Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In a thrilling contest, Stars de Goa (Legends) downed the spirited Indian Navy 2-0 in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd in the Independence Day exhibition football match played at the Santa Cruz ground, recently.
The match began with both teams testing each other’s goalkeepers. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Mascarenhas released Kodale down the right flank. Kodale darted into the box and squared the ball to Robert Fernandes, who calmly slotted home the opener, sending the crowd into raptures.
The Navy responded with a fierce strike from captain Sourabh Malik, only for goalkeeper Martin Pereira to make a brilliant save. The score remained 1-0 at half-time.
In the second half, the Indian Navy pushed hard for an equaliser, but Ramesh Palkar made a vital clearance off K Dubey just before he could shoot. At the other end, Kodale and Talwar combined beautifully, only to be denied by Indian Navy keeper Subramani.
Ten minutes before the final whistle, Nazareth D’Silva fed Aditya Talwar, who dribbled past his marker and delivered a precise cut-back for Mascarenhas, who made no mistake, doubling Stars de Goa’s lead to 2-0. Despite a late Indian Navy surge, Pereira once again denied Britto Robert with a superb save.
In the closing minutes, Stars de Goa slowed the tempo, keeping possession and ensuring a safe passage to victory.
The Indian Navy team, comprising mostly lieutenant commanders and led by Lt Commander Sourabh Malik, displayed excellent fast-paced football, constantly pressing forward. However, the experienced Stars de Goa (Legends), captained by Frankie Mascarenhas, used their composure and tactical nous to blunt the Indian Navy’s attacks in the final third.
The Goa side fielded a unique blend of youth and experience, with seven players over 50 years of age and four youngsters aged between 20 and 28. This mix proved decisive as they combined well throughout the match. In goal, Martin Pereira was outstanding, pulling off at least three crucial saves. Defenders Ramesh Palkar, Angelo Fernandes, Neville Araujo, and Benny Pereira held the Stars de Goa (Legends) backline firmly.
In midfield, Sainath Kodale, Aditya Talwar, Nazareth D’Silva, and former India international Robert Fernandes dictated the tempo. Up front, Mascarenhas and Paulo Almeida led the attack.
The Indian Navy, with Subramani in goal, relied on defenders Karthik Dubey, Nitesh Vishwakarma, Suraj Prashar, and Vivekanand Yadav. Their midfield trio of W.D. Singh, Britto Robert, and Rahul combined well with strikers Sourabh Malik, Vikas Kankanwal, and K Dubey.The match was graced by Victor Gonsalves, former MLA of Santa Cruz constituency as the chief guest, with Padma Shri Brahmanand Shankhwalkar as the guest of honour.
The Indian Navy two officers were praised and felicitated for their outstanding gallantry performance for the country. Suraj Puraskar who was involved in Operation Sindoor played and was awarded the Shourya Chakra. Indian Navy Captain Sourabh Malik who was also best forward led a daring Piracy Mission rescuing 19 hostages and captured seven armed pirates and for his bravery was honoured with the Nao Sena Medal for Gallant