In front of global stars, local lad Brison steals the show

Margao: It was fitting that on one of the many memorable nights for Goan football at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, it was a local footballer who had the crowd up on its feet.The fans expectedly cheered Al-Nassr’s global football stars like Joao Felix, Sadio Mane and Inigo Martinez, all of whom took the field against FC Goa at different stages in the AFC Champions League Two clash. But the biggest roar came in the 41st minute when Brison Fernandes scored the club’s first goal in Asian football’s second-tier club competition.At that time, Goa were down by two goals, their backs against the wall. A goal in the tenth minute, then an injury to Javier Siverio ten minutes later. Another goal from Al-Nassr followed. Everything seemed lost, until Brison showed remarkable composure to finish from inside the box.“I love Brison, he has a bright future,” coach Manolo Marquez said after the 2-1 loss at Fatorda on Wednesday. “He played in lot of pain, he has injuries, and I substituted him only to save him for the Super Cup (starting later this month).”This clash between Al-Nassr FC – captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the world’s best footballer alongside Lionel Messi – and FC Goa generated plenty of buzz. Fans were out in numbers even though Ronaldo did not make the trip to India.The attendance for games at Fatorda has been dwindling since the Covid-19 pandemic changed the world in 2020.When international football returned to Goa last week after eight years, the official attendance read a mere 2,036 at a venue that can occupy 19,000 spectators.

But Wednesday was different with the attendance pegged at 14,389. The crowd was loud, possibly even proud.“The only thing I did not like about the crowd was that they cheered the Al-Nassr players when their names were announced (before kickoff). But it’s football, I can understand,” joked Manolo.Al-Nassr coach Jorje Jesus left the big stars on the bench, instead opting to start with just Inigo Martinez. Felix, Mane and Kingsley Coman were all substitutes, with the first two being used in the second half, much to the delight of the crowd.Goa fans knew they were up against the richest club in Asia. It was a huge challenge, and they showed up in numbers.In the pre-match media interaction, Manolo acknowledged the tough challenge Al-Nassr posed, but acknowledged Indian football needs such games.“We know the kind of players that we face, but it's a great step. I think FC Goa and Indian football needs more of these kinds of games,” said Manolo. Goa’s fan clubs – FC Goa Fan Club and East Lower Army – first provided a loud and colourful reception to the team outside the stadium.While there was a sea of orange around the stadium, supporting Goa, Al Nassr’s supporters, mostly from other parts of the country, also made their presence felt. Most of them were Ronaldo fans, proudly wearing their hero’s name on the back.Inside the stadium, amid a heavy downpour, fans sang and cheered. It wasn’t surprising when the stadium announcer read Al-Nassr’s lineup: Mane, Felix and Coman got the loudest cheers, even though the trio were only named on the bench. Trailing 1-2 at half time, Goa stayed alive in the game. Five minutes into the second half, a fan dodged security, climbed the barricades and ran into Felix, who was warming up at the south end of the stadium.Wearing an Al-Nassr jersey, the fan pulled out his phone for a selfie with the Portugues star. The former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid frontman gladly obliged, before the fan was escorted out of the stadium by security personnel.In the end, from applauding global stars, the fans were now praising Goa. Not for the win, but for the effort in taking the battle to the opposition.“The objective of the match is done, which is to win and pick up three points,” said Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus. “We won against a team which refused to lose. They have some quick players.”