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Girls bring
glory GOAN women football again shot into the limelight after a lapse of 23 years, when Goan girls annexed the first ever Under-19 Junior Girls National Football Championship Trophy by defeating well placed Manipur 4-2 via the tie-breaker in September 27. The last success was when Goa defeated Bengal 3-0 in the finals in 1977.
Goa's path to glory was paved with virtually insurmountable pitfalls, because they did not possess the necessary match experience. However, they compensated for the lack with tons of determination, playing their hearts out. The capacity crowd watched with awe as their favourites stretched themselves to their limits in the semis against Bengal. Every spectator cheered lustily or watched waited with bated breath as the girls blundered time and again, only to burst into wild applause when Vandana D'Cruz sealed Bengal's fate (3-2) with a golden goal.
The Manipur girls dominated the proceedings but score they couldn't against their never-say-die opponents, who were cheered lustily by their fans. People watched the thrilling battle for supremacy from the two overflowing stands, tree tops, house roofs, parked buses, and from every vantage point, in pouring rain. A brass band, traditional 'fugotteo' and 'gornal' were all pressed into service by the cheering fans to goad their team into scoring. Like a team possessed, tireless Vandana D'Cruz, little Lata Naik and Clarina Valadares manned the midfiled while Sharon Fernandes, Maymol Rocky, Socorrine Costa and Shaini Rodrigues warded off the consistent attacks. Blanca Barreto, who had two hat-tricks to her credit, diminutive Soniya Vengurlekar and Pratima Chari, all able tacklers, who had troubled Bengal in the semis, could not see their way through the maze of Bengal defenders during the finals.
Blanca was too emotional to comment after their success. She merely said, "I am too happy today." Soniya Vengurlekar, who had an excellent performance, was more forthcoming. She said, "Actually when we defeated West Bengal, we had that confidence that we could beat Manipur too." After so many years, women's football has recorded another successful feat in Goa. Everyone was overjoyed with the victory. The girls were showered with gifts and awards by the GFA and others. Blanca, Sharon and Maymol have already been selected for the national team. We wish the girls well and trust they will contribute their best to the country's side.
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GOA'S performance in the Under-19 Junior
Girls National Football Championship Trophy had scarcely impressed
anyone during the final stages of the tournament. Whoever had
witnessed Goa defeat Tamil Nadu 1-0 in the quarter finals at Duler,
never entertained any hopes that the hosts would withstand the
roasting pace of the crafty moves by fancied teams like Bengal and
Manipur. 
Would
the battle-weary home team be able to put it across formidable
Manipur, whose goalkeeper had hardly been tested almost till the
finals? Everyone had considered the thrilling semi-final encounter
as the virtual finals. But it was the utter grit and determination,
which helped keep the swiftly moving, hardy Manipur forwards at bay.
Again, it was an agonising experience for Goa's football lovers as
they watched the girls do everything they had learnt from their able
coach, Carol Fernandes, to prevent the Manipuris from
scoring. 
The
score-board remained motionless even during extra time, increasing
the suspense as to which team would emerge the victors. And then
came the inevitable penalty shootout. Manipur's goalkeeper Thabal
Devi, who had proved to possess the safest pair of hands throughout
the tournament eventually showed butter fingers in the tie-breaker.
Her counterpart, Goa's Concy Vaz, on the other hand, kept her cool
and literally won the game for Goa with two extra-ordinary saves in
the tie-breaker besides blocking half-a-dozen sure goals during the
normal run of play. Lata Naik (literally the littlest footballers of
the tournament), Blanca Barretto, Maymol Rocky and Sharon Fernandes
converted their spot-kicks for Goa.