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FATORDA: Defensa y Justicia secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Churchill Brothers FC, in the 2nd Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy, thanks to a solitary goal from Vergara Cruz in the 35th minute in a closely contested match, at the Nehru Stadium, on Wednesday.
The match’s decisive moment arrived when Cruz, who has been in fine form throughout the tournament, scored his second goal on Goan soil. Cruz’s strike was set up by Machado Imanol, who expertly chipped the ball into the box. Cruz controlled it with his chest, skillfully navigated past the Churchill defense and calmly finished past the goalkeeper, earning all three points for the Argentine side in Group B.
Churchill Brothers started the match brightly, creating an early opportunity in the 7th minute when Trijoy Dias sent a low cross into the box. However, the ball rolled across the face of the goal with no one to finish the move. This missed chance proved costly, as Defensa y Justicia began to take control of the game.
Defensa had their first clear opportunity in the 14th minute when Ivancic Franco delivered a perfect cross from the left, finding Vergara Cruz unmarked in the box. Cruz’s powerful header was on target, but the Churchill Brothers’ goalkeeper made a fine save to keep the game level.
Defensa’s persistence was rewarded in the 35th minute when Cruz’s clinical finish broke the deadlock. Just before halftime, Defensa nearly doubled their lead when Quiroga delivered a low cross into the box. After a chaotic scramble, Bustos Gabriel poked the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul in the buildup.
Despite trailing, Churchill Brothers displayed resilience, pushing hard for an equalizer. They came close in the 42nd minute when Stendly Fernandes unleashed a low shot from the edge of the box, only for the Defensa goalkeeper to deflect it wide. Alent Colaco also tried his luck from distance, but his shot sailed over the bar.
In the second half, Churchill Brothers intensified their pursuit of an equalizer. Their best chance came in the 55th minute when Valdez Franco played a well-timed through ball to Quiroga Agustan, putting him in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but he was unable to convert.
Later in the match, Suraj Mallick made a vital save.
Despite their relentless efforts, Churchill Brothers couldn’t break through Defensa y Justicia’s solid defense, and the match ended with a 1-0 victory for the Argentine side.
