-Brian Mendonça
He needn’t have worried. By halftime Chennai were two goals
ahead and Goa was already gaping at defeat. True there were the whole of 45
minutes plus extra time to go but the body language of the Goa squad showed it
all. They had given up. It was written all over their faces.
So it was only an academic exercise for Jeje to tap the ball
into the left hand corner of the goal in the 90th minute to seal
Goa’s fate. This was Jeje’s second goal
of the match (the first in the 25th minute), the other goal being a
scorcher from Dhanpal in the 27th.
Goa goalkeeper Naveen never looked comfortable from the word
‘go.’ Kattimani his predecessor had the distinction of letting the ball go into
the goal through his legs in the first leg semi-final. Compared to that
Chennai’s goalkeeper, Karanjit Singh had a body that arched incredibly to make
no less than six huge saves. He was my choice, hands down, for the player of
the match. Goalkeepers seldom get recognized for their daredevilry.
Jeje with his easy going style and almost-sleepy eyes belied
the fire within. His mercurial sprints up the flanks right to the mouth of the
opposing goal were a coach’s nightmare. But Jeje Lalpekhlua is not Tamilian by
any stretch of the imagination. The
striker from Mizoram is an invaluable addition to any side he plays for.
The Chennai side looked younger, more sprightly, and definitely
more determined. It took them just 7 minutes to equalize against Goa in the
first-leg semi-final at Fatorda Stadium --
that too besieged by a crowd of around 18,000, most of whom were rooting for
the home team.
I wonder why when Goa is losing, the game begins to get
ugly. It is a sad comment on a side that sometimes only manages to cobble
together a raid on the opposing goal but which peters out at the crucial
moment. When you are angry you can’t play the game. It’s simple. Righteous
indignation does not always garner sympathy. In fact the Goa team were booed for
their behaviour in Chennai.
Pressure hung heavy on Coro. Lack of passing and displaying
one’s own virtuosity at the expense of the team’s goals undid the side. They
failed to combine after reaching this far.
I personally feel that it was the colour that made the
difference. Playing in white they performed like ghosts, spiritless and often
aimlessly. Their traditional colours are blue.
The dash and verve that signified blue was missing. Now the colours will
help them nurse their blues.
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 18th March 2018. (Top) Jeje exults after scoring for Mohun Bagan in the AFC cup qualifier in March 2017. Pix courtesy Deccan Chronicle. (Below) Mizoram fans at the Santosh trophy finals at Siliguri in March 2014. Pix courtesy livemint.com
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