ISL 2015: FC Goa pummel Mumbai in West Coast derby
Dudu Omagbemi and Thongkhosiem Haokip scored a hat-trick each as Goa registered the biggest ever win in ISL's short history by thumping Mumbai City FC 7-0 at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. Goa have now taken a three-point lead at the top of the table and are in prime position to book a spot in the knockout stage.
Leo Moura troubled Mumbai from the first whistle, but his brilliant free-kick in the 9 minute was kept out by Mumbai goalkeeper Subrata Paul. Haokip was the first to the rebound, but he failed to keep his shot down on target.
Moura created a similar chance in the 25 minute, when Subrata Paul saved another stinging free-kick from the Brazilian, but Romeo Fernandes failed to hit the target from the rebound.
Haokip opened the scoring in the 34th minute as he scored the 100th goal of this ISL season. The Indian forward produced a lovely flick at the edge of the box to put Dudu through on goal, but the Sporting Club de Goa striker was impeded by Mumbai goalkeeper Subrata Paul. Paul, however, failed to collect the ball and Haokip was at hand to tap it into an empty net.
Just seven minutes later, Dudu doubled Goa's lead as the former Pune FC striker got on the score sheet on his first start for his new ISL club. Leo Moura found him with a long pass at the edge of the box and the Nigerian forward struck the bottom corner of the net with impeccable placement.
Mumbai had their best opportunity to score in the 43 minute, but Laxmikant Kattimani, Goa's goalkeeper, made a blinding double-save, first to keep out Nicolas Anelka from close range and then to thwart Cristian Bustos' thunderous long-range drive.
Those missed chances meant that Goa maintained their 2-0 lead at the halftime break, and for Mumbai things were about to get worse.
Goa scored their third at the start of the second half with Haokip tapping in a lovely cross from Jofre from the left wing. It was only the beginning of a humiliating half for the visitors with Dudu scoring the fourth of the match from a set-piece in the 63rd minute.
Leo Moura pinged in a dangerous cross from a free-kick and Lucio's header was somehow kept out by Subrata Paul in the Mumbai goal. But Dudu was at the right place in the right time again, as he poked in the ball into the back of the net, from barely three yards out.
Dudu, who struggled in the ISL last season with FC Pune City, completed his hat-trick just four minutes later. Leo Moura, who produced one of the most eye-catching performances by a play-maker this season, ran through the whole of the Mumbai defence as he drifted in from the left wing and set it up on a golden plate for the Goa striker. Dudu had the simple task to direct it towards the goal, and with it, became the fourth player to score a hat-trick this season.
Haokip soon followed his lead to become the fifth player to score three goals in a match as he tapped in the rebound from a Romeo Fernandes' long shot in the 78th minute.
The match ended 7-0, and finally with the referee's whistle, Mumbai's suffering was brought to an end.
Goa are now the league's top scorers with 20 goals from 10 games, and it will be hard for the rest of the pack to displace them from out of the top four with just five matches remaining.
Mumbai, on the other hand, have now conceded 12 goals in their last four games, including a 4-1 defeat at home to Atletico de Kolkata. Nicolas Anelka can only hope that his center back Frantz Bertin returns in full health from his international duty, ahead of their long flight to Guwahati for their next game.