AFC Champions League: Edu Bedia's absence sticks out, Naveen Kumar fails to make it count as FC Goa lose to Persepolis FC

FC Goa were trounced 4-0 by Persepolis FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Friday. The result solidified the Iranian side’s position at the perch of the Group E standings, meanwhile it left FC Goa stranded in third place, with only two points to show from four outings. The visitors began the game commandingly and immediately imposed their identity on the game. They were a lot sharper than their Indian competitors and ensured that the Gaurs were on the back foot throughout the first half. In the 24th minute, Persepolis FC’s dominance paid off when they capitalised on a loose ball and teed up Shahriyar Moghanlou on the edge of the box. The striker pulled the trigger and blasted the ball through Naveen Kumar. On the stroke of half time, the tourists doubled their tally, with the Indian goalkeeper again guilty of a massive mistake. This time, he dallied on the ball for far too long and then conceded a penalty. Mehdi Torabi scored the resulting spot-kick as Persepolis FC went into the break with a two-goal cushion. Post the restart, the away side began in similar fashion and instantly put the Gaurs under pressure. Their endeavours paid dividends in the 47th minute when Issa Alekasir ran through the heart of the Gaurs’ rearguard and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. FC Goa were dented further when Kamal Kamyabinia pounced on a stray ball inside the penalty box in the 58th minute and thumped home the visitors’ fourth goal. Though the Gaurs had the odd shot on target thereafter, they rarely threatened Persepolis FC as the Iranian side professionally closed out the game. Here is a look at the talking points from the match. FC Goa produce a dreadful first half display Ever since enrolling themselves for the 2021 AFC Champions League, plenty were intrigued to see how FC Goa would perform on the continental stage. The Gaurs began their campaign excellently and notched up a couple of hard-fought draws. A game later, they surged into the lead against Persepolis FC, only for the Iranian side to rein them in and complete a comeback victory. Through all of it though, there was palpable excitement suggesting that FC Goa, and to a larger extent, ISL clubs were equipped enough to handle the challenges presented by the AFC Champions League. Unfortunately, on Friday, those notions came crashing down as the Gaurs produced an insipid first half display. FC Goa began the game tentatively and never recovered as Persepolis FC stamped their authority. The latter were a lot more composed in possession and sprung passes across the pitch comfortably. The Gaurs, on the other hand, failed to string together a decent number of passes, meaning that they kept inviting pressure. Their tendency to play out from the back also proved to be a bane, for they rarely did it with any conviction in the first half. On countless occasions, they tried to break through the lines, only to gift possession. Unsurprisingly, one such instance led to the opening goal. That Naveen produced a howler, only mitigated the cause of the aforementioned mishap. Post the first goal, FC Goa looked even more shackled as they kept playing themselves into trouble. Moreover, their off-the-ball positioning wasn’t up to scratch – something that allowed the Persepolis FC players to find pockets of space in the inside left and right channels. And, rather fittingly, Naveen capped off an average first half outing by producing a monumental error – one that handed the Iranian outfit another goal on a platter. Though FC Goa have largely been impressive in their debut AFC Champions League campaign, one can’t completely ignore that they failed to adhere to the basics against Persepolis FC in the opening 45 minutes. That they only trailed by two goals at the break, arguably flattered the Gaurs. Bedia’s absence sticks out like a sore thumb Prior to the AFC Champions League, Juan Ferrando had a quandary. The Spaniard had to select only four foreigners, of which Australian James Donachie was a certainty. Ferrando opted for Ivan Gonzales, Jorge Ortiz and of course, Edu Bedia. While Bedia and Ortiz didn’t start the game against Persepolis FC, it was the former’s absence that completely rattled the Gaurs. For large swathes of the 2020-21 ISL season, Bedia orchestrated everything for FC Goa. The Spaniard, who is blessed with immense technical ability, controlled the tempo of matches and rarely allowed the Gaurs to be overrun against any kind of opposition. With the Spaniard suspended, FC Goa simply couldn’t cope up with the visitors’ movement in midfield. At times, Persepolis FC formed neat triangles in midfield, meaning that they always had a spare man. In turn, that forced FC Goa to go looking for openings to pinch the ball – something that left acres of room in midfield. The likes of Milad Sarlak and Mohammad Sharifi thoroughly enjoyed themselves as they ran rings around the FC Goa midfield. The overload in midfield also allowed Persepolis FC to incessantly pile on the pressure and they barely allowed the Gaurs any time on the ball. For a major chunk of the contest, FC Goa were second-best and were entirely outplayed by their continental rivals. Yet, one feels that Bedia’s presence might’ve made a difference. Although it would be extremely naïve to expect him to have altered the outcome of the encounter, he certainly would’ve calmed things down and brought order and composure to a midfield that looked disorganised and seemed as porous as ceramic. FC Goa’s extensive changes leave them in a soup On 20 April, FC Goa battled to a scrappy defeat against Persepolis FC. On that sultry evening at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Gaurs