2019 final.
So that's the end to a fairytale season for Chennai City FC. CCFC has exceeded expectations winning the I-League this season on a dramatic final day, despite aiming for a mid-table finish at the start of the season. Akbar Nawas and his team deserve all the applause they've received this year. Here's an interesting story about its path to glory this year.
FC Goa, however, is marching on in a bid to become the second ISL runner-up to lift the Super Cup in the same season (Bengaluru FC did it last year). It's nothing less than deserved for the Gaurs who were probably the best team in the ISL this season and showcased an entertaining brand of football. They have a chance to make it up for not turning up at the ISL final.
Who Goa is going to play in the final will be decided tomorrow when Chennaiyin FC meets ATK in the other semifinal. We'll be back with live updates for that match tomorrow. But it's a wrap for now and thank you for tuning in, folks!
90' If it stays like this, it'll be the 10th clean sheet for FC Goa this season. Pretty surprising for a team that one would think is all about the goals. Three minutes of added time.
88' Coro will not be getting his hat-trick today. He gets substituted. He has done enough, and a little more today.
87' Zaidkrouch with a curling shot from the edge of the box but what a save from Boerchio! He's one of the reasons for Chennai City's fantastic season. It would have gone into the top corner.
84' It's an exhibiton of skills from Hugo Boumous but nothing much to show for it. He gets past two in the box and takes the ball to the goal line. Tries to nutmeg the keeper but it's wasteful.
81' That's brilliant dribbling in the box from Manzi but solid defending to match it by Mourtada Fall. Boumous gives away the ball cheaply in the middle and Chennai makes use of the ball well. Nestor chips it over the backline to find Mazi who dribbles past two men but comes up against the 'Wall' Fall.
76' Saviour Gama living up to his (first) name at the back making vital interceptions and blocks. Boumous has a chance to make it four but Boerchio comes to collect it.
74' That's naughty from Bora, bringing down Boumous from behind. And it's a yellow card for him.
72' Jackichand could make it 4! Noo, his shot is just high.
69' GOALL! Brandon puts it through Boerchio's legs and that makes it that much harder for Chennai City.
That was a good finish but let's not forget Boumous' contrbution. His 360 spin to get past two Chennai players was a treat to the eye. And a perfect through ball to put Brandon through.
67' OHH UNLUCKY! Romario Jesuraj with a brilliant strike from range and it hits the crossbar and goes out for a goal kick.
66' Substitution for Chennai City, Ameerudeen comes in for Sriram.
62' Brandon picks up a yellow card. But wait, why? He gave away a free-kick but that was hardly worthy of a card. OH, it's for dissent. He fisted the ball into the ground out of frustration, referee interpreted it as dissent.
60' CHANCE! Brandon gets a chance to make it three but he lashes at it and it flies past the post. Should have shown more composure there.
59' That could have been expensive for Chennai City if not for Guarav Bora, who shows great maturity to defend well. Zaidkrouch find Jackichand on the break and Bora makes a good tackle.
55' On the other end, Chennai City wins a free-kick in a good position. Sandro takes it. It's a powerful shot but wide.
54' Coro misses a hat-trick! Boumous plays a brilliant through ball to Jackichand who unselfishly passes it to Coro. He may not have been expecting it. He doesn't quite get a good touch on it and misses the open goal.
53' That's poor from Chennai. They've given the ball away cheaply in the middle of the pitch quite a few times today.
49' Long ball to Nestor, he's clear with only the keeper to beat, but he doesn't get a clean touch. Either way, it's offside. Or is it? Replays show it wasn't.
48' Chennai City with its third corner on the trot. They've come into this half looking better and more threatening.
46' And we're back. Can Chennai Cty find a way back into this or is Goa going to go for the kill?
