2015 FC Goa season

Background

Brazil's legendary No 10 Zico returned as FC Goa manager for the Indian Super League's second season.Former Brazil skipper and World Cup winner Lucio has signed up as FC Goa's marquee player for the second season.Players retained in the team include- Domestic: Romeo Fernandes, Mandar Rao Desai, Laxmikant Kattimani, Narayan Das, Debabrata Roy, Bikramjit Singh. International: Gregory Arnolin (FRA).Players from the open market include- Domestic: Pronay Halder, C S Sabeeth, Denson Devadas, Joaquim Abranches, Raju Gaikwad, Keenan Almeida,Nicolau Colaco,Luis Barreto. International: Jofre Mateu González (ESP), Lucio (BRA), Elinton Andrade (BRA), Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira (BRA), Victor Simões de Oliveira (BRA), Jonatan Lucca(BRA), Léo Moura(BRA).Players selected from draft include forwards Victorino Fernandes and Thongkhosiem Haokip.

FC Goa will play its opening match on its home turf on 4 October with the Delhi Dynamos FC.

Season Summary

4 October: FC Goa rode on two first half goals scored by Mandar Rao Dessai (3’) and Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira (45+3’) to beat Delhi Dynamos FC in their opening fixture of the league stage that began with three back to back matches at their home fortress. 7 October: FC Goa came back brilliantly to hold Atletico de Kokata to a 1-1 draw as Keenan Almeida (82’) scored a stunner after Arata Izumi (13’) had given Antonio Lopes Habas’ side the lead in a fiery tie that saw the sending off of Baljit Sahni (62’). 11 October: A result to forget was the first defeat in this season. FC Goa went down to 4-0 defeat at the hands of Chennaiyin FC in Match 9 where Elano Blumer, who scored in the 43rd minute, assisted two of Stiven Mendoza’s goals in the Colombian’s hat-trick (10’, 63’, 75’). 15 October: The Gaurs got their ISL campaign back on track with an emphatic 3-1 victory over NorthEast United FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. After Francis Dadzie scored the 12th minute opener, Jonatan Lucca (27’), Reinaldo (30’) and Mandar (70’) completed the comeback for FC Goa. 22 October: FC Goa came from behind once again and reclaimed the top spot with a 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters FC as Leo Moura (45+1’) cancelled Mohammed Rafi’s 24th minute lead while Gregory Arnolin sealed the victory in the 84th minute. 25 October: The winning run came to a halt after Mumbai City FC registered a 2-0 win over the league leaders in Mumbai. In what was FC Goa striker Darryl Duffy’s last match of the season where the Scot was ruled out due to a hairline fracture, Sunil Chhetri’s penalty (33’) and Frederic Piquonne’s header (49’) were enough to give the home team all three points. 30 October: The Virat Kohli co-owned FC Goa remained afloat in the top half with a 1-1 draw against FC Pune City in which an own goal scored by Roger Johnson (46’) was cancelled by Eugeneson Lyngdoh in the 64th minute. 5 November: FC Goa gifted Virat Kohli with a 2-0 win over Chennaiyin FC. On his debut, Rafael Coelho Luiz won both the penalties that were converted by Leo Moura (64’) and Jonatan Lucca (78’) as the Gaurs recorded their second away win of the season. Harmanjot Khabra was sent off in the 89th minute wherein the Chennaiyin player put his studs on Moura’s right leg. 8 November: As it almost looked as a win for the league leaders, Adrian Mutu (90+4’) handed the Goan franchise with a heartbreaker at the death. In the thrilling round nine clash, Eugeneson Lyngdoh had bagged the opener in the 32nd minute. Rafael (34’) and Jonatan Lucca (44’) brought FC Goa back into the game but for the unthinkable to happen at the last minute. 17 November: FC Goa hammered Mumbai City FC 7-0 to record the biggest victory in the history of the competition. Thongkhosiem Haokip (34’, 52’, 79’) and Dudu Omagbemi (42’, 64’, 67’) scored more than just their first goals in FC Goa colours, with former bagging the 100th goal in the ISL 2015, while Reinaldo (90’) scored his third of the season. 22 November: FC Goa have not only remained winless against Atletico de Kolkata but also lost 4-0 to the ISL 2014 champions. Sameehg Doutie (20’, 78’), Borja Fernandez (22’) and Iain Hume (68’) were the scorers for this season’s semifinalists. 25 November: It was the last home match of the season for FC Goa in the league stage where Zico’s troops came from behind to hold NorthEast United FC 1-1 and Leo Moura bagged the “DHL winning pass” award for the most number of assists (6, now 8) provided for his side in the ISL this year. Victor Mendy’s 56th minute goal was cancelled by Reinaldo in the 80th minute. 29 November: FC Goa blasted their way into semifinals thrashing Kerala Blasters FC 5-1. The Blasters’ second minute lead scored by Victor Herrero Forcada was annulled by Jofre Mateu Gonzalez in the 12th minute. The Gaurs also had their third hat-trick hero in Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira (29’, 50’, 61’) while Mandar Rao Dessai (64’) joined the party to ensure a comfortable win. The home team had to play the second half with 10 men following the sending off of Josu Carrias. 6 December: Having already made it to the final four, FC Goa rallied back from two goals down at half-time to beat Delhi Dynamos FC 3-2 in an exciting clash and finished on top of the standings at the end of the league stage, drawing the same opponents in the semifinals. Serginho Green (31’) and Adil Nabi (40’) gave the Lions a 2-0 lead in the first half but the away team scored three goals in the second half via a brace scored by Romeo Fernandes (68’, 69’) and Jofre Mateu Gonzalez (90’) to snatch all three points. 11 December: FC Goa succumbed a 1-0 loss to Delhi Dynamos FC in the first leg of the semifinals in Delhi. Robin Singh’s 42nd minute goal made the difference as the two teams headed into the second leg of the semifinals in Goa on 15 December with the Delhi franchise leading 1-0 on aggregate. 15 December: FC Goa scripted their maiden final appearance crushing Delhi Dynamos FC 3-0 in the second leg of their semifinal. Jofre Mateu Gonzalez (11’), Rafael Coelho Luiz (27’) and Dudu Omagbemi (84’) were the goalscoring heroes for the Goan franchise who were backed by a deafening home support. Adil Nabi was given the marching orders by referee Pranjal Banerjee due to the Delhi player’s indiscipline on the bench after he was already substituted.

Current Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Injured

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

League Table