Sporting Clube De Goa enters semi-finals in soccer tourney

Kannur, Apr 18 (UNI) Sporting Clube De Goa beat Kerala X1 by 2-1 in the E K Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup International Football Tournament held here today and entered the semi-finals from Group A.

Ferroviaria S/A FC, Brazila is the other team to qualify for the semis from the same group.

Kerala opened the account in the 41st minute of the game, when Kalresh, after latching on to a pass from Javed, let loose a pile-driver, which caught the goalkeeper on the wrong foot.

Stung by the reverse, the Goa team swung into the attack when their striker Fred Mascarenhas restored parity in the 55th minute off a long pass from Vier Fernades. Enthused by the goal, the team made torrid pounding into the rival citadel with array of defence-splitting passes.

With barely two minutes left for the final whistle, striker Viera Fernandes scored the winning goal of a direct free kick.

Tomorrow the Brazilian team will clash with the Muhammedans AC and the match will remain a formality, as the latter was virtually knocked out of the tournament in Group-A. Goa team is leading the table with seven points, followed by Brazil four and Kerala three, as the Muhammedans AC has yet to open its account in the tournament.

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