In a match that witnessed some twists and an orange card flashed, two strong sides Bengaluru 5's and Kolkata 5's settled for a 1-1 draw in a keenly contested game on the second day of the Goa leg of the Premier Futsal in Mapusa, Goa on Wednesday.
With the draw, Kolkata 5's made it to the semi-finals.
With a reasonable crowd at the Peddem Indoor sports complex, Kolkata were aggressive in the first quarter as they had more possession of the ball. Their defence too was up to the mark which ensured that Bengaluru players were unable to net the ball.
Bengaluru too had their chances, in the quarter, but they missed the goal on some occasions, at times the ball went over the post or on other occasions it was saved by the keeper.
Kolkata got a penalty, after a handball in the D-box by an opponent player, in the seventh minute which was beautifully converted into goal by the experienced Pula, who later became the player of the match, giving his side the lead and the edge over their rivals.
In the second quarter, Bengaluru were more aggressive and their players displayed more effective coordination and passes. But they could not get the equaliser.
Kolkata 5's too kept up the pressure but could not extend their lead. At the half time, the match was in Kolkata's favour with scoreboard reading 1-0.
In the third quarter, Bengaluru continued with their aggressive play and came back into the game. Bengaluru scored the equaliser in the 22nd minute through Jonathan Piers.
Kolkata too counter-attacked but could not add another goal as the scoreline remained 1-1.
In the fourth quarter, an orange card was shown to Kolkata goalkeeper Cidao as he pushed the ball outside from the D-box in the 39th minute.
Bengaluru had a chance to go ahead but the attempt was in vain. The two sides earned a point each after the draw.
In the other match of the night, Mumbai 5's, who had already booked a semi-final berth, edged past their southern rivals Kochi 5's 6-4, as they made a remarkable comeback in the third and the fourth quarters by netting three goals and held their nerves in a display of strong defence.
Mumbai 5's Brazilian-born Italian Fogila starred in their win with three goals. Their goalkeeper Luis Amado also played a vital role in their victory.
It all began with the opening goal scored by Kochi 5's through Moraes in the third minute. However, their joy was short-lived as Mumbai bounced back in the very next minute as Fogila scored the equaliser.
It was Kochi who raced ahead in the 10th minute when Chagnuiha scored, taking his team 2-1 ahead.
Mumbai 5's again levelled when Kevin Ramirez scored in the 14th minute. Kochi went ahead once again when Moraes scored his second of the match with the scoreboard reading 3-2 in the 18th minute.
Fogila was not too far behind and again leveled things for Mumbai in the 20th minute with his second goal.
In the third quarter, Mumbai scored two goals to make it 5-3. First, it was Chanpreet who scored off a cross by Fogila in the 30th minute and seconds later Angellot found the target.
Late in the fourth quarter, Kochi's Chaguiha scored his team's fourth goal and his second to make it 4-5.
Mumbai, who banked on excellent individual skills and well co-ordinated passes throughout the game, took the game away from Kochi's reach when Fogila scored the sixth goal for his side and his third.
In the semi-finals, Goa 5's take on Bengaluru 5's while Chennai 5's play Kochi 5's on Thursday.
Image: Action from the match between Bengaluru 5's and Kolkata 5's in Mapusa, Goa, on Wednesday
Photograph: Premier Futsal/Twitter
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