HALF TIME
Chennai City can't find that goal to take it into the half time break with mroe belief. Right now, they don't look the team that bulldozed opponents in the I-League. FC Goa, however, WOW! They've risen up to the occassion. Even Coro, who's often criticised for not scoring in the crucial games. He's got two already. A hat-trick on the cards or will Chennai City find its way back?
42' One thing's for sure. That isn't the last goal we'll be seeing this game. Chennai City is still failing to stitch together a good move, meanwhile, and losing the ball to Goa a lot.
40' Is it really this easy for them or are FC Goa making it look easy? The Chennai City defence isn't applying enough pressure on them and passes are easily finding its way into the box.
35' GOALLLL!! AND IT'S CORO AGAIN! 2-0
What a move by Goa! Some excellent passing up front. Coro starts it by splitting the defence with the through ball to Jackichand. Jacki's low cross takes a few deflections and lands at Coro's feet. He evades the Chennai City defenders and places it beautifully into the far corner.
32' Sandro and Nestor are seeing more of the ball now and more moves are going through them, but none threatening enough.
29' Chennai City is scrambling to find an opening. They look much better with the ball now. Sandro and Manzi are combining well.
26' GOAL! Coro, as cool as a cucumber, panenkas it into the top right corner.
Who would have doubted the ISL's top scorer for two consecutive season now? A brave one, that penalty.
25' PENALTY! A tackle from behind on Coro, he goes down and Charles concedes the penalty.
24' There's another chance that bites the dust! Coro plays a good ball through to Brandon who shoots it past the face of goal.
22' Chennai City wins another corner. They're slowly growing into this game. Still no signs of scoring though, not as much as Goa has shown.
20' OH NO! Zaidkrouch should have made that count. He takes a shot from outside the box on first touch but it's a bad one and he skies it.
19' But Chennai City starts a really good move on the counter and that's the best bit of play by them so far. They also win a corner. But it's back with Goa and it's quickly at the other end of the pitch.
18' It's another corner for Goa. The ball's headed out but it's a fierce volley from outside the box by Jackichand. They're not afraid to shoot.
15' Goa is finding things easy. This is where they're comfortable - in possession and up in the attacking third. Chennai City, meanwhile, just tries to begin counter attacks from stray balls. Pedro's string up front, but clearing it up the pitch may not be the right option.
13' CHANCE! Zaidkrouch this time with a shot from outside the box. It gets a deflection and forces Boerchio into a save. Any guesses on who will take the lead first?
11' CLOSE! Coro troubles the Chennai defence again and plays a good ball to Seriton who made a good run into the box on the outside. His shot gets a deflection and goes out for a corner.
10' Coro tries to turn with the ball at the half line. He's fouled and that's another set piece for Goa. The free-kick is wadteful though.
6' Chennai City still hasn't settled into the game well, not like their usual selves at least. Pedro Manzi has barely got a touch on the ball. Mourtada Fall is doing a good job containing him.
4' FC Goa is looking the better side at the moment. More of the ball and spending more time in the opposition half. Brandon floats a free-kick into the box but it goes out.
2' Early chance for FC Goa. Brandon Fernandes looks to find Jackichand at the back post. He does find him but the ball's a little too far and he doesn't get a good shot on it. You'll need way more than that to test Mauro Boerchio.
KICK OFF
Okay, the players are out there on the pitch and we're just moments away from kick-off. Don't take your eyes off this because we can be expecting more than a few goals tonight.
Chennai City goalkeeper Mauro Boerchio saved a Sunil Chhetri penalty in the Super Cup quarterfinal against Bengaluru FC. From NEROCA discard to Chennai City's title winner, he has an interesting story. Our reporter Aashin Prasad spoke to him. ( READ )
There's still about 20 minutes to go for kick-off. Meanwhile, we have more stories for you to read.
Here's one about FC Goa's winger Brandon Fernandes, who has impressed with his blistering pace and dribbling.
- Pedro Manzi vs Ferran Corominas. That's gonna be one hell of a contest, isn't it? Coro has expressed his approval of Chennai City's style.
