The 2016 FC Goa season was the club's third season since its establishment in 2014 and their third season in the

Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...

Background

After retaining Brazilian head coach, Zico, as well as the core Indian players from the 2014 season such as

Romeo Fernandes Romeo Fernandes (born 6 July 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club East Bengal. Early life and education Romeo Fernandes was born on 6 July 1992 in Assolna, Goa. He did his schooling at ...

Mandar Rao Desai Mandar Rao Dessai (born 18 March 1992) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a left-back and winger for Indian Super League side Mumbai City and the India national team. Mandar holds the record for most appearances in the history o ...

Narayan Das Narayan or Narayana may refer to: People *Narayan (name), a common Indian name (including a list of persons with this and related names) *Narayan (actor), an Indian film actor *Narayan (writer), Indian writer *Narayana Pandit, Indian mathematicia ...

, and

Laxmikant Kattimani Laxmikant Kattimani (born 3 May 1989) is an Indian association footballer who plays for Hyderabad as a goalkeeper. Club career Born in Goa, Kattimani started his senior professional career with local club Vasco in 2008. In the following yea ...

, Goa began the season in good fashion with a 2–0 victory at home against

Delhi Dynamos Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was found ...

. Goa went on the finish the regular season in first place, winning seven of their fourteen games, losing only once in the second half of the season. In the

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

, Goa took on Delhi Dynamos in the semi-finals. After losing the away leg 1–0, Goa qualified for the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

after winning the home leg 3–0. Goals from

Jofre Jofre or Jofré may refer to the following people ;Given name *Jofre de Foixà (died c. 1300), Catalan poet, musician and abbot *Jofré Llançol i Escrivà (c.1390–c.1436), Spanish noble *Jofre, Jofre Mateu González (born 1980), a Spanish footbal ...

Rafael Coelho Rafael Coelho Luiz (born May 20, 1988), or simply Rafael Coelho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker. Club career Buriram United In 2014, he joined to Buriram United in Thai Premier League, he was injured by heavy training until th ...

, and

Dudu Omagbemi MacPherlin Dudu Omagbemi (born 18 July 1987, in Lagos, Nigeria), commonly known as Dudu, is a Nigerian footballer. Career Dudu started his career in India in 2001. He is the most tenacious player India has ever seen. When playing in the Indian ...

, saw Goa win on aggregate 3–1. Goa took on

Chennaiyin Chennaiyin Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded in August 2014 during the inaugural season o ...

in the final at the

Fatorda Stadium Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, locally known as Fatorda Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium situated in Margao, Goa, India. The venue has been used to host both international football as well as International cricket matches.However after th ...

Bruno Pelissari Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima (born 3 January 1993), popularly known as Bruno Pelissari, is a Brazilian professional footballer. He has previously played for Atlético Paranaense, in the Indian Super League with Chennaiyin and Delhi Dynamos, a ...

gave Chennaiyin the lead in the 54th minute after missing his penalty before Goa took a 2–1 going into stoppage time through

Thongkhosiem Haokip Thongkosiem Haokip (born 13 March 1993), commonly known as Semboi, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward. Career Early career Born in the village of Gangpijang in Manipur, Haokip began playing football for his state sid ...

and Jofre. However, an own goal from Kattimani and a strike from

Stiven Mendoza John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (born 27 June 1992) is a Colombian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Santos FC, Santos. He earned two Cap (s ...

saw Chennaiyin win the match 3–2 and win the championship.

Season overview

FC Goa played their first match on 4 October 2016 against

NorthEast United FC NorthEast United FC is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural season of Indian Supe ...

and succumbed a 2–0 away defeat in

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

. Four days later, Goa lost their first home match of the season against

FC Pune City Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from AIFF. The club was founded ...

after

Momar Ndoye Momar Ndoye (born 10 March 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gibraltarian club Boca Gibraltar. Career Born in Pikine, Ndoye began his career in Spain, making his debut for the Atlético Madrid B side ...

scored at the 90th-minute winner to give them a 1–2 victory.

Pre Season Friendly

Player movement

Retained players

Signings

In

Indian Super League

Results summary

Matches

Player statistics

References

{{2016–17 in Indian football FC Goa seasons

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...