FC Goa await trial by fire in AFC Champions League debut
2dAnirudh Menon
Captain Edu Bedia s leadership and calmness in midfield has been key for Goa.
FC Goa
FC Goa will become the first Indian team to compete in the group stages of Asia s premiere club competition, the AFC Champions League on April 14, when they play Qatari side Al Rayyan. Ahead of this debut, we look at what s in store for the Indian side.
How did Goa do in ISL 2020-21?
Juan Ferrando s men finished fourth in the league stages, before losing to eventual champions Mumbai City FC in the semis (on penalties after drawing 2-2 in the first leg and 0-0 in the second.)
ISL 2020-’21 in numbers: Goals dry up, FC Goa set new record as Indian forwards continue to misfire
Mumbai City FC became only the fourth different team to win the ISL title after beating ATK Mohun Bagan in the final. Representational Image | Vipin Pawar / Sportzpics for ISL
Mumbai City FC won their first Indian Super League title when they beat ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the final on Saturday.
The Islanders became the fourth different team to win the ISL title after ATK, Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC. Mumbai City FC are also the first team from Mumbai to become national champions after 15 years since Mahindra United achieved the feat when they had triumphed in the 2005-’06 season.
ISL team of the season: Krishna, Fall headline starting eleven as young Indian faces make the cut
In a season that Indian football team coach Igor Stimac called the best one so far, there were notable performances across the board. Mumbai City FC defender Mourtada Fall celebrates his goal with his teammates | Vipin Pawar / Sportzpics for ISL
The 2020-’21 Indian Super League season was different in more ways than one. The players were in a bio-bubble and played at neutral venues behind closed doors.
The ISL had eleven teams for the first time in its history as SC East Bengal joined the fray. What didn’t change was the performances of some usual suspects and the emergence of new young Indian players.
The drama of a surreal ISL final, through four slapstick footballing Acts
Mumbai City players celebrate with the trophy after winning the ISL final.
Vipin Pawar / Sportzpics for ISL
Friends, Goans, and countrymen, lend me your eyes. I come not to tell you who won, but how they won it. The result that comes off it lives after the game, the moments of comedic genius oft interred with the trophies. But, I cannot let it be. And so, here it is. The story of the 115th and final game of ISL 2020-21.
ACT I
Scene I:
Just outside the Mumbai City penalty box. Ahmed Jahouh is dawdling on the ball. As he does.
ISL Final: Mumbai City FC had the resources, Sergio Lobera made it count
MCFC became ISL champions for the first time in their history ensuring that the City Football Group era is up and running in no time. Mar 14, 2021 · 12:23 pm Mumbai City FC players throw coach Sergio Lobera in the air after winning the ISL final. | Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for ISL
When City Football Group, the owners of Premier League outfit Manchester City, bought majority stake in Mumbai City FC in 2019, an upturn in the club’s fortunes was always on the cards.
The track record and the financial muscle of the new owners was renowned and so were their lofty ambitions. Even though CFG made little noise in the initial months, to an extent that the anticipation surrounding their impact was almost lost, the belief was there.