READ | Impressed with Chennai City's style, says FC Goa's Corominas
- Kick-off is at 8:30pm, While we wait, here's a story on Mohammad Nawaz,
FC Goa's 5' 9" 17-year-old goalkeeper .
- Starting line-ups
Indian Super League 2019 runner-up FC Goa might prove to be a worthy opponent to I-League champion Chennai City FC. These are two of the best attacking sides in the country. Chennai City is the only team to have scored more than 50 goals last season and has the fearsome trio of Pedro Manzi, Nestor Gordillo and Sandro Rodriguez in its ranks. It also defeated ISL champion Bengaluru FC enroute the semifinal of the Super Cup.
FC Goa will sorely miss Edu Bedia who is suspended, and Ahmed Jahouh. These guys were instrumental in midfield in the ISL. But Sergio Lobera still has his main weapon up front - Ferran Corominas, the ISL's top scorer for two seasons on the trot.
Here's our reporter Aashin Prasad's preview of the match.
A clash of two of the best attacking sides in Indian football
As his Chennai City side takes on FC Goa in the semifinals of the Super Cup here at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday, coach Akbar Nawas would rather continue to associate with the ‘underdog’ tag.
Despite topping the points table for the majority of the I-League season, Nawas said the reigning champion ‘felt the pressure’ of being labelled the favourite in the title run-in.
Chennai City, however, is flying high at the moment with wins over FC Pune City and the Indian Super League champion Bengaluru FC. It is the only Indian team to score over 50 goals across all competitions this season and has the fearsome trio of Pedro Manzi, Nestor Gordillo and Sandro Rodriguez in its ranks.
Both teams usually operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the onus on the defenders and the goalkeeper to build attacks from the back with quick, passing football. The teams also like their full-backs to push high up the pitch to create a numerical advantage when in possession of the ball.
However, much like the game against Bengaluru in the quarterfinals, Nawas expects Goa to dominate the proceedings citing the ISL side’s superior quality. Chennai City will be hoping to dispossess the opposition high up the pitch and hit them swiftly in the transition from defence to attack.
The Singaporean coach is prepared for any eventuality that presents itself in the last-four contest.
“Almost every team has strengths and weakness which you can exploit. But what if tomorrow (Tuesday) they decide to stay compact in defence? We need to prepare for all possibilities. If we assume something then its recipe for disaster,” said Nawas.
Charles Anandraj, who was dismissed against Pune City, will slot into Chennai's central midfield for the suspended Michael Regin.
Chennai not averse to direct route
Unlike Goa, Chennai is not averse to taking the direct route to goal as seen during both its goals against Bengaluru. Gordillo, on the left flank, likes to play along the line of the shoulder of the last defender and exploit any space afforded by Goa’s defenders behind them.
The striker Manzi has the strength and the ball control to hold the ball up in attack to bring in his attacking partners into play during counter-attacks.
Of the threat, Goa coach Sergio Lobera said, “We have to be ready for that. We have played against teams like that before. Apart from this, we have to stick to our idea. Obviously, we will look at their strong points and try to restrict that.”
The arrival of center backs Carlos Pena and Mourtada Fall has given Lobera’s side the defensive stability it lacked last year. After managing just two clean sheets in the whole of 2017-18 ISL season, the defence has shut out the opposition eight times this season.
The Spanish coach recognised the loss of the suspended-midfielder Edu Bedia and Ahmed Jahouh, who was not registered in the squad due to the six foreigner rule for the tournament. Lobera, although, has a capable replacement in Hugo Boumous.
Finding balance
On Chennai City’s fabled attack, he noted, “They have good attacking players, who are very tricky. Nestor and Pedro compliment really well with each other. The most important thing for us is to keep the balance in defence and attack. The team which finds the balance better will win.”
(The match will kick-off at 8:30 pm and will be streamed live on Hotstar.)
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