MARGAO
USC Seraulim Veterans edged out Varca Veterans 5-4 in a thrilling tiebreaker during the S. Mini Mart Seraulim Veterans Cup Football Tournament, organised by the United Sports Club of Seraulim at the Seraulim Church ground.
The match ended 1-1 after regular time, with U.S.C. Seraulim dominating possession from the start but struggling to convert their chances. Jess Cardozo missed a clear opportunity in the 12th minute, and Steven, who had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, opted to pass instead of shooting, allowing the Varca defense to intercept.
Varca opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Apolinario Pereira's long-range effort was misjudged by Seraulim goalkeeper Camilo Ferrao, putting Varca ahead 1-0 at halftime.
After the break, U.S.C. Seraulim intensified their attack, with Jess, Steven, and Sohan combining well against a resilient Varca defense led by Francis Carvalho, Hendry Fernandes, and Apolinario Pereira. With just six minutes left, Sandeep switched from defense to the midfield, trusting Kevin and Vinod to cover the backline. This tactical change paid off when Sandeep made a swift run down the right flank and delivered a perfectly timed pass to Jess, who scored the equalizer just seconds before the final whistle.
In the subsequent penalty shootout, Sandeep Shanke, Sohan Da Costa, Kennedy Noronha, and Steven Fernandes converted their penalties for U.S.C. Seraulim, while Varca's Prashant Bandodkar, Henry Fernandes, and Romeo Pereira found the net. Sandeep Shanke's heroics included saving penalties from Francis Carvalho and Francisco D'Costa, earning him the Man of the Match award from Saloni Da Costa.
