Goa to Host ISL Finals, for Chennaiyin FC and ATK
10 Mar 2020 03:06 PM
In the first semifinal, Chennaiyin and FC Goa served up a goal-fest that produced 11 goals, with the former champions emerging triumphant 6-5 on aggregate. In fact, it is comfortably the highest-scoring play-off tie in the six-year history of ISL, and probably the most thrilling one as well.
It
seemed the tie was well and truly finished when Chennaiyin FC pummelled FC Goa
4-1 at home in the first leg. However, Goa mounted a brilliant fight back at
home and came within a goal of overturning the result when they were 2-0 up in
the first half. But Owen Coyle’s men managed to score two away goals to almost
secure the tie. Clifford Miranda’s men scored two late goals to ensure a
nervous finish to the tie, with Chennaiyin emerging victorious.
ATK, on the other hand, had to launch a terrific fightback to reach their third ISL final.
They had been blunted in the first leg in
Bengaluru with the defending champions winning 1-0. ATK found themselves on the
back foot early in the second leg in Kolkata when Ashique Kuruniyan scored an
away goal to double Bengaluru’s advantage. ATK had to score three times or wave
their chances of reaching the final good-bye. Inspired by the likes of Prabir
Das, David Williams, Roy Krishna and goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja, Antonio
Habas’ men completed the turnaround to dump Bengaluru FC out. With
the added advantage of an AFC Cup spot on offer for the winners of the summit
clash, expect Chennaiyin FC and ATK to serve up another classic as they
face-off in the final for the first time.
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