ISL 2015: FC Goa thrash Delhi Dynamos 3-0 in semi-final second leg, advance to final

December 16, 2015

Margao, Dec 16: A scintillating offensive display enabled a buoyant FC Goa to a 3-1 aggregate victory over Delhi Dynamos in a two-legged semi-final and enter the title round of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Margaon on Tuesday.

ISLSpanish midfielder Joffre Mateu scored in the 11th minute, followed by Brazilian forward Rafael Coelho on 27 minutes that helped Goa lead 2-0 at half-time in the second leg match. Man-of-the-Match Nigerian striker Dudu Omagbemi put the finishing touches to the lop-sided 3-0 scoreline in the 84th minute as the hosts overturned a 0-1 deficit they conceded in the first leg at New Delhi on December 11 to enter the final.

They await the winner of defending champions Atletico de Kolkata and Chennaiyin FC whose second legged match will be played in Kolkata on Wednesday. Chennaiyin lead the tie 3-0.

Goa were the semi-finalists in the inaugural edition of the tournament last year. The final of the competition will be played here on December 20.

Goa were determined to hit the ground running at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in their aim of plucking up an early goal that would have nullified Dynamos' deficit.

They were egged on by their animated coach Zico who entered into an argument with the referee at the very beginning of the game that displayed his eagerness as well as nervousness.

They got what they yearned in the 11th minute. Spanish midfielder Joffre Mateu capped off his superb solo run from the right with a fierce low left-footed shot that crashed into the near post of goalkeeper Toni Doblas.

Dynamos were subjected to intense pressure, which reflected on their coach Roberto carlos' face. He was seen in an enthusiastic discussion with his defensive spearhead John Arne Riise after the goal with both visibly disagreeing with each other.

They were in serious trouble and were disintegrating spectacularly under the consistently impressive combined attacking display of Goa's frontmen.

Dynamos survived going behind on 23 minutes when the sparkling home-grown talent Romeo Fernandes' attempt went inches wide after latching onto a feeble clearance from Doblas.

Goa deservedly took an aggregate lead four minutes later with a similar strike as the first goal amidst sporadic, hopeful attempts by Dynamos.

Coelho dangerously danced his way towards the box from the vulnerable right side and let loose a low grounder, this time towards the far post of Doblas. The ball landed into the net after thundering off the inside of the post as a diving Doblas clutched thin air.

By this time, the hosts were all over Carlos' side and the disapproving Brazilian reacted by replacing the non-functioning Riise with Dutch midfielder Hans Mulder at the half hour mark hoping to provide support to lonely Frenchman Florent Malouda.

Dynamos hoped the change of ends would facilitate a change of fortunes but Goa creditably didn't let their foot off the pedal and continued to expose the bungling right-back Robert Lalthlamuana by creating two golden opportunities.

A conversion of any one of them would have killed off the contest considering the sustained domination of the hosts.

But Doblas rose to the occasion producing smart saves, blocking shots of Fernandes and Brazilian Leo Moura, to keep his team in the hunt though the clock unfailingly ticked away.

The frenetic nature of action evoked some bruising physical display from both sides prompting the referee to show several yellow cards.

As the match entered its finals stretch, hope of Dynamos evaporated rapidly as a marauding Goa looked likelier to score.

They duly obliged when Fernandes laid it for Dudu to finish off another free-flowing coordinated attack from close range, much to the dejection of the Dynamos camp whose English striker Adil Nabi, substituted in the 58th minute, was red-carded for showing dissent at a linesman.

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News Network
July 24,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 24: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was earlier banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Anti-Corruption Code, on Friday, said that people are bound to make mistakes and the important thing is that how well they make a comeback.

Shakib was banned from all forms of cricket on October 29 last year after he accepted the charges of breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. He will be able to resume international cricket from October 29, 2020.

"You have to be honest. You just can't lie to the people and pretend different things. Whatever happened has happened. People are bound to make mistakes. You are not 100%. The important thing is how well you can comeback from those mistakes. You can tell other people not to make those mistakes. Tell them the path so that they never take those paths," Shakib told Deep Dasgupta in a videocast hosted by ESPNcricinfo.

The 33-year-old all-rounder said he has seen many controversies ever since he was first made captain in 2009. He had trouble with the board chief, selectors and the media, mainly about selectorial decisions and not being made permanent captain between 2009 and 2010.
He believes those experiences have changed him as a person over time.

"I think [it's] combination of both [controversy following him, and vice versa]. I got the responsibility so early in my career, I was bound to make mistakes. I was captain when I was 21. I made a lot of mistakes, and there are so many things that people think about me. Now I realise that it was my fault in some areas, and in some I was misunderstood. But I get it completely. It is part and parcel in the subcontinent," Hasan said.

"Of course I will try to minimise [my mistakes] as much as I can, but by the time I got married, and now I have two kids, I understand the game and life better. It has made me a calmer person than I was in my twenties. I have changed quite a lot. People won't see me doing a lot of mistakes now. My two daughters changed my life completely," he added.

Shakib is likely return to international cricket during Bangladesh's proposed Test series against Sri Lanka in October. 

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News Network
May 8,2020

New Delhi, May 8: India skipper Virat Kohli believes cricket in empty stadiums is a real possibility in post COVID-19 world and though it is unlikely to have a bearing on the intensity of players, he feels the magic would certainly go missing.

Cricket Boards across the globe are exploring the option of resuming the sport in empty stadiums. There is speculation that fans could be kept away from stadiums in a bid to salvage the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is currently under threat due to the global health crisis.

"It's quite a possible situation, it might happen, I honestly don't know how everyone is going to take that because we all are used to playing in front of so many passionate fans," Kohli said in Star Sports' show 'Cricket Connected'.

"I know it will be played at a very good intensity but that feeling of the crowd connecting with the players and the tension of the game where everyone goes through it in the stadium, those emotions are very difficult to recreate," he added.

Kohli said the many moments which are created because of the passion brought in by fans, would be missing.

"Things will still go on, but I doubt that one will feel that magic happening inside because of the atmosphere that was created.

"We will play sports how it is supposed to be played, but those magical moments will be difficult to come by," he said.

Cricketers such as Ben Stokes, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Pat Cummins have backed the idea of playing behind closed doors.

However, legendary Australian Allan Border has said it would defy belief to host a World Cup without spectators.

Another Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and some other cricketers have also expressed similar sentiments.

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News Network
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: India's World Cup-winning former opener Gautam Gambhir performed the last rites of his deceased domestic help after her mortal remains could not be sent to her home in Odisha due to the coronavirus-forced national lockdown.

Gambhir, also a BJP Lok Sabha MP, posted a tribute on his Twitter page for his employee Saraswati Patra, who was working at his residence for the past six years.

"Taking care of my little one can never be domestic help. She was family. Performing her last rites was my duty," he tweeted.

"Always believed in dignity irrespective of caste, creed, religion or social status. Only way to create a better society. That's my idea of India! Om Shanti," said the 38-year-old Gambhir, who played 58 Tests for India between 2004 and 2016.

Media reports in Odisha said the 49-year-old Patra hailed from a village in Jajpur district.

She was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital a few days ago and was battling diabetes and high blood pressure for a long period. She breathed her last while undergoing treatment on April 21.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated Gambhir.

"Taking care of Saraswati throughout the course of her illness, he also ensured her dignity in death by performing her last rites himself since her mortal remains could not be sent to her family back home in Odisha," Pradhan, who also belongs to Odisha, tweeted.

"His act of compassion will enliven the faith in humanity for millions of poor, who are working far from their home for livelihood and will garner respect from all folds of the society."

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