Goalkeeper makes three saves in shootout to ensure his team gets a chance to bid goodbye to slush of Azad Maidan and say hello to astroturf at Cooperage
In order to have the good fortune of strutting their stuff at the iconic Cooperage Ground, kids taking part in football tournaments conducted by the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) must hope that their team makes the semifinal stage.
Knowing that only a penalty shootout stood between the slushy Azad Maidan and the pristine astroturf located a few kilometres away, Royce Lobo was up for the challenge. The 14-year-old from Don Bosco High School (Borivli) tapped the gave the posts and made the sign of the cross before taking his position between the sticks against Holy Family High School (Andheri) in their Division II match on Monday. His prayers were answered and how! Lobo made three saves in his side's 3-2 win.
Donning a distinctive shade of green as against his teammates who wore blue-and-white tees and dark blue shorts, it was easy to spot the man at the centre of the huddle.
"That was all I was thinking about. I didn't want to go home and tell my parents that I would not be playing there (Cooperage) on Wednesday. Which kid doesn't dream of playing for his school over there?" said the Iker Casillas fan.
With the scoreboard reading 1-1 after full time, Lobo gave his team the perfect start in the shootout. The Kandivli resident first saved a shot from Rohan Travaswho, who directed the ball to the goalkeeper's left. Lobo then made it two in two when Mohammed Faras's shot, also hit in the same direction, lost its pace due to the rain-soaked pitch. Despite his two saves, the game went into the fifth and final kick. It was 2-2. It was simple. Holy Family player Kanav Sachdev's tame effort, aimed straight at Lobo, was never worth a goal. Soon, Aditya Rathi left his teammates ecstatic with a well-placed kick to the goalkeeper's right.
Lobo gave a sneak peek into his shootout rituals. "A penalty shootout is all about the eyes. As a goalkeeper, the trick is to beat the opponent even before he has struck the ball. I try to distract the opponent by moving from end to end. At the same time, I do not lose sight of the way his foot is angled. I also watch the ball," said Lobo, whose team will take on Arya Vidya Mandir (Juhu) in the semifinal. Cathedral & John Connon (Fort) will meet Hanraj Moraji (Andheri) in the other semifinal. Both matches will be played at Cooperage on Wednesday.
STOPWATCH
MSSA Under-16 Div II (QF): Don Bosco High School (Borivli) 1 (S Sawant) drew with Holy Family High School (Andheri) 1 (M Faras) — Don Bosco win 3-2 via penalties; Arya Vidya Mandir (Juhu) 1 (Y Vijan) drew with Don Bosco 'B' (Matunga) 1 (S Franco) — Arya Vidya win 3-1 via penalties; Cathedral & John Connon (Fort) 3 (P Sabnani 2, M Mehta) bt St Anne's (Orlem) 0; Hanraj Moraji (Andheri) 1 (K Siddique) drew with Utpal Sanghvi (Juhu) 1 (A Kalaniya) — Hansraj Moraji win 3-2 via penalties
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