fielded a nigh full-strength side. Three days later though, they tilted the scales upside down, with Juan Ferrando making as many as eight changes to his team. Unsurprisingly, FC Goa failed to come to grips and were battered by Persepolis FC. The glut of changes also meant that the Gaurs were unable to field a proper striker, with Devendra Murgaonkar being preferred in the final third. The youngster had players of the ilk of Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Ishan Pandita, Princeton Rebello and Redeem Tlang for company. Yet, none covered themselves in any sort of glory. Throughout the game, the Gaurs lacked coherence. Quite often, their midfielders and forwards were not on the same wavelength – something that allowed Persepolis FC to turn the screw further. In addition, the changes in midfield rid them of their usual balance and the visitors thrived, with their midfielders tying their Indian counterparts in knots. The lack of balance also enabled the Iranian outfit to crowd the wider areas, with none of the midfielders or the wingers really aware of their defensive duties. Over the first three games of this AFC Champions League season, FC Goa gave an excellent account of themselves. While it is understandable to rotate the squad, considering the sheer number of games in such a short span, perhaps Juan Ferrando missed a trick by making so many changes at once. And, when the Spaniard tried to rectify it, the game was well beyond the Gaurs’ reach. Having said that, Ferrando’s decision could still bear fruit, for FC Goa might have a better chance against Al Rayyan and Al Wahda. Yet, it remains to be seen what effect such a hammering would have on their confidence and psyche, especially in their maiden continental campaign. Naveen fails to grab his chance FC Goa began their AFC Champions League season with a couple of valiant draws, with Dheeraj Singh proving his worth in both of those fixtures. A match later, against Persepolis FC, he arguably outdid himself as he produced several top-notch saves, which included a thwarted penalty attempt. Thus, as the Gaurs locked horns with the Iranian outfit on Friday, several expected him to be FC Goa’s custodian. However, Juan Ferrando, in his attempt to shuffle the pack, consigned the former ATK Mohun Bagan keeper to a place on the bench, meaning that Naveen  was handed a rare start. It’s fair to say though, that Naveen didn’t grab his chance with both hands (literally and metaphorically). The 31-year-old began the game shakily and his indecisiveness seemed to permeate through the rest of the team as well. On quite a few occasions, his ability on the ball came under the scanner and he regularly rushed his clearances. In the 24th minute though, those problems reached a crescendo when Persepolis FC turned the ball over in midfield and got Shahriyar Moghanlou into a shooting position in the inside left channel. The striker lined up his shot and fired it straight at Naveen. Rather inexplicably though, the keeper allowed the ball to squirm under his body, despite getting a hand to it. Nearly twenty minutes later, his patchiness in possession proved to be the Gaurs’ undoing. When presented with a back pass in the 42nd minute, Naveen somehow decided it was prudent to take a touch and dribble his way past a couple of challenges. However, the aforementioned ploy backfired spectacularly as Persepolis FC dispossessed the keeper. He then brought down the forward and allowed the Iranian outfit to double their lead. Apart from the elementary errors that led to goals, Naveen didn’t seem too confident under crosses. He also failed to command his defensive line as much as he would’ve liked, meaning that he was pretty poor throughout the game. Just a month and a bit ago, Naveen came within touching distance of becoming an FC Goa legend when he rocked up in the penalty shoot-out against Mumbai City FC and made stirring saves. Yet, the encounter against Persepolis FC only served as a timely reminder that Naveen isn’t quite the reliable option the Gaurs require under the sticks. And, with a couple of crunch clashes coming up, they might be better served with Dheeraj as their first-choice keeper. Can FC Goa bounce back? To be fair to FC Goa, they have exceeded expectations by garnering two points from four fixtures. Not just because the 2021 campaign represents their debut season in Asia, but also because they’ve had to field only four foreigners, which considering the five-foreigner rule in the ISL, has forced them to explore newer horizons. Thus, to that end, they might still be hopeful of bouncing back against Al Rayyan and Al Wahda. However, for that to happen, they will have to improve greatly. In their opening two matches, they defended resolutely and made the opposition work for every clear-cut opportunity. Against Persepolis FC on 23 April though, they were anything but sturdy as the Iranian side carved them open for fun. More worryingly, FC Goa, who had been an embodiment of bravery, courage and defiance against Al Rayyan and Al Wahda, seemed to drop their shoulders quite quickly. The above could be a result of being outclassed by a vastly superior opposition. However, it could also be a sign of the Gaurs feeling the rigours of an exhausting continental campaign. And, Juan Ferrando would hope that it isn’t the latter. Nevertheless, through this tournament, FC Goa have shown evidence that they can cause the odd flutter, especially against sides such as Al Rayyan and Al Wahda. While that isn’t a given, considering the experience and the pedigree the aforementioned outfits boast, it certainly is a glimmer of hope the Gaurs can cling onto. And, after a performance such as the one against Persepolis FC, perhaps that could serve as the only tonic.