FC Goa emerged victorious in a tightly-contested final of the GFA TACA Goa U20 League 2022-23, defeating Dempo SC by a solitary goal at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa on Sunday.
Jordan Borges scored the winner for the young Gaurs in the 34th minute, to help his team clinch the title.
Both teams displayed intense footballing action in the first half, with possession changing hands frequently. However, neither side demonstrated significant creativity in the attacking third.
FC Goa came close to scoring in the 28th minute when Borges unleashed two identical shots from outside the box. The first was parried away by the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner-kick, while the second was cleared by a defender for another corner-kick. The youngster finally broke the deadlock six minutes later.
The goal came from a long ball into the Dempo box, initially controlled by one of their players. Yet, Jovial Dias executed a successful tackle, allowing Jordan Borges to pounce on the loose ball. He skillfully directed it into the far corner of the net, beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to hand his team the breakthrough.
Following the change of ends, Dempo SC looked more threatening of the two teams and created a number of chances in the pursuit of a equaliser. Had it not been for a lack of bite in finishing, the Golden Eagles could have had a shot at the trophy themselves.
With no further goals in the match, FC Goa secured a 1-0 victory and claimed the title thanks to Borges’ first-half strike.
FC Goa have thus become champions of the state in four different age-groups for the 2022-23 season, having also won the respective GFA leagues in the U-13, U-15 and U-17 levels. The FC Goa U-14 Women’s Team, meanwhile, concluded their campaign of the GFA U14 Women’s League as runners-